About 900 U S Military Bases In The World

[High_Gravity]

Oh Boo Fucking Hoo.

I am so sick and tired of you assholes bitching about our military.

It's too big, we're in too many countries, we have too many bases.

Fuck you and go learn the second language of your choice. You will need it.

Facts are that the military presence in Europe has been cut by over 50% since the 1980's. There is not one US military base left that I was stationed at in Europe and i served 14 years based over there.

The US Military is smaller than it has been since the Korean cease fire started.

Can we and should we close more of our bases overseas? Yes and we are, but when you listen to all these crybabies it seems they just want us to rely on the Boys scouts instead of our military.

I tell you to just STFU and go thank a veteran.

I respect the passion but that's not what people are saying.

It's not the military who decides where to warmonger, where to build bases, where to be sent, what size budgets to make, it's bureacrats and politicians.

That's who we're speaking out about.

So what size would you like our Military to be? Which other bases should we close? Most of what we have left in Europe is basically a forward operating base and one of the biggest units left is actually Landstuhl Hospital complex and their support units. Maybe we should close them down, there would be another thousand or so dead troops from the middle east that way......... But then you don't think we should be in Afghanistan or Iraq do you. If we have what some are advocating then you'd better start brushing up on your Farsi and studying the Qur'an. You may just need it.

In a perfect world we would need no military for there would never be a war. But we live in a far from perfect world, and for the past 200+ years the US Military has kept your freedoms for you. They are doing a fine job without being cut any further. Fact is they have already been cut further than I feel comfortable with. And the apathy I see from so many today makes that even worse......

I have doubts that my Great Grandchildren will know our freedoms......

You are spot on Ollie most of the bases we have in Europe are forward operating bases for our troops in the ME and Afghanistan, Landstuhl specifically is a big hospital used to treat our injured troops before we send them back stateside, we had a few guys that had to go back from Kuwait and Iraq on my last deployment, they stopped in Landstuhl for treatment before going back home.

 

[High_Gravity]

Being that theres a war currently going on our borders with the "drug gangs"...I'd like to see a few more bases opened up there with maybe 20-30 thousand troops stationed there. Afghanistan isn't worth one more dead US service member..Not when just across our border theres a blood bath going on(15,000 a year in 2010). Lets take care of business that concerns us.

I wouldn't mind being stationed in Mexico, hell there would at least be beer and good Mexican women to sleep with, all we had in Kuwait was non alcoholic beer and Maxim Magazines.

 

[Mr Natural]

Being that theres a war currently going on our borders with the "drug gangs"...I'd like to see a few more bases opened up there with maybe 20-30 thousand troops stationed there. Afghanistan isn't worth one more dead US service member..Not when just across our border theres a blood bath going on(15,000 a year in 2010). Lets take care of business that concerns us.

I wouldn't mind being stationed in Mexico, hell there would at least be beer and good Mexican women to sleep with, all we had in Kuwait was non alcoholic beer and Maxim Magazines.

I would imagine that duty in the Middle East must suck big time.

At least the guys in Nam had hookers, booze, and dope to keep them distracted.

 

[High_Gravity]

Being that theres a war currently going on our borders with the "drug gangs"...I'd like to see a few more bases opened up there with maybe 20-30 thousand troops stationed there. Afghanistan isn't worth one more dead US service member..Not when just across our border theres a blood bath going on(15,000 a year in 2010). Lets take care of business that concerns us.

I wouldn't mind being stationed in Mexico, hell there would at least be beer and good Mexican women to sleep with, all we had in Kuwait was non alcoholic beer and Maxim Magazines.

I would imagine that duty in the Middle East must suck big time.

At least the guys in Nam had hookers, booze, and dope to keep them distracted.

You pretty much called it, it was repetitive and very boring depending on where you are stationed, the troops in Bahrain, Qatar and UAE have access to booze, the air base in Qatar has a 3 drink limit. You can also go off base there and there is alot to do in the UAE, a friend of mine deployed to Bahrain was tagging a half Phillipina/Russian school teacher on the regular and she was smoking, I was deployed to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and although it was safe for the most part it was very boring, very long days with not much to do, I was smoking a pack a day over there, but better boring than dangerous I suppose, the guys in Iraq and Afghanistan were dealing with some real shit, alot of stress and no way to unload it.

 

[kiwiman127]

Let's see, the Roman Empire died because it was spread out too much, the same with Napoleon, the Brits and the USSR.
I guess people don't learn from history. They just do it all over again.

