Why does the U.S. government still need a military presence in Europe?

Question

The Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union are history. So, what is the reason we still need troops over in Europe? Should we not expect those countries to manage their own affairs?

Answer 1

Isn't the real question, "Why do we need a military presence anywhere outside of our country?" What I would give for a sane and rational answer to that question. While we are at it, why do we need to provide aid to other countries? Why can't we worry about the quality of life US citizens have and make that the number one priority? Let the rest of the countries around the world foot the bill for supporting themselves and protecting themselves. If other countries want to fight amongst themselves, let them. When we stick our nose in the middle of things we unite them in their hated of the US and give them a common enemy...which in turn makes us not safe at home.

Answer 2

Once again you Americans have excelled yourself. You only had bases in europe because of WW2. There is no other reason.You are also beginning to remove large amounts of these troops because mainland europe can handle its own affairs. It also does it better that anyone else on earth. The US bases in Britain are gone and the ones in europe will be gone soon. I have no idea where you get your information from but it is often very wrong and sounds very much like your history books are written by a hollywood director.

Honestly when has europe needed someone to run its affairs? Until WW2 Europe and Britain ran the world. Nobody did there own affairs and europe had the say on everything. The US has got nowhere near as much power and influence and never will. It is the dream of all US governments to have control equal to that of European nations had especially Great Britain. British bases in Germany are being removed during 2008/09 and i would suspect the Americans will also be doing this. The Germans are no longer a threat to world peace so why have bases in there country. They have a better run country than both Britain and America so i would leave it up to them.

As Europe becomes more joined through the EU it will become more powerful and more free of American influences. It already has the largest GDP on earth and it will continue to grow. It has the greatest history of anywhere else on earth and the brightest future of any. Threats to europe come via the threats to the US and the reason large parts of the world are in the situation they are is down to europe ( i mean the good stuff, the USA, Hong Kong, Canada, Australia, South Africa ). These are some of the richest nations on earth.

Dont ever think europe cannot run its own affairs because it can. Its only let down has been 2 world wars that if they hadnt happened the USA would be as useless as it was before.

Answer 3

Rapid force projection capacity and cross-training are just two of the reasons US troop population levels in Europe have remained fairly static for some time.

The rest of the reasons are generally political and historical (empires tend to prefer to have their forces stationed on foreign soil but not the other way around, after all). It is also symbolic.

Further, it allows for various multi-state training programs, allowing for (in theory) better co-operative performance in places like Kosovo (and Iraq).

Having bases in friendly, unhostile nations also allows for "comfortable" assignments for soldiers. If there are no comfortable assignments (ie where they are not threatened with death every day) overseas, there would be far more resentment towards those in power amongst the US armed forces.

What it does not have a damned thing to do with, however, except in the minds of self-aggrandizing nationalist Americans, is the ability of Europe to run itself. Apart from the Italians (and the French, perhaps), pretty much everyone in Europe does that fairly well. Which is probably why the EU is growingly a force to be reckoned with. That, however, is a whole other subject...

Answer 4

We don't manage the affairs of European countries. However, the bases here in Germany and Italy are convenient layover, refueling and jumping off points for every other place in the world we go. AND most of the soldiers who survive an injury from Iraq can at least partly thank the top-notch military hospital we have here in Landstuhl. There are a great many men who would not survive a flight any longer than what it is from Iraq here.

BTW, Lancs lad, there are still several bases in Britain, fully operational and not closing any time soon. Check your facts, dude.

Answer 5

Probably because of NATO (North Altlantic Treaty Organization)
This org probably holds the answer to why the U.S. still maintains bases in Europe. It's also a very strategic location. You would think that having the Altantic Ocean would be enough defense, however, as we found out in WWII, this was not true. By having a military and economic presense and partnership in Europe today, we increase protection to the U.S. and our economic interests in Europe. From Europe, the North Atlantic and Meditteranean Sea, we can deploy protective forces much quicker than if the various branches of our armed forces were purely domestically located. We also have some issues from the cold war that still have to be addressed and brought to closure, like decreased security since the fall of the USSR, along with threats to Europe's warlike neighbor the MiddleEast. And since Europe is our Ally, we want to continue to help them and protect them.

In other words WWII won't be happening again anytime soon with our deployed forces in place.

Answer 6

From before 9/11, Dubdub, Neo-Condi Rice, and RED RUMsfeld have wanted to re-start the Cold War. If the natives in Iraq and Afghanistan had been more shocked and awed, the Nazi-Cons would have put nuclear-missile bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, pretending to be aimed at Iran but really aimed at Russia and China, the only countries their Preppy CIA fraternity brothers have been trained to deal with.

Answer 7

We are the most powerful country in the world for ONE reason and ONE reason only. We have military bases ALL over the world. We have naval bases in Japan...(in case china or any other Asian countries do anything stupid) Bases in the persian gulf for middle east, in europe because look what happens when a country (germany) decides they want to go to war....lol we're there to surround every other country in case anything happens...You think the war on terror was for anything but to surround China...We're in Afganistan now, Japan, S. Korea, only border we don't have is Russia...But thats why we have Alaska.....Look at it like a game of Risk.....We won....

Answer 8

We should expect them to manage their own affairs, but you should ask Europe that question !! Why dont they just politely say, we can handle it ? Let your soldiers be at home. They want us there, or they would ask us to leave. I guess it helps give them some kind of safety or power or something ??

Answer 9

Did you pay attention while attending history class in school? Europe has never managed it's own affairs!

Answer 10

Staging area for Iraq and for potential hotspots in Africa and Asia. We probably have way too many troops and too much infrastructure there, leftover from the Cold War, but we do need something there.