Only 'stupid' people think warm ties with Russia are a bad thing

[Cacophonix]

Would I be right (or completely wrong) in suspecting that a majority of Germans would feel anywhere from neutral to comforted by the fact that those exercises are taking place?

[Chuks]

Good question. I have absolutely no idea. I think we need to get a bit deeper into the Trump presidency before we can see what Germans think about our commitment to Nato as shown by this transfer of an armored division to Europe.

It's nothing new, having American troops both stationed here and staging through here. I remember once coming face-to-face with a combat patrol of American infantrymen in the middle of downtown Verden, when they were taking part in a Reforger exercise.

[OFSO]

Yup, all those huge empty 'Kasernes' around Darmstadt and Heidelberg might be filling up again. Except for the ones which have been given over to housing immigrants. Many a night I'd wake up on the Eschollbrueckerstrasse to hear the rumble of rubber-cleated tanks going by, back from an exercise. How did I feel about it ? Safe, that's how.