It is probably impossible for the average person to keep up with daily events of importance around the world. Still there are things happening which portend a heightened danger of war in Eastern Europe.

NATO military exercises were reported on the website of the British newspaper, "The Daily Telegraph" in August 2015. These exercises were prompted by the Russian military invasions in Crimea and the Eastern Ukraine in 2014 and by Russian military exercises involving 80,000 troops fighting an enemy from the west. "The Telegraph" was reporting on multi-national forces from NATO of 2,100 practicing a response to an assault from the east (Russia). This was the first activation of the rapid reaction force called Allied Shield.

AWDNews.com reported on Saturday the following NATO build up.

"The U.S. plans to deliver a total of 87 Abrams M1A1 tanks, 20 Paladin artillery vehicles and 136 Bradley fighting vehicles to Eastern Europe, according to Reuters. Four thousand American troops will reportedly be spread across Poland, the Baltic States, Bulgaria and Romania where they'll remain on rotation basis.

"Polish and U.S. troops are scheduled to hold joint 'massing' drills in Poland later this month, which NATO says is aimed at reassuring its European allies in the face of what it calls aggressive Russian behavior.

"The 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, with 50 Black Hawk helicopters, 10 CH-47 Chinook helicopters and 1,800 personnel, as well as a separate aviation battalion with 400 troops and 24 Apache helicopters, are also scheduled for deployment in Eastern Europe."

All of this occurred before the U.S. presidential election with planning beginning in 2014. This was also prior to claims of Russian computer hacking. All of this Russian activity should be viewed while also considering post WWII Russian history.

I agree with President-elect Trump that only a fool would not want good relations with Russia. However, only a bigger fool would ignore the very real threat posed by Russian military actions and their past history. The best preventer of war is to be prepared for one.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He lives in Chaffee, Missouri.