|  |
Over There: Where in the World We Are
Alan W. Dowd
The American Legion Magazine
February 2008
According to Maj. Gen.
Richard Sherlock, director of operational planning for the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, “About 490,000 U.S. service personnel are forward-deployed around the
world.”
Given the fluid—and
sometimes classified—nature of U.S. military operations, it is difficult to
pinpoint the exact size and placement of every deployment. Think of the
following as a snapshot of America’s overseas commitments. This snapshot is
based on available data from a variety of open-source materials, including the
Pentagon’s “Active Duty Military Personnel Strengths by Regional Area and by
Country” report, the State Department’s “Country Background Notes,”
Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports, information from U.S. bases, and
press reports.
This map only includes
deployments larger than 100 troops, which is not to minimize the danger faced by
troops on smaller deployments—or marginalize their missions. Any American in
uniform, no matter where he or she is based, is in harm’s way. However,
displaying every deployment would require us to highlight virtually everywhere
from Albania to Zimbabwe. As CRS reports, the U.S. military has a presence in
144 nations.
Southwest Asia/Middle
East
Iraq 168,000
U.S. forces are fighting a counterinsurgency war in Iraq, training the Iraqi
military and supporting the Iraqi government in its efforts to forge a
sustainable political structure. In addition to the U.S., there are 26 countries
with military forces deployed in Iraq, numbering 11,830 personnel. More than
4,130 coalition forces have been killed, including more than 3,830 Americans.[1]
Afghanistan
24,800
U.S. forces are conducting counterinsurgency and stability operations in
Afghanistan. In addition, U.S. forces are fighting the remnants of al Qaeda.
About 20,000 non-U.S. forces are deployed in Afghanistan, mostly from NATO
nations. About 700 coalition forces have been killed, including 445 Americans.
Kuwait 16,500
Thousands of U.S. forces have been based in Kuwait since its liberation during
Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The country is a logistical hub and staging area
for U.S. operations in Iraq.
Bahrain
1,389
Bahrain has been a base for U.S. naval activity since 1947. As a recent State
Department report explains, Bahrain is the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth
Fleet.
Qatar 512
CENTCOM’s forward headquarters is located at Camp As Sayliyah.
Egypt 425
The U.S. contributes an infantry battalion to the Multinational Force and
Observers’ mission in the Sinai,[2]
which also includes peacekeepers from Canada, France, Australia, New Zealand and
Italy. According to the State Department, “Units of the U.S. 6th Fleet are
regular visitors to Egyptian ports.” In addition, U.S. troops routinely deploy
to Egypt for combined military exercises, including Operation Bright Star, the
largest military exercise in the region.
Saudi Arabia
274
More than 500,000 U.S. forces were deployed in Saudi Arabia in support of
Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. As many as 4,500 U.S. troops remained
in the kingdom in mid-2003, when Washington initiated a major recalibration of
its force structure in the region.
U.A.E. 87+
According to the State Department, the U.A.E. “hosts more U.S. Navy ships than
any port outside the U.S.”
Asia
Republic of Korea
27,114
U.S. forces first arrived in southern Korea in 1945 for postwar occupation.
After the Korean War of 1950-1953, the United States and Republic of Korea
signed a Mutual Defense Treaty. The State Department notes that the “Army’s
Second Infantry Division and several Air Force tactical squadrons” are based in
Korea. U.S. force levels have fallen by 9,000 in the last three years.[3]
Kyrgyzstan
1,000
The U.S. deployed personnel to this former Soviet republic after 9/11 to support
operations in Afghanistan. According to the U.S. Air Force, U.S. personnel use
Kyrgyzstan’s Manas International Airport to provide “air combat power projection
throughout the CENTCOM area of responsibility.” Elements of the French and
Italian air forces also operate from the base.
