The Department of the Army announced in February the activation of an additional corps headquarters, called Fifth Corps (V Corps), to be located in the United States at Fort Knox, Kentucky, with a forward command post to be located in Europe. The city of Poznan will be the location of the U.S. Army V Corps Headquarters (Forward) in Poland. The V Corps Headquarters will consist of approximately 635 soldiers, of which a portion will be positioned at the forward command post in Poznan on a rotational basis. U.S. Army Europe expects the first rotation of personnel to start arriving in October 2020.
“We have a strong relationship with our Polish allies and appreciate the outstanding support they provide to our rotational Soldiers,” said Lt. Gen. John. S. Kolasheski, V Corps commanding general. “As we stand up the V Corps forward command post in Poznan we look forward to strengthening that relationship as we work together to build readiness and enhance interoperability between our militaries and those of our allies and partners.”
The unit’s flag was first unfurled in Poland and the corps’ incoming commander, Maj. Gen. John S. Kolasheski was promoted to Lieutenant General during a ceremony Aug. 4, in Krakow. The primary mission of the new forward headquarters will be to conduct operational planning, mission command and oversight of the rotational forces in Europe. It will also provide additional capability to support allies and partners in the region. V Corps will be a major participant in DEFENDER-Europe 21, planned to take place in the Balkan and Black Sea regions from May-June 2021.
