Poland's role in NATO

I found an interesting article published on Public Service Europe concerning Poland's growing importance in NATO.  The article link is listed below:

http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/2824/poland-becoming-a-regional-hub-for-nato

The author argues that while many European states are currently cutting defense spending, Poland is continuing to increase its defense capabilities.  Poland has been working more closely with the US to achieve this desired increase. The article cites the recent 2010 agreement between Obama and President Bronislaw Komorowski "to pursue closer military-to-military cooperation between the US and Poland by creating a platform for joint work by the two air forces." Evidence of this cooperation is visible by the opening of the first American Air Force detachment in 2012 at Lask Air Base in Poland.  The author argues that "Poland is gradually becoming a regional hub for NATO, hosting other allied air force detachments for multinational exercises."

The increased collaboration discussed in this article between Poland and the US suggests that Poland will become a significantly more important member of NATO in the coming years. The US may come to rely more heavily on Poland if other European countries are indeed decreasing their military spending. The US has not held a strong military presence in central Europe following the Cold War era, so this increased US investment in Poland may signify a shift in US military priorities. It is possible that Poland's increased importance as a NATO member could cause increased tension between the US and Russia.