I wish to discuss the closing of bases around the world

[larkrake]

there are a few vital bases we need, but our military spending is more than half our budget and I am in touch with soldiers all over the world and they say they do nothing and are disliked.What do we get from these bases, are they worth the cost and bad will?

What do you think.

just fyi, I was national guard and raised an army brat, lived on a few of those bases myself as a child

[braddy]

1. Which ones?

[larkrake]

2. that is my question, which are useless?

[braddy]

5. If you don't know of any, then why do you want to close them? Read your OP.

[larkrake]

9. I was seeking opinions. I know a few in europe,

[braddy]

12. As Russia is moving in 3 new Army Divisions, that might be a little premature.

[TipTok]

3. We must know different Soldiers...

Most bases I've been to or lived at overseas, the military is strongly tied to the community and my Soldiers were always too busy to even catch their breathe.

[braddy]

6. That has been my experience as well, they like the work and feel it is important.

[larkrake]

10. But are we needed there?

[TipTok]

13. If you are going to be general...

They so will I...

Yes...

[Chuuku Davis]

7. Military spending is not over half our budget

It is about 16%

[larkrake]

11. let me clarify, I meant the military industrial complex

who get billions and turn around and contract private companies to run the bases all over the world. It is well over 50 % according to recent charts and is growing every year.

[1939]

14. We actually have a whole lot less people overseas than we had in 1961

I joined the Army in 1961. At that time, we had five divisions and three armored cavalry regiments in Germany (plus the Berlin Brigade), two divisions in Korea, a brigade in Panama, and nuclear task forces in Italy and Turkey.

Today, we have the equivalent of two brigades in Germany, one in Italy, one in Korea, and one in Afghanistan.

While we have more "bases" around the world, in many case, these are signals and intelligence outposts or airfield service groups.

[larkrake]

15. I apologize for being unable to express myself properly for some reason. In my final attempt,

I looked up some stats. We have 700-800 military bases throughout the world. The 30 NATO bases are politically necessary.

According to these stats, the asia, south america and mid east bases are there to control those countrie's resources (oil and NG mostly), and to promote Capitalism. These are not my words. So we press our religion (capitalism) and steal from those countries. Most of these bases perform no military objectives or "help" them. Our bases in the Middle East solve no problems or terrorism, their presence and pushing capitalism actually creates conflicts.We have no business being there in bases. We would do better with just intelligence and mercs- now called "contractor assassins" to eliminate terrorists.

Bases cost alot of money and equipment. Yes, if we close them , we cannot steal from countries anymore. Our Military Complex has always been out of control (Air America, Nam, Panama.....) but now it is costing us money and standing. These stats were from 2007. I shudder to think what is happening today.

[1939]

16. How many of those 700-800 "bases"

have more than fifty men in them? You are talking like each of these bases is the equivalent in military strength to Fort Bragg or Fort Hood. A ten man Air Force weather station in Lower Slobbovia counts as a "base". I am not sure how that imposes capitalism or steals from the country in which it is located.

[Downwinder]

8. That is a strategic decision, I don't think we

have the knowledge to evaluate it.