U.S. soldiers began moving into new, Polish-built barracks buildings at Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area on March 11, 2025. Many of the deployed troops have been living in tents there. (U.S. Army)
STUTTGART, Germany — U.S. soldiers are moving out of tents and into new barracks this month as part of a broader effort by Poland to upgrade facilities for American troops across the country.
The Polish-built barracks at Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area in the country’s northwest can accommodate more than 1,700 soldiers, the Army’s V Corps said in a statement. About 1,000 troops are scheduled to move in by the end of the month.
The new arrangements provide a better living standard and a morale boost, Col. Adam F. Latham, commander of 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, said in a statement Friday.
“We’re setting the conditions for a long-lasting and permanent relationship with our Polish allies,” Latham said.
The Army has been rotating tank brigades and other units through Poland and other locations along NATO’s eastern flank ever since Russia’s initial attack on Ukraine in 2014. The rotations increased following Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Warsaw has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years to enhance military training grounds and housing facilities.
The projects are part of a bilateral security agreement that requires Poland to pick up a large amount of the infrastructure costs needed to support U.S. troops in the country.
Marcus Fichtl, a spokesman for U.S. Army Garrison Poland based out of Poznan, said Monday the aim is to get most U.S. troops in Poland into barracks and buildings by the end of the year.
Deployments over the years to Poland have involved getting by in austere conditions. At Drawsko Pomorskie, that has meant tents and temporary shower facilities.
Besides the new bathrooms, the barracks provide soldiers with better heating and air conditioning, as well as “more space to call their own,” the V Corps statement said.
The accommodations house six soldiers apiece and provide more privacy than the previous open-bay style tents, the Army said.
“At the end of the day, quality of life impacts (combat) readiness,” said Command Sgt. Maj. James R. Pyle, the senior enlisted advisor of 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division.
One of the largest ongoing projects in Poland involves a $93 million initiative to build new Army barracks and a dining facility at a base in Powidz, which has emerged as a major aviation and logistical hub for the U.S. military.
Such investments, along with Warsaw’s status as NATO’s biggest defense spender as a percentage of its gross domestic product, have elevated Poland’s stature in the alliance.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described Poland as a “model ally” during a stop in Powidz in February to meet with U.S. troops.
