APRIL 13, 2021 | BY JIM GARAMONE, DOD NEWS Soldiers participate in a live-fire exercise at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, March 23, 2021. Photo By: Markus Rauchenberger, Army “This planned increase in U.S. personnel underscores our commitment to Germany and the entire NATO alliance,” Austin said in his remarks to Germany’s Ministry of Defense. The increase reverses the policy of the previous administration, which looked to drastically reduce the number of U.S. forces based in Germany. President Joe Biden announced a policy to freeze that process, which included moving the headquarters for the Stuttgart-based U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command. The president ordered a global posture review to determine how to best station U.S. forces around the world.