The 101st Airborne Division, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 96th Aviation Support Battalion, is the sixth aviation rotation for Atlantic Resolve 2020 exercise, and the 101st will deploy approximately 2,000 personnel, 50 UH-60 and HH-60 Black Hawks, 4 CH-47 Chinooks, 25 AH-64 Apaches and more than 1,800 wheeled vehicles and pieces of equipment. This is the first time a U.S. Army operation of this scale is conducted in La Rochelle since the 1960's.

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Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 96th Aviation Support Battalion, unfold the blades of an AH-64 Apache helicopter on July 11, 2020 in La Rochelle France. (Picture source : U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Northcutt, 21st Theater Sustainment Command)

Operation Atlantic Resolve, though not a "named" operation, is ongoing efforts in response to Russia's actions in Ukraine, mainly the War in Donbass. It is funded under the European Deterrence Initiative. In the wake of Russia's 2014 intervention in Ukraine, the U.S. took several immediate steps to enhance the deterrence posture along NATO's eastern flank, including augmenting the air, ground and naval presence in the region, and enhancing previously scheduled exercises. The U.S. is taking measures to enhance NATO military plans and defense capabilities and remains committed to maintaining a persistent presence in Central Europe and Eastern Europe. Atlantic Resolve rotations are overseen by a regionally aligned headquarters there.

Since April 2014, U.S. Army Europe has led the Department of Defense’s Atlantic Resolve land efforts by bringing units based in the U.S. to Europe for nine months at a time. Atlantic Resolve provides these rotational units with the ability to build readiness, increase interoperability and enhances the bond between ally and partner militaries through multinational training events.

There are three types of Atlantic Resolve rotations – armored, aviation and sustainment task force. These rotations are overseen by the 1st Cavalry Division (Forward), a regionally aligned headquarters based in Poznan, Poland. There are approximately 6,000 soldiers participating in Atlantic Resolve at any given time, conducting operations and exercises across 17 countries. These deployments of ready, combat-credible U.S. forces to Europe in support of Atlantic Resolve is evidence of the strong and unremitting U.S. commitment to NATO and Europe.