America To Pull Its Tank Units Out Of Germany

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 1-10-2004 | David Rennie

[blam]

America to pull its tank units out of Germany

By David Rennie in Washington
(Filed: 10/01/2004)

The United States plans to withdraw its heavy armoured formations from Germany next year, in the largest reshaping of the European military landscape since the end of the Cold War, it emerged yesterday.

The historic plans are part of a drive to turn the American military into a more flexible, rapid reaction force.

They have been in gestation since long before the Iraq war, and Washington officials insist they are not punishing Germany for opposing the toppling of Saddam Hussein.

The decision to move all US armour home marks the end of the Cold War era when huge tank armies backed by millions of troops and thousands of aircraft readied for war in the heart of Europe.

Following the withdrawal of Russian troops from Germany, in 1994, America's pull-out would leave Britain the last foreign power with heavy armour on the plains of Germany. Britain maintains a force of some 23,000 troops there.

Douglas Feith, the Pentagon's top policy official, told German counterparts last month that America will start pulling out heavy ground forces late next year, eventually withdrawing up to 40,000 men from Germany by 2006, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Units will return to the US, although Washington plans new bases in Poland, Bulgaria and the Baltic States through which troops would move to future trouble spots.

Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, has led an aggressive campaign to reshape the military for the new, less predictable, conflicts of the war on terror.

The changes aim to close many of the sprawling bases that span the globe from Germany to South Korea - many of them mini-Americas, complete with schools, hospitals, shopping centres and suburban housing estates.

Instead, Mr Rumsfeld wants troops to rotate through a global network of small bases, deploying to hot spots at short notice, and picking up equipment and supplies pre-positioned at storage sites.

Although many Germans will cheer the departure, there is no concealing the impact the American pull-out will have on their nation, politically, economically and even psychologically.

The rumble of American armour has been a backdrop to life in Germany since 1945. The two units earmarked for withdrawal - the 1st Armoured Division and the 1st Infantry Division - are steeped in European history.

The "Old Ironsides", as the 1st Armoured is known, landed in North Africa in 1942, fought German forces the length of Italy, and entered Germany as part of the allied occupation in 1945.

The "Big Red One", or 1st Infantry, fought the Kaiser's armies in the First World War under General Pershing, and helped drive Hitler's troops from France and Belgium.

Some important US facilities will remain in Germany, including the giant Ramstein air base, the US European Command headquarters in Stuttgart and a military hospital near Hamburg.

Russia has raised concerns about the arrival of large numbers of US troops in Poland and the Baltic states, ostensibly because such arrivals might violate Cold War era treaties on American troop strengths in Europe.

The Pentagon believes that careful juggling of European bases will avoid breaking those treaties.

[Ben Hecks]

"Without Reforger Germany is going to have to charge their own taxpayers to maintain their roads!"

And just think of all the trees we won't have to buy.

[schaketo]

Although many Germans will cheer the departure, there is no concealing the impact the American pull-out will have on their nation, politically, economically and even psychologically.

When are we going to stop funding the Axis of Weasels? Pull out. Who needs them or their bases.

[Monti Cello]

Exactly -- can we drive 'em stright to Poland?

Would Gerhard approve of a long US tank column passing through his nation?!?

That would be pretty funny.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Units will return to the US, although Washington plans new bases in Poland, Bulgaria and the Baltic States through which troops would move to future trouble spots.

It's about damn time already! At the very least, we might as well give something of an economic boost to countries that have been there for us when it counted.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Is every journalist rawly incompetent, or what?

As a former journalist (OK, sportswriter), I have to admit that most are quite incompetent, yet strangely arrogant about it.

My personal favorite Journalist-as-Idiot Moment was during one of the press conferences re: Mickey Mantle getting a liver transplant. After one of the doctors explained that the liver came from a donor who coughed up 7 body parts, the intrepid reporter wanted to know: (a) was the donor still alive, and (b) what was his physical condition, if he were still alive...

[Norse]

I hope you were just being sarcastic...

[jungleboy]

Next move...Russian tanks roll in to Germany?

[VeniVidiVici]

does Germany go nuclear?

The Watermelons would never allow it. Heck, they get ticked off if nukes are just driving thru.

[CasearianDaoist]

The Watermelons will be out of power in a year or so.

Hitler was surrounded by the same sort when he first came to power.

[Michael81Dus]

No, there are no signals that Germany is going nuclear. The government of the United States of America has issued a guarantee for the national security of the Federal Republic of Germany against foreign threats with nuclear, biological or chemical weapons of mass destruction. This security guarantee is still valid, and as long the US government is not taking it back, we feel bound to the "treaty about the final status regarding Germany" of 1990 between the Fed. Republic, the German Democratic Republic, France, Britain, the USA and the Soviet Union. In this treaty, Germany obligates itself to do without NBC-weapons.

[Michael81Dus]

You mean the Ruskies are seeking food supply from us? LOL

[LibKill]

Move 'em to Poland. Poland is on our side.

AND, we can invade Germany (for the second time) from Poland. :)

[kentuckyusa]

I hope you were just being sarcastic...

Why?

[VeniVidiVici]

...we feel bound to the "treaty about the final status regarding Germany" of 1990 between the Fed. Republic, the German Democratic Republic, France, Britain, the USA and the Soviet Union.

Yes, I don't think the Russians would be too pleased of a Germany with a nuclear saber. I think they would do something long before it got to that point.

Ironic, isn't it? The coming decade could bring Europe closer to a conflict than ever occurred during the Cold War.

[Michael81Dus]

Actually, I don´t think that anyone would bother if we´d chose to build up nukes on our own (or buy some American-made). There´s a trust in Germany that we pose no threat to anyone, except terrorism, so we face no harm feelings directed against us.

Conflicts within Europe (EU) will be solved politically and not military.

I´m bothered about the continuing German-bashing here on FR. Heck, the Iraq issue was the only security issue our governments disagreed on since 1945, and it´s presented here as if we had declared war on the US.

It´s a surprise to me that only 40,000 soldiers will leave our soil. I expected that only 15-20,000 remain here and not 30-35,000. However, they´re welcome, and the long and large presence of US forces here has helped a lot to improve the relations between our two nations.

[DeaconBenjamin]

I understand your irritation with the German bashing on Free Republic. But, as a Christian attorney from Arkansas, let me also assure you that there is a lot of bashing of a lot of groups going on all the time.

[SoCal Pubbie]

Don't take the anti-German stuff TOO seriously. Yes, some of them really mean it, but mostly it's a "you're with us or against us" kind of thing. Having 3,000 of your citizens incinerated or splattered on the streets of NY City tends to do that to you.

Time heals all wounds and I think relations will improve. There is too strong a link between Germany and the US, despite two big fights in the 20th century (US by TKO, and US by knockout!).

Did you know German ALMOST became the official language of the US right after the American revolution?

[freedumb2003]

Don't take the anti-German stuff TOO seriously... Time heals all wounds and I think relations will improve

FRANCE on the other hand...

;)

[Paul C. Jesup]

As a former journalist (OK, sportswriter), I have to admit that most are quite incompetent, yet strangely arrogant about it.

Well that explains a lot.

[Michael81Dus]

Well, the French government has a tradition of opposing the US. Seems as if they haven´t understood that America became the leading power in 1918.