 

[American Horse]

Let's see, the Roman Empire died because it was spread out too much, the same with Napoleon, the Brits and the USSR.
I guess people don't learn from history. They just do it all over again.

The Roman Empire perpetuated the Roman peace nominally called the Pax Romana. A hundred years of war was ended and was followed by about 180 years of peace.

The Roman Empire fell because of an unsustainable economy based on the necessity of importing all their food and staples from abroad, because all their own productive land, the Latifundia, was owned by the Senators. Inflation went out of control, price controls failed, and sons were not allowed to leave the occupations of their fathers. Those problems evolved partly out of the huge bureacracy to keep it all afloat.

Finally they weren't able to cope with the incursions of barbarians across thier borders, and much of the land was enptied of the Roman citizens themselves.

 

[kiwiman127]

Let's see, the Roman Empire died because it was spread out too much, the same with Napoleon, the Brits and the USSR.
I guess people don't learn from history. They just do it all over again.

The Roman Empire perpetuated the Roman peace nominally called the Pax Romana. A hundred years of war was ended and was followed by about 180 years of peace.

The Roman Empire fell because of an unsustainable economy based on the necessity of importing all their food and staples from abroad, because all their own productive land, the Latifundia, was owned by the Senators. Inflation went out of control, price controls failed, sand ons were not allowed to leave the occupations of their fathers. Those problems evolved partyly out of the huge bureacracy to keep it all afloat.

Finally they weren't able to cope with the incursions of barbarians across thier borders, and much of the land was enptied of the Roman citizens themselves.

And why couldn't the Romans "cope with the incursions of barbarians across thier borders"? They were spread to thin.

 

[The T]

Yes,we've been bombing and at War with someone for the last 70yrs. We are a thoroughly militarized nation at this point. Most people alive today cannot remember a time when we weren't bombing someone around the world. Just imagine a time of real peace? Seems unimaginable now huh? I would like to see us scale back our presence around the world and put an end finally to all these wars. They just don't ever seem to end. Time to give all this aggressive foreign interventionism stuff a break.

So in that vein? Obama Administration announces send 100 troops to UGANDA

What is our vested interest there?

Christians are being killed in Egypt, and other places...why not those places as well?

 

[SFC Ollie]

Let's see, the Roman Empire died because it was spread out too much, the same with Napoleon, the Brits and the USSR.
I guess people don't learn from history. They just do it all over again.

The Roman, Napoleon and the British empire didn't have modern communications and transportation. The USSR fell because they went broke trying to keep up with us. And now you think it would be a good Idea to do what? Cut our military by how much more?
How long do you plan on being the land of the free?

You clowns haven't a clue.

 

[The T]

Let's see, the Roman Empire died because it was spread out too much, the same with Napoleon, the Brits and the USSR.
I guess people don't learn from history. They just do it all over again.

The Roman, Napoleon and the British empire didn't have modern communications and transportation. The USSR fell because they went broke trying to keep up with us. And now you think it would be a good Idea to do what? Cut our military by how much more?
How long do you plan on being the land of the free?

You clowns haven't a clue.

Especially the dangers ever present since having water between Continents is no longer any defense as it used to be.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Let's see, the Roman Empire died because it was spread out too much, the same with Napoleon, the Brits and the USSR.
I guess people don't learn from history. They just do it all over again.

The Roman, Napoleon and the British empire didn't have modern communications and transportation. The USSR fell because they went broke trying to keep up with us. And now you think it would be a good Idea to do what? Cut our military by how much more?
How long do you plan on being the land of the free?

You clowns haven't a clue.

I wouldn't cut it at all. Just recenter it as a counter balance to China in the Pacific...The middle east and Africa aren't the place that we need to be wasting anymore of our time in. In fact we should be far more concern about our borders as there is a bloody war going on there. To hell Afghanistan. Time to start bombing the drug gangs that are killing Americans here at home.

time to focus on things that are important to our home land...Not waste our time in the sand box.

 

[SFC Ollie]

Let's see, the Roman Empire died because it was spread out too much, the same with Napoleon, the Brits and the USSR.
I guess people don't learn from history. They just do it all over again.

The Roman, Napoleon and the British empire didn't have modern communications and transportation. The USSR fell because they went broke trying to keep up with us. And now you think it would be a good Idea to do what? Cut our military by how much more?
How long do you plan on being the land of the free?

You clowns haven't a clue.

