US Military Bases in Germany to Close

[Guest Guest]

US military reveals names of German bases to close

 

http://www.spacewar.com/2005/050729153458.biauv2dz.html

 

The US Defense Department on Friday announced the names of 11 army bases it will close in Germany by October 2007 as part of a plan to withdraw tens of thousands of troops from the country.

The bases are currently home to the 1st Infantry Division which, along with another armoured division, will return to the United States in 2006 to be replaced by a much smaller combat brigade considered better able to fight the war on terror and react rapidly to emerging threats.

 

Five sites in Kitzingen in the southern region of Bavaria will be handed back to German authorities, while three bases in Wuerzburg near Frankfurt in central Germany will be shut. The other three closures will be in Giebelstadt, a small town near Wuerzburg.

 

Two additional facilities, a hospital and a barracks in Wuerzburg, will be retained "until they are no longer needed", according to a statement from US European Command.

 

The base closures will affect around 6,100 soldiers, 11,000 family members and around 2,000 civilian staff.

 

Germany is currently home to the US European Command and some 71,000 troops, about 70 percent of the total number in Europe, are stationed at around 70 military installations, many of them in the south of the country.

 

The statement said the Defense Department "remains committed" to basing a rapid response Stryker Combat Brigade Team in Vilseck, near the southern city of Nuremberg.

 

US President George W. Bush announced last year that up to 70,000 troops would eventually leave Europe and Asia as the military re-organises.

 

[Homesteader]

Well, the Germans have told us in many ways that we are not as close friends as we thought. Besides, we probably do need to spread out more and not have so many bases in one country. The world has changed alot since most of these bases were set up around the time of WWII.

[Guest Guest]

Wow........that's interesting....

[Bamboo]

I just read on the "Energy Bulletin" in one of the articles that China is pressuring some of our allies to close bases... wonder how true that is.....

[PlanoPa]

I read that same one spider and it didnt supprise me one bit....Q

[logcabinmama]

There are bases being closed all over the place. There are some of the men and women being moved out of MN and going to WI soon, from the sounds of it. I don't think they are closing the base here, just taking some of the people out of state. Not sure why.

 

I think I heard the same thing, Spider and Q. Sure is sad how ones friends all of a sudden turn on them. But, I guess this is what happens between friends sometimes. So sad.