After the U.S. announced its withdrawal from the INF treaty and Russia responded with mirrored actions, tensions between the two powers are for a notch higher. Poland, as one of the strongest U.S. allies has found itself at the forefront of that clash.

In order to protect itself from the alleged Russian threat, Poland offered its soil to NATO and the U.S. for establishing large military bases. One is already operational and it is U.S. military led Battle Group Poland, based close to the border with Kaliningrad Region. Second one is under consideration and Poland suggested its name should be Camp Trump. 

We've visited Battle Group Poland base in the town of Orzysz. There we've been shown dozens of M1A1 main battle tanks and Bradly infantry fighting vehicles at the base open sky motor pool. 

Judging by their tanned color, all these tanks and infantry fighting vehicles have seen action in Iraq or Afghanistan, and now those are at the so--called Eastern European theater, just under 60 kilometers south of Russia's Kaliningrad region. 

Some are saying the region is most densely packed with the weapons in the world. It is also the home of disputed Iskander missiles that Americans are claiming, violate the INF treaty. Missiles that have this base in its crosshairs, too.

This base in Orzysz hosts 1,100 soldiers in total, with largest part coming from the U.S., while the others are from the UK, Croatia and Romania. Their commander Lt. Col. Donny Hebel claims that his Battle Group Poland, if needed, is ready to go into fight in 24 hours to "protect NATO countries" from, as he said "any aggression".

"So, we are aware about the things that are happening through the media, but one thing about our military, about Battle Group is that we understand our mission for being here and our focus is directly on that." Lt. Col. Hebel said. "And as long as I have support from Poland for being here and we are committed to them and working and being interoperable, not just with them, but with Baltics, that's to me the reason for being here."

Although Lieutenant Colonel Habel refused to name Russia as the reason for his Battle Group to be here at all, U.S. and Polish politicians had no problems in pointing fingers to the Polish neighbor. 

In the light of the new cold war, Poles, who historically had a number of disputes with Russians, are all too happy to accommodate American troops on their soil citing alleged Russian threat.

Retired General of Polish Army Waldemar Skrzypczak claims that threat from Russia is all but not alleged. 

"My judgment is that there is a constant military threat from Russia. I even hold that Russia conducts against Poland, and other countries of Eastern and Western Europe, a hybrid war. We are, in my opinion, in the course of war that Russia has not declared against us."

And not just military bases Poland is happy to give to the NATO and particularly to the U.S.. Just days ago, their Minister of Defense has signed an agreement for purchasing 414 million U.S.dollars worth missile systems from the U.S.. 

Warsaw is also keen in having major "U.S. only" military base on its soil, and they are prepared even to fully finance two billion U.S. dollars worth construction. 

And while the politicians and generals are playing the ultimate strategy game, ordinary soldiers from the National Guard of Tennessee had their mind set on the other more down to earth issues. As we were told by Sgt. Clay Kessler from the National Guard of Tennessee, this environment gave them a lot of new experiences.

"There has been lots of different things that we had to encounter here that we don't have in Tennessee, such as the weather, such as harsh winter. So, a lot of people here have seen snow for the first time. And it has been feets of snow," Sgt. Kessler said.

While soldiers of Tennessee National Guard will go home this May, tensions present in this part of the world most likely won't go anywhere from here for quite some time.