Keep bases here, Germany implores U.S.

AP Wire | March 28 2004 | MELISSA EDDY/AP

[knighthawk]

WUERZBURG, Germany - As host to 170,000 American soldiers and dependents, Germany has a lot to lose under Pentagon plans to shift forces out of western Europe, and officials in areas facing a pinch are lobbying heavily for them to stay.

Economic survival for their communities, more than security, is the concern for these supporters of a continued U.S. presence in their regions, where ties are deeply rooted despite Germans' current criticism of U.S. policy in Iraq.

Many of the communities depend on business and jobs generated by the bases, located mainly in economically weak regions of southern and western Germany.

''We realized that our installations are in grave danger,'' said Karl Peter Bruch, a state official in Rhineland-Palatinate who heads an effort to lobby U.S. officials. ``And then came the question, what can we do to make us more attractive?''

The tactic has drawn mixed reviews from the Americans, who have some 80,000 military personnel with 94,000 family members in Germany.

The issue has nothing to do with Germany being unattractive, U.S. officials say. It's part of a global realignment to meet changing threats centered in Central Asia and the Middle East.

''We're still sitting where we were at the end of the Cold War,'' said Air Force Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Kohler, the U.S. European Command's point man on planning for force realignment.

But letting go is not easy for towns like Wuerzburg, where the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division has been stationed since after World War II. It is frequently mentioned as a candidate to return to the United States.

At a recent farewell ceremony for soldiers departing Wuerzburg for Iraq, Bavaria's governor stressed the Army's importance to his state.

'Dear soldiers, your presence in Bavaria . . . is indispensable to peace and stability in Europe and is a key element in our trans-Atlantic relations. The U.S. Army, `our' 1st Infantry Division, must remain in Bavaria,'' said Gov. Edmund Stoiber, a leading conservative who narrowly lost national elections in 2002 to Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats.

STRAINED RELATIONS

Schroeder's relations with Washington were strained by his strong opposition to attacking Saddam Hussein's regime. But U.S. officials made it clear they're pulling forces out of Germany because of the changed international threat, not as punishment.

Nonetheless, German officials aren't giving up. Mayors from host cities across Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate traveled to Washington in the fall to argue the benefits of keeping bases in Germany: solid infrastructure, good quality of life and decades-old friendships.

Even though critical sites in Rhineland-Palatinate such as Ramstein Air Base and the Landstuhl medical center appear likely to stay, Bruch figures his state should do even more, since entire regions depend heavily on the $1.4 billion and 27,000 local jobs the U.S. military generates.

With German-U.S. working groups, Bruch toured all the American bases in the state to learn what they need and what would make them attractive to the restructured U.S. military.

HOUSING

A key issue was decrepit housing that didn't meet the latest U.S. security needs, so Bruch has raised about $130 million in private funds for renovation and construction of new housing for the Americans.

He also hired a Washington-based consultant and traveled to the U.S. capital to make his case. American officials reacted positively and invited him to return this spring with concrete plans for new military housing, Bruch said.

''There had been other delegations, including one from Bavaria that talked about how beautiful the mountains are,'' Bruch said. ``But we were the only Germans who went there and presented a concept.''

While in Washington, Bruch also learned more about the U.S. Army's introduction of small, highly mobile units called Stryker brigades. U.S. officials are looking to base them at strategic locations where they can train but also be ready to deploy quickly.

''That would be ideal for Baumholder,'' Bruch said, referring to a base with a large training area near Ramstein where parts of the 1st Infantry Division are now stationed. He plans to make that pitch in Washington.

Officials at European Command say they expect to have a solid picture of the future force structure in Germany by early spring.

TASK FORCE

Some cities are not waiting to find out if they are on the list of closings.

In Bamberg, which also hosts units of the 1st Infantry Division, city officials have set up a task force to grapple with issues like a flooded real estate market if the Army should vacate its 500 apartments.

[SamAdams76]

Due in large part to our status of the richest and most powerful country on Earth, we have set ourselves up to be hated by all.

By acting in Iraq to rid the country of a brutal dictator, we have earned the scorn of the world. Had we left the brutal dictator in place, we would again earn the scorn of the world for sitting idly by while the poor Iraqis were brutalized.

Just as we are attacked for letting Africa starve. However, as soon as we move into some African country to restore order and ensure that food supplies are reaching the people, we are immediately attacked for our "imperialist" ways.

We are attacked for maintaining a presence in Germany some 60 years after World War II. However, the day we pull out, we will be also attacked for "abandoning" poor Germany and forcing her to fend for herself.

No matter what, we Americans are damned if we do and damned if we don't. Speaking of which, that reminds me of an old Alan Parsons Project song from 1979. Time to run down to my musical library to pull that disc and burn to MP3. I'd like to hear that song during my walk tomorrow on my MP3 player...

[Vision]

F' em. They're big boys now, they can take care of themselves.

[Pan_Yan]

Politics over substance. Rummy seems pretty no nonsense about this.