I wouldn't cut it at all. Just recenter it as a counter balance to China in the Pacific...The middle east and Africa aren't the place that we need to be wasting anymore of our time in. In fact we should be far more concern about our borders as there is a bloody war going on there. To hell Afghanistan. Time to start bombing the drug gangs that are killing Americans here at home.

time to focus on things that are important to our home land...Not waste our time in the sand box.

Any Idea what REE's are? Rare Earth Metals. They really aren't that rare, you could probably dig a hole outside your house and find some. Whats rare is finding them in quantities. Right now China controls about 90% of them. Afghanistan is absolutely overflowing with them. Now if we could get the Afghans to actually start mining and exporting.......... Get the drift????? Do some research then tell me the hell with Afghanistan. BTW do you realize just where Afghanistan is? Like how close they actually are to China? Do you understand that china also knows about the REE's in Afghanistan and would love to also control the mining and export of those also? Still ready to give up on Afghanistan?

 

[ScienceRocks]

The Roman, Napoleon and the British empire didn't have modern communications and transportation. The USSR fell because they went broke trying to keep up with us. And now you think it would be a good Idea to do what? Cut our military by how much more?
How long do you plan on being the land of the free?

You clowns haven't a clue.

I wouldn't cut it at all. Just recenter it as a counter balance to China in the Pacific...The middle east and Africa aren't the place that we need to be wasting anymore of our time in. In fact we should be far more concern about our borders as there is a bloody war going on there. To hell Afghanistan. Time to start bombing the drug gangs that are killing Americans here at home.

time to focus on things that are important to our home land...Not waste our time in the sand box.

Any Idea what REE's are? Rare Earth Metals. They really aren't that rare, you could probably dig a hole outside your house and find some. Whats rare is finding them in quantities. Right now China controls about 90% of them. Afghanistan is absolutely overflowing with them. Now if we could get the Afghans to actually start mining and exporting.......... Get the drift????? Do some research then tell me the hell with Afghanistan. BTW do you realize just where Afghanistan is? Like how close they actually are to China? Do you understand that china also knows about the REE's in Afghanistan and would love to also control the mining and export of those also? Still ready to give up on Afghanistan?

Afghanistan is between Iran and Pakistan...China is at least 1500-2,000+ miles from there. The question is--- Is it worth fighting a half assed war over it? If it's so worth it why not take over the whole fucking thing with a iron fist and place a military governor into power. We both know that Obama's policies have led to nothing besides failer. Begging the taliban to be nice isn't going to work...Stop the half assed military back and forth with the Taliban and wipe them out. We both know that Afghanistan is very unstable right now under the current policies.

If it is so worth it lets stop playing around.

 

[SFC Ollie]

I wouldn't cut it at all. Just recenter it as a counter balance to China in the Pacific...The middle east and Africa aren't the place that we need to be wasting anymore of our time in. In fact we should be far more concern about our borders as there is a bloody war going on there. To hell Afghanistan. Time to start bombing the drug gangs that are killing Americans here at home.

time to focus on things that are important to our home land...Not waste our time in the sand box.

Any Idea what REE's are? Rare Earth Metals. They really aren't that rare, you could probably dig a hole outside your house and find some. Whats rare is finding them in quantities. Right now China controls about 90% of them. Afghanistan is absolutely overflowing with them. Now if we could get the Afghans to actually start mining and exporting.......... Get the drift????? Do some research then tell me the hell with Afghanistan. BTW do you realize just where Afghanistan is? Like how close they actually are to China? Do you understand that china also knows about the REE's in Afghanistan and would love to also control the mining and export of those also? Still ready to give up on Afghanistan?

Afghanistan is between Iran and Pakistan...China is at least 1500-2,000+ miles from there. The question is--- Is it worth fighting a half assed war over it? If it's so worth it why not take over the whole fucking thing with a iron fist and place a military governor into power. We both know that Obama's policies have led to nothing besides failer. Begging the taliban to be nice isn't going to work...Stop the half assed military back and forth with the Taliban and wipe them out. We both know that Afghanistan is very unstable right now under the current policies.

If it is so worth it lets stop playing around.

Come back after you do some research. You may start with Wakhjir Pass.

And then learn a little bit about REE's.

And no I would rather not have a war at all. But it would be nice for Afghanistan to stop poppy production and start mining.....

 

[American Horse]

Let's see, the Roman Empire died because it was spread out too much, the same with Napoleon, the Brits and the USSR.
I guess people don't learn from history. They just do it all over again.