Diego Garcia
240+
Home to joint Air Force and Navy units, including a U.S. Navy Support Facility,
this British-administered island in the Indian Ocean has played a crucial role
in U.S. force projection since 1971, with U.S. bombers and tankers flying from
Diego Garcia in support of numerous operations.[4]
Time magazine recently estimated that 1,700 personnel were based on Diego
Garcia.[5]
Singapore 116
A Navy logistics unit was established in Singapore in 1992. As the State
Department reports, “U.S. fighter aircraft deploy periodically to Singapore for
exercises,” and U.S. Navy vessels are authorized to berth at the Changi Naval
Base.
Thailand 114
According to the State Department, “Thailand and the United States have
developed a vigorous joint military exercise program.” Under the Cobra Gold
exercises, for example, U.S. forces participate in large-scale maneuvers in and
around Thailand each year, along with Thai, Singaporean, Japanese and Indonesian
forces.
Pacific
Japan 50,000
The State Department calls Japan “the cornerstone of U.S. security interests in
Asia.” According to a recent State Department report, Japan hosts a carrier
battle group, the III Marine Expeditionary Force, the 5th Air Force and elements
of the Army’s I Corps. Approximately half of U.S. forces in Japan are based in
Okinawa.
Hawaii 35,874
Major units of the U.S. military are based in Hawaii, which, due to its
proximity to hotspots in Asia, is akin to a forward-deployed position.
Guam
2,828
Guam hosts a number of critical Navy and Air Force facilities and military
units. As a recent analysis by Newsweek detailed, these include bombers,
refueling aircraft, attack submarines and Navy SEALs, with plans in the works to
deploy F-22 fighter-bombers, aircraft carriers and 20,000 additional troops.[6]
Australia 711
As the State Department notes, Australia and the U.S. conduct a variety of joint
military exercises “ranging from naval and landing exercises at the task-group
level to battalion-level special-forces training to numerous smaller-scale
exercises...The two countries also operate joint defense facilities in
Australia.”
Philippines 111
Small detachments of U.S. forces arrived in the Philippines in late 2001 to
train—and in some cases, assist—the Philippine army in its fight against
terrorist groups Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah. A U.S. Joint Special
Operations Task Force operates on the islands of Basilan and Jolo.
Africa
Djibouti 2,038
CJTF-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) has operated out of Camp Lemonier since May 2003,
conducting humanitarian, training and military operations. The area of
responsibility for CJTF-HOA includes Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya,
Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Yemen. The U.S. is expanding
Camp Lemonier from its current 97 acres to nearly 500 acres, according to
CJTF-HOA.A regiment of French marines is also based nearby.
Other 300+
Special-operations units have been at work across Africa since 9/11. As The
Washington Post reported in 2005, programs such as the Trans-Sahara
Counterterrorism Initiative provide training, equipment and intelligence to
militaries in Algeria, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco
and Tunisia. Jane’s Defense reports that elements of the
3rd Special Forces Group are in Mali.
The U.S. presence in Africa is likely to increase, given
the creation of Africa Command.[7]
Europe
Germany 58,894
t the height of the Cold War, nearly 300,000 American troops were deployed in
Germany. Even as the number of U.S. forces in Germany falls, the country will
likely remain a hub for the U.S. military, serving as a bridge to and from the
Middle East. The Army and Air Force rely on permanent airbases, garrisons and
hospitals throughout Germany. As Time magazine has pointed out, Ramstein
and Spangdahlem air bases “are the largest military communities outside the
U.S.” About 20,000 British forces are also based in Germany, although they are
in the midst of a drawdown.
United Kingdom
10,152
The RAF facility at Lakenheath houses the 48th Fighter Wing’s F-15Es and F-15Cs, a squadron
of search and rescue helicopters,and nearly 5,700 active-duty personnel. RAF
Mildenhall is home to the U.S. Air Force’s 100th Air Refueling Wing; European
Command’s standing air component headquarters (16th Air Force); 501st
Combat Support Wing;
352nd Special Operations Group;95th
Reconnaissance Squadron; 488th Intelligence Squadron; 727th Air Mobility
Squadron; and a Naval Air Facility. Hundreds of U.S.
personnel and civilians are based at RAF
Menwith Hill,[8]
which is of growing importance to the international missile defense system (IMD).