1. The war on terror is being fought to the east of Germany. It makes sense to move your assets closer.

2. It is cheaper to operate in the Eastern European countries. Less rent, lower costs.

3. Lots of bases aren't moving, they are being closed. Keeping them open after they have passed their effectiveness is an extremely wasteful welfare program.

4. The point everyone else is making: Go where the local government is more friendly. In the 50's the French flat out asked us to leave. The Germany policies toward the U.S. have in some ways done the same.

[Sacajaweau]

Dear Mr. Schroeder:......................................... ........................................................................................

Regards,

President Bush

[Socratic]

America to Germany: "All Our bases belong to US."

[Skywarner]

As General McAuliffe told the Germans during the battle of Bastogne:

"NUTS!"

[mathluv]

Gosh, MA, hope Mike is OK. Daughter's brother-in-law waiting for orders home now. Prayers out.

[Pan_Yan]

This has been going on since January 2001. Rummy made pretty clear his first few days in charge that the military wasn't just going to the gym to get bigger, it was going to trim the body fat percentage as well. The oversized cold war relic systems, bases and tactics have been in his sights since day one.

That being said, the anti-American policies of countries such as Germany, Saudi Arabia, etc probably haven't helped them in their lobby efforts to keep the big check coming their way.

[cynicom]

Money grubbing krauts. How come they are not inviting the Russians to station troops there, as they did not too long ago.

[Unknown Freeper]

But U.S. officials made it clear they're pulling forces out of Germany because of the changed international threat, not as punishment.

And if it were punishment? Perhaps then they would understand the not so subtle hint.

'Dear soldiers, your presence in Bavaria . . . is indispensable to peace and stability in Europe and is a key element in our trans-Atlantic relations.

And keeping their sorry butts safe and their economy growing with what in return? Guess our guys won't be taken for granted anymore.

[mystery-ak]

Mike is fine....he went to a flight surgeon last week at Anaconda to ask what this *thing* was that was growing on his face, skin cancer...he was whisked out of Iraq to Germany....he had no choice in the matter and is livid that he was pulled out of theater, especially since they are scheduled to withdraw to Kuwait in late April and home in May...he wanted to bring his troops home.

[mrsmith]

"So long Germany, thanks for all the wurst!"

(I loved my time stationed outside of Wuerzberg BTW.)

[WhiteGuy]

"Economic survival for their communities, more than security, is the concern for these supporters of a continued U.S. presence in their regions."

END FOREIGN WELFARE NOW!

[mathluv]

I understand his wanting to stay with his troops, but skin cancer is nothing to put off seeing about. I knew it was close to time for him to come home.

[Turbo Pig]

No matter what, we Americans are damned if we do and damned if we don't.

Which is the EXACT reason why the US should only do things that are in our best interest on the interational stage. Any positive effects on other countries should take a back seat to US interests.

[Pan_Yan]

"Damned if I do, damned if I don't, but I love you ..."

Great band.

I wish the general population would get your point. Since we are going to be hated for whatever we do, we shouldn't worry about any other countries opinion. If we do the right thing, the people we help will appreciate it. We get despised when we are inconsistent.

I have yet to see a viable arguement against being an isolationist country. Don't join any more clubs or sign any more treaties, just like George Washington warned us not to.

[AFPhys]

'Dear soldiers, your presence in Bavaria . . . is indispensable to peace and stability in Europe

You know, if it weren't for the statement above getting my attention enough to consider that, I would knee-jerk agree with you. However, this guy may actually be correct in the present environment. The way the Euroweenies are acting, it may be only a short time before there is a military effort to force dissenting nations to buckle under to the EU's whims. There is certainly a deterrent to that with the US having military presence in Europe. Imagine how it might be if we weren't - there is no telling what the nitwits of Paris/Brussels/Berlin/? may attempt.

Unfortunately, whether we like it or not, we ARE the world's policemen.

[Grampa Dave]

Yep, just $crew the anti American $ocialists who control Germany, and the $ocialists who vote for the anti American $ocialists.

We are in World War IV against their buddies the Islamonazis and a cultural war against the Hate America $ocialists of old Europe.

This is just another reason to defeat al Querry. al Querry would leave our troops there and take their guns, tanks and planes away from them. Did you hear about Clarke demanding that a Seal Team sent on a dangerous mission go in unarmed? They still completed the mission in spite of that POS.

[Judith Anne]

Thanks for your public service rant. I'd also like to point out to the Germans that THE US TAXPAYER was subsidizing his local economy, while his government was stabbing the US in the back at the UN.

I don't feel very friendly toward the Euroweenies right at this very moment.

[Grampa Dave]

"I dunno if this is related, I think not... but it may be related to the EU putting tarrifs on US made goods manufactured in states critical to Bush in the election. The EU is trying to affect our election by increasing unemployment in critical states. I would guess this is more closely tied to the base closings than WOT behavior...if indeed they're tied at all...jmho"

The above is incredible but not surprising.