Norwegian Armor @ NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Lithuania

Question. Is forward presence overrated? Does it actually deter aggression? Think about it. Where has forward presence actually prevented an adversary from carrying out whatever action they had contemplated? 

I DO SEE combatant commanders pulling forces to their respective kingdoms but they're always for exercises. I have yet to see a combatant commander pull forces forward for actual contingencies. 

The 24th MEU was already in theater for a scheduled deployment when the trouble in Afghanistan hit, the 82nd pulled their Division Ready Brigade together to fly in from the states (that could have been military politics though...the 173rd was sitting in Europe looking slack eyed and silly), and military airlift just pulled its forces together from around the world. The question remains. Does forward presence actually deter aggression?

If we can conclude that it doesn't deter aggression then forward presence is simply putting our forces in harms way for a series of defeats ala the Japanese Imperial Navy/Army in their march across the Pacific early in WW2.