Italy 10,216+
The U.S. Army Garrison at Vicenza includes the Southern
European Taskforce and 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. The
U.S. Army Garrison at Livorno features military
intelligence and field support units. Aviano Air Base is home to the U.S. Air
Force
31st Fighter Wing and its two F-16 fighter squadrons.
Naples serves as the home port for the U.S.
Navy’s Sixth Fleet. The State Department reports that U.S. military deployments
in Italy range as high as 13,000 personnel.
Bulgaria <2,500
According to the State Department, U.S. forces began deploying to Graf Ignatievo
Airbase, Bezmer Airbase and a training facility as part of Joint Taskforce East
in mid-2007. Deployment numbers are expected to reach as high as 2,500 U.S.
troops.
Turkey 1,668
The U.S. Air Force
has relied on Incirlik Air Base in Turkey since the 1950s, deploying cargo
planes, fighters, tankers and bombers from this strategically located base.
The Wall Street Journal recently noted that 70 percent of the U.S.
military’s Iraq-bound air cargo passes through Turkey.
Kosovo/Serbia
1,395
U.S. troops operating out of Camp Bondsteel in southeastern Kosovo support a
NATO-led peacekeeping force of 16,000 troops known as KFOR.[9]
Spain 1,410
The Navy reports that U.S. Naval Station Rota is strategically “located near the
Strait of Gibraltar and at the halfway point between the United States and
Southwest Asia.” U.S. forces are also deployed at Moron Air Base, which is home
to the 712th Air Base Group and serves as a key refueling facility for Air Force
assets traveling to and through Europe.
Belgium 1,379
The U.S. has a cluster of assets in Belgium, among them: NATO headquarters in
Mons, where an American always serves as military commander; Chièvres Air Base,
which is manned by the Army and supports the Supreme Allied Commander Europe;
and the U.S Army Garrison-Belgium.
Romania <900
Nearly 900 U.S. troops have been deployed to Romania (from bases in Germany) to
support Taskforce Deep Steel, as the Stars and Stripes reported in late
2007. The U.S. is building new facilities at a Romanian airbase to accommodate
up to 2,000 troops.
Portugal 865
According to the State Department, Lajes Air Base in the Azores plays an
important role in supporting U.S. military aircraft engaged in operations in
Afghanistan and Iraq. The 65th Air Base Wing is stationed at Lajes, along with
units such as the 729th Air Mobility Squadron. In addition, Portugal provides
the U.S. access to Montijo Air Base and several seaports.
Netherlands
562
As part of the U.S. Army Garrison-BENELUX, the 80th Support Group maintains a
subordinate 254th Base Support Battalion in Schinnen. In this hemisphere, the
U.S. Air Force supports drug interdiction, surveillance and refueling missions
from Forward Operating Location Curacao (Dutch Antilles).
Greece 354
The State Department reports that Greece allows the U.S. to operate “a naval
support facility that exploits the strategically located deep-water port and
airfield at Souda Bay in Crete.”
Bosnia-Herzegovina 207
In 1995, 20,000 U.S. troops were deployed to Bosnia as part of a NATO-led
peacekeeping force. In December 2004, these responsibilities were handed off to
the European Union, which, as CRS reports, is supported by a NATO headquarters
unit where the remaining U.S. troops are based.[10]
Greenland 138
Air Force units at Thule Air Base on this Danish territory play a central role
in missile warning and space surveillance. Thule Air Base promises to grow in
importance as IMD comes online.
Coming soon:
Poland 200+
The IMD’s bed of ground-based interceptors, which will be based in Poland, will
be manned by 200 personnel, according to Lt. Gen. Henry Obering, director of the
Missile Defense Agency. In addition, it will require an unspecified number of
“force protection personnel.”
Czech Republic TBD
The IMD’s midcourse radar, which will be based in the Czech Republic, will
require an unspecified number of “force protection personnel.”
