Both the Financial Times and Deutsche Welle  announced the official US plan to withdraw 70,000 troops out of Europe and Asia, with two—thirds of the reductions occurring in Germany.  Most of these troops would return to bases in the US along with about 100,000 support staff and military family members.

According to the Financial Times, the US would maintain sophisticated command and control elements and training facilities in Germany.  However, look for the US to also establish large maneuver and gunnery training areas in Eastern Europe, since the German government has placed so many restrictions on US training areas that their usefulness is now extremely limited for large—scale maneuver and combined arms live fire exercises.  US Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Peter Schoomaker also said that the overhead to maintain the 1st Armored Division and the 1st Infantry Division in Germany was very expensive as compared to stationing costs in Eastern Europe.

Meanwhile, as the US plan to cut large numbers of troops overseas is implemented, the concept of using small, semi—permanent bases as staging areas for deployments to world trouble spots is forging ahead.  The New York Sun reports that Manas Airbase in the former Soviet Republic of Kyrgyzstan provides a glimpse of the future for the stationing of US forces overseas.  Known as 'lily pads,' these small bases provide a forward presence to 'act as jumping—off points when crises arise.'  While the full details of the global network of 'lily pad' bases are yet to be known, 'one thing is already clear: the days of the massive 'small—town USA' bases in places like Germany, Japan, and South Korea are over.'

Posted by Douglas Hanson  8 15 04