Jakarta –
Since 2019, the number of United States military members in Germany has increased from 39,000 to 50,000 personnel in 2024. Only Japan hosts a larger contingent.
The increase in troop numbers by the US also ends a trend between 2006 and 2018 which saw a reduction from 72,400 to 33,250 personnel in Germany. This development is understood as Washington’s response to the increasingly complex world security situation.
The United States has also sent more troops to Europe since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The deployment of troops is mainly concentrated on NATO’s eastern border, namely Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. In Poland alone, the US has 10,000 troops, while another 2,600 work in shifts for Army Support Activities, ASA, the Black Sea which includes the Mihail Kogalniceau air base in Romania and the Novo Selo training area in Bulgaria.
The role of EUCOM
Germany’s strategic value for the US is reflected in the presence of the US European Command headquarters, EUCOM, in Stuttgart, which coordinates all US military forces in 51 countries of the world, especially in Europe.
EUCOM claims to have a mission to prevent conflict, support NATO partnerships and combat transnational threats. This agency commanded the US Army and Air Forces in Europe, as well as the US Marine Corps in Europe and Africa, each of which had facilities in Germany.
Germany hosts five of the seven US Army garrisons in Europe, while the other two are in Belgium and Italy. The US Army headquarters is in the city of Wiesbaden which is not far from Frankfurt.
The US military told DW that the five garrisons housed 29,000 personnel. This number does not include the approximately 13,000 US Air Force personnel spread across various locations in Germany, especially at two air bases in Ramstein and Spangdahlem.
In a reply to the Left Party in 2023, the government acknowledged that Germany also contributed to the costs of maintaining NATO assets on its territory, including the US military. This budget burden is around 100 million Euros every year with an increasing trend.
More than just defense
The presence of US military bases also fosters the community of American civilians in Germany. Large bases such as Ramstein are made to look like small hometowns, with typical American shopping centers, schools, postal services and police. Some places even only accept US Dollars as the only legal means of payment.
An example is the US base in Grafenwöhr, Germany, near the border with the Czech Republic. Grafenwöhr is the largest overseas US Army base, both in terms of number of personnel and area covering more than 97,000 hectares.
In addition to commanding operations overseas, US military personnel in Germany are also tasked with maintaining a nuclear umbrella of 20 intercontinental missiles stationed at Büchel Air Base, near the Luxembourg border. The existence of nuclear weapons has long been controversial among German society.
Historical commitment
Long after the defeat of the Nazis in World War II, Germany was not allowed to develop its own military power. The Bundeswehr was reborn in 1954 on the condition that Germany allow the permanent military deployment of eight NATO countries on its territory. This convention is the basis for the existence of US military bases to this day.
The deployment of US military personnel in Germany reached its peak during the Cold War. By the time the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, the US still had 400,000 troops in Germany. The number continues to decrease as the conflict area shifts from Europe towards the Middle East and Asia Pacific. But even though the US military presence in Europe has been strengthened again, its numbers are only a fraction compared to the Cold War era.
rzn/hp
(ita/ita)
2024-03-01 11:45:40
#Increases #Number #Soldiers #Germany
