It wasn’t clear why the Defense secretary issued the order not to send troops on a routine mission to a country the administration refers to as a “model ally.” Soldiers of the U.S. Army 2nd Cavalry Regiment Stryker Brigade watch Apache helicopters engage during NATO military exercises near Bemowo Piskie, Poland, on May 7, 2026. | Sean Gallup/Getty Images Pete Hegseth’s last-minute decision to cancel the deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland caught Pentagon staff and European a