The “Dagger” brigade deployed to Europe in September 2017 as the second iteration of heel-to-toe rotations of U.S. armored brigades in Europe, designed to provide a continuous U.S. armored presence for the foreseeable future. While deployed, 2nd ABCT trained closely with NATO allies to build interoperability between their forces and strengthen their collective defensive capabilities to deter aggression in the region.

One of the special highlights from the deployment was the three deployment readiness exercises the brigade conducted, where units moved company-size elements from Poland and Germany into the Baltic region on a 48-hour notice. This sent a powerful message that they could rapidly respond to crises anywhere, at any time if called upon.