Only last year, the U.S. European Command was facing some of the deepest cuts of any region in the U.S. military. Now, after Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, the Pentagon finds itself focusing on the continent in a way not seen in decades.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Barack Obama said he would ask Congress for an additional $1 billion to increase Washington's military commitment to the continent.
Two weeks ago, the U.S. Air Force said it had deployed two B-2 stealth bombers to England, joining two B-52s sent earlier this month. The two aircraft are America's premier nuclear bombers.