The Roman Empire perpetuated the Roman peace nominally called the Pax Romana. A hundred years of war was ended and was followed by about 180 years of peace.

The Roman Empire fell because of an unsustainable economy based on the necessity of importing all their food and staples from abroad, because all their own productive land, the Latifundia, was owned by the Senators. Inflation went out of control, price controls failed, sand ons were not allowed to leave the occupations of their fathers. Those problems evolved partyly out of the huge bureacracy to keep it all afloat.

Finally they weren't able to cope with the incursions of barbarians across thier borders, and much of the land was enptied of the Roman citizens themselves.

And why couldn't the Romans "cope with the incursions of barbarians across thier borders"? They were spread to thin.

If they were spread too thin they were spread too thin from the start. The Empire only filled in with a few minor geographical areas after the first boundaries were laid down under Augustus the first emperor. Rome was almost destroyed in the sacking of the Gauls as a minor city state before any empire was added, so its expansion was seen as a protective or defensive posture, with survival depending on it.

Still the Empire, like America's, was one based on a level of trust. Being an ally or a friend of Rome brought safety to that ally from any foe, in the same way being an ally of America provided safety from attack based on treaties of mutual defense.

About all of the provinces lying inside the borders of the Roman Empire were there by choice, but the burdens of citizenship would eventually become onerous. Unlike America, Rome never had a strong economy because it was based on growth in their case meaning acquisition of territory, slaves, plunder, and being at the political center of their world. Once growth ceased, and the Eastern half began to dominate because of the wealth and trade routes still to be found there, the Western part became a backwater compared to the rich East.

So if it was overextended or spread too thin, then it always was, and eventually, when waves of barbarians from the steppes of Asia, each being pushed off their land by an ever more pugnacious one behind it, then the demands simply became too much for the Western empire (the capital of which was in Rome) to hold them all back.

With the demands of citizenship becoming more demanding (military service for the peasant; economic and administrative maintenance demands on the wealthy; and what could be called "regulatory demands" on the middle class), finally the land was being vacated by its citizens, birthrates declined, and life in the countryside was becoming unendurably risky. People were moving into the cities for bare survival.

Because of that, the cities became surrounded by barbarians who wanted to live in the style they saw the Romans living. Add to that the fact that the barbarians were paid to move on to the west by they authorities in the East, and the loss of what we have known as "Rome" became inevitable .

The final dispostion of Rome came in 476 AD, but that was 860 years after the first sack by the Gauls, so Rome enjoyed a pretty good, peaceful run. Meanwhile "Rome" in the East continued for another thousand years until it fell in 1453

 

[paulitician]

Like i said,if all was so well and they loved us so much,why are we paying them to be in their countries? So im very skeptical when some say we're in these countries to protect them. That just can't be true. If it were true,they would be paying us. Personally i think it's just part of Empire-Building. But our own nation is crumbling so i think the Empire-Building days need to come to an end.

 

[Unkotare]

There is no excuse for such willful ignorance, 'jedi.'

 

[AmericanFirst]

Most of these nations' citizens would spit on a U.S. Soldier if they had the chance. .

Proof? Got results of a poll in "most of these nations" on the spitting issue? You ignorant fools don't even realize how lucky you are to be irrelevant.

They don't have proof. The minority libs like to cry and holler to get their way when they know they are wrong.

 

[paulitician]

Most of these nations' citizens would spit on a U.S. Soldier if they had the chance. .

Proof? Got results of a poll in "most of these nations" on the spitting issue? You ignorant fools don't even realize how lucky you are to be irrelevant.

They don't have proof. The minority libs like to cry and holler to get their way when they know they are wrong.

I'm not a Liberal. But this has happened in the past. These nations' people don't want us in their countries. That's why we have to pay to be there. Otherwise they would be paying us or not charging us to be there. Empire-Building should be over. Our own nation is dying.

 

[Unkotare]

Proof? Got results of a poll in "most of these nations" on the spitting issue? You ignorant fools don't even realize how lucky you are to be irrelevant.

They don't have proof. The minority libs like to cry and holler to get their way when they know they are wrong.

I'm not a Liberal. But this has happened in the past. These nations' people don't want us in their countries. That's why we have to pay to be there. Otherwise they would be paying us or not charging us to be there. Empire-Building should be over. Our own nation is dying.

Is your computer set on 'write but not read' jedi? You seem to have a 'Rainman' thing going on.