Defense officials confirmed plans to start pulling out two US Army brigades, two Air Force squadrons as well as about 2,500 support troops later this year, but officials said Washington would remain committed to European allies. The two Army heavy infantry brigades and one of the Air Force squadrons, which flies A-10 "tank killer" aircraft, are currently based in Germany while the second air unit is located in Aviano, Italy. The move will reduce the total number of American forces in Europe to roughly 70,000 from the current level of about 81,000, officials said. Despite the drawdown, the Pentagon insisted the US military's close partnership with NATO allies would continue and that units in the United States would rotate to European bases to pursue joint training and exercises. "No one should equate lower numbers of US troops permanently stationed in Europe with declining engagement with our European partners. We will continue to have robust engagement in Europe and that will continue to be our core principle going forward," press secretary George Little told reporters. The Army chose to cut the two armored brigades while leaving in place two other brigades, one airborne and one employing Stryker vehicles, which represent a more agile formation in keeping with a new US strategy that sees large, tank-heavy ground wars as unlikely. The downsizing also will include closing down the Army's 5th Corps headquarters in Wiesbaden, officials said. The two Army brigades due to leave, the 170th heavy brigade in Baumholder and the 172nd heavy brigade in Grafenwoehr, have 3,850 soldiers each and both have been on tours in Afghanistan, with troops from the 172nd still on the ground in Paktika province. Soldiers and families from the 170th brigade will begin moving out this summer while troops from the 172nd will start departing Germany in mid-2013, according to a fact sheet from the Pentagon. The two aviation units due to depart are the 81st Fighter Squadron in Spangdahlem, with 525 personnel, and the 603rd Air Control squadron, with 336 airmen.