U.S. foreign military bases and installations are under the gun in more ways than one.
Pressure to cut the deficit and trim the $550-billion annual defense budget will spur a consolidation of possibly several dozen military installations in far-flung places during the next three to five years. Savings, which will take a few years to realize because of cleanup and closing costs, could be $10 billion to $20 billion annually, depending on the number and size of installations ultimately cut.
The U.S. maintains 702 foreign military installations in 63 countries, although the bulk of the personnel and equipment stationed abroad are in Germany and South Korea. Overseas bases run the gamut, from the heavily used Army base in Wiesbaden, Germany, to little-used chemical storage yards in Italy.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
In total, there are 44,900 buildings on overseas installations and about 190,000 active duty personnel plus thousands of spouses, dependents, civilian defense workers and contractors. Much of the maintenance at bases is contracted out, and even some smaller bases can be business jewels for international suppliers of required food and services.
Trimming the number of foreign bases is seen as an easy sell in Congress. In a time of high deficits and with the armed forces strained by overseas commitments, lawmakers are starting to say that foreign allies, especially in Europe, should pick up more of the tab for global security work. Cutting overseas bases is also easier politically than axing pricey U.S.-based weapons programs, which would cost jobs, or further trimming domestic military bases important to local economies.
In addition, several foreign bases are seen as holdovers from the Cold War and of limited value in countering emerging threats or in the global antiterrorism effort. Particulars about overseas base closings will probably emerge early next year from the Obama administration and later be considered by military oversight committees in Congress.
Defense experts point to some bases as likely candidates for closing or significant paring back: Kadena Air Base, Camp Butler Marine Corps Base and Torii Army Station, all in Okinawa, Japan; a joint U.S. Navy and Air Force facility in St. Mawgan, Cornwall, England; an Army airfield in Heidelberg, Germany, and Army stations in Stuttgart and Schweinfurt, Germany. Also, a large Army garrison in Schinnen, the Netherlands, the U.S. Naval Support Activity Souda Bay in Crete, Greece, and an Air Force base in Aviano, Italy.
-
Stock Market Today: Dow Dives 1,123 Points After FedMarket participants reacted predictably to a well-telegraphed hawkish turn by the Federal Reserve.
-
Fed Sees Fewer Rate Cuts in 2025: What the Experts Are SayingFederal Reserve The Federal Reserve cut interest rates as expected, but the future path of borrowing costs became more opaque.
-
AI Regulation is Looming: Kiplinger Economic ForecastsEconomic Forecasts Find out what Washington and regulators have planned for artificial intelligence.
-
The Biden Tax Plan: How the Build Back Better Act Could Affect Your Tax BillPolitics Depending on your income, the Build Back Better Act recently passed by the House could boost or cut your future tax bills.
-
Kiplinger's 2020 Election ForecastPolitics For nearly a century, The Kiplinger Letter has forecasted the outcome of presidential elections to keep readers informed of what's coming and what it means for them. Here's our call for 2020.
-
The 2020 Election and Your MoneyPolitics We’ve assessed how the presidential candidates’ stances on financial issues will affect your wallet.
-
5 HEROES Act Provisions with a Good Chance of Becoming LawPolitics The massive federal stimulus bill just passed by the House of Representatives is "dead on arrival" in the Senate. But a few proposals in the bill have enough bipartisan support to eventually become law.
-
Vote by Mail: A State-by-State Guide to Absentee Ballot VotingPolitics With health authorities recommending people continue to social distance, the idea of voting by mail is becoming an increasingly hot topic.
-
9 Ways COVID-19 Will Change the 2020 ElectionsPolitics The 2020 election will be like no other in history, as the COVID-19 pandemic will upend the business of politics as usual.
-
How to Run for Local OfficePolitics If you’ve ever thought that you could do a better job than the elected officials currently in office, here’s how to launch a campaign—and win.
