1. The first paragraph of a news article should answer the questions who, what, where and when. List the who, what, where and when of this news item. (NOTE: The remainder of a news article provides details on the why and/or how.)

2. a) Who is Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges?
b) What message does Gen. Hodges say the troop deployment will send?

3. a) What are the Baltic states?
b) Why are Poland and the Baltic states concerned about Russian military operations in the region?

4. a) What is the purpose of NATO?
b) What effect do Poland and the Baltic states think the U.S. and NATO troops will have on the region?

5. Britain’s Independent News reported:

“Across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, fears are intensifying that Moscow, after displaying its military might over the past several years in Georgia, Ukraine and now Syria, could have the Baltic states in its sights next. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned he wouldn't hesitate to defend Russians wherever they live, words that feel like threats since significant numbers of ethnic Russians live in the Baltics. Whether the danger is real or just bluster remains to be seen.

To be pro-active, young Lithuanian civilians are learning counterinsurgency tactics on weekends. Others have taken steps to protect themselves. The government, in response to pleas from a fearful public, has issued a preparation manual.

Poland is creating a Territorial Defense Force to train thousands of volunteers for the kind of low-intensity hybrid warfare seen in eastern Ukraine, including cyber warfare. Also, some of the new volunteers will be assigned to protect Polish territory near Kaliningrad."

President-elect Trump has said he would work with Russia’s president Vladimir Putin - that we share the same goal of destroying Islamic terrorists. He has also said that he might not automatically defend the Baltic states - that the U.S. is not the world’s police. It remains to be seen what position he will definitely take.

Do you think Poland and the Baltic states should prepare to defend themselves should Putin send in troops, or should it be up to the U.S. to be their protector? [Note: This is a very general question, as it is really a more complicated foreign policy issue. But overall, in what way do you think the U.S. should back our allies: with troops? provide their troops with military equipment, training and ammunition? Economic sanctions places on aggressive governments like Russia? Through diplomacy?] … Explain your answer.