Latin America/Caribbean
Southern Command 5,000
As Maj. Gen. Sherlock explained in 2007, this figure is largely a function of
exercises such as PANAMAX, a training exercise involving troops from19 nations.
In 2007, as detailed by SOUTHCOM, U.S. units of up to 450 troops also
participated in humanitarian operations in Nicaragua, Belize, Guatemala and
Panama.
Cuba 903
JTF-GTMO maintains the detention facility at the U.S. Naval Station in
Guantanamo Bay, where an estimated 339 detainees from various fronts of the
Global War on Terror are held.
Honduras 412
JTF-Bravo operates out of Soto Cano Air Base.
According to the Air Force, the taskforce includes a mobile surgery team,
communications specialists and a small security detail. It conducts
counterdrug missions and promotes regional security.
Puerto Rico 144
The U.S. Army Garrison at Ft. Buchanan
bills itself as “the only Department of Defense installation in the Caribbean
Basin area.”
Colombia 124+
According to CRS, the majority of U.S. military personnel in Colombia are from
the U.S. Army’s 7th Special Forces Group. Up to 200 special-operations forces
are regularly deployed as trainers, with as many as 200 additional troops
providing support.
North America
CONUS
876,378
If it seems the U.S. is stretching itself thin, historian Derek Leebaert reminds
us that in 1963, the U.S. had a million troops “stationed at more than 200
foreign bases.” Today, 63.8 percent of America’s active-duty personnel are based
in the continental United States (CONUS), and nearly 68 percent are based
somewhere in the 50 states. It should be noted that some 3,000 National Guard
personnel are deployed along the U.S.-Mexico border as part of Operation
Jumpstart, which supports the Border Patrol.
Alaska 19,957
Major units of the U.S. military are based in Alaska, which, due to its
proximity to hotspots in Asia, is akin to a forward-deployed position.
Canada 143
The State Department notes that U.S. defense arrangements with Canada include
the Permanent Joint Board on Defense, NATO commitments and cooperative
continental air defense.
Afloat
At sea/in port 115,800+
At any given time, there are tens of thousands of U.S. forces designated as
“afloat.” According to CRS, this designation includes personnel at sea or in
temporary ports.
_________
[1] US
Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, “Iraq Weekly Status
Report,” October 10, 2007; CNN, “US and coalition casualties,” September
2007.
[2] David
McKeeby, “Sinai peacekeepers are the quiet success of Camp David Accords,”
State Department Information Service, USINFO.STATE.GOV, September 19, 2007.
[3]
Christian Caryl, “America's Unsinkable Fleet,” Newsweek, Feb. 26, 2007.
[4] See
Daniel L. Haulman, “Footholds for the Fighting Force,” Air Force magazine,
February 2006; Richard J. Newman, “Tankers and Lifters for a Distant War,”
Air Force Magazine, January 2002.
[5]
Massimo Calabresi, “Postcard: Diego Garcia,” Time, Sept. 13, 2007.
[6]
Christian Caryl, “America's Unsinkable Fleet,” Newsweek, Feb. 26, 2007.
[7]
See Ann Scoot Tyson, “US pushes anti-terrorism in Africa,” Washington Post,
July 26, 2005; Nathan Hodge, “Training programmes signal deepening US ties
with West Africa,” Jane’s Defense, September 7, 2007,
www.janes.com/news/defence/land/jdw/jdw070907_1_n.shtml.
[8]
See Royal Air Force,
http://www.raf.mod.uk/structure/rafmenwithhilladministration.cfm.
[9]
Defense Department, “Other Operations & Exercises,” DeployMed ResearchLINK,
www.deploymentlink.osd.mil/deploymed/main.jsp?majorDeployment=other.
[10]
Defense Department, “Other Operations & Exercises,” DeployMed ResearchLINK,
www.deploymentlink.osd.mil/deploymed/main.jsp?majorDeployment=other.
Read previous featured essays.
|
Check out a 
