DOD ANNOUNCES U.S. ARMY EUROPE FACILITIES RETURNED TO GERMANY

Dept of Defense ^ | 4/30/03 | DoD

[Night Hides Not]

Were you ever stationed in Germany? When I was stationed there 20+ years ago, we had tens of thousands more troops, vehicles, and airplanes. I don't recall any successful attempt to wipe out a smaller facility, to include the old Nike-Hercules batteries that were located throughout West Germany. For your info, these units were nuclear capable, and therefore a much more lucrative target for a terrorist than an infantry battalion.

I recall many alerts and warnings of Baader-Meinhof gang activity, but their success was limited at best.

There will be plenty of safeguards put in place, to ensure proper dispersal of personnel, equipment, and material.

[Unicorn]

BTTT

[RetiredArmy]

I spent 3 years in Giessen. My old unit, the 2/2 ADA was headquartered there. I lived in Marshall Housing area in Giessen.

[sit-rep]

I understand where you are coming from, but a tactical Nuke is only good for 5-10 miles. The article said the positions of the troops will be connected to their training area... I have never been there, but would guess the area is a few thousand acres or more. If the divisions are staged around the training area, you do have a nice LZ smack dap in the center...protected.

Just looking at it from not only their perspective, but a few others as well.

[RJL]

U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) will partially close the Giessen General Depot, Germany, and return its other facilities in Giessen, Friedberg, Butzbach, Wetzlar and Bad Nauheim in fiscal 2006-2008

2006 to 2008? Seems like a long way off.

I would like to see it happen much faster. I suppose they are figuring that building new bases in other countries will take some time.

[wasp69]

I have never been stationed in Germany. However, the enemy we face today is a lot less rational than the Soviets. The way I look at this situation is from the perspective of the aircraft at Pearl Harbor being parked in the open and grouped together so they were more easy to protect against sabotage. The end result was the loss of alot of aircraft by very few munitions. I also look at it from the perspective of closing naval bases and concentrating fleet assets in fewer areas. The Spanish learned the hard way in Plymout Harbor about grouping their fleet together for protection. To me, this is a huge tactical mistake.

[sit-rep]

I understand your point, and maybe, do not know enough about what is actually happening to voice an opinion. But again, if their training grounds is a large area, I think it not as bad as your Pearl Harbor example.

IMHO, I think if these countries want to opt out of joining forces to fight a terroist threat like Saddam, that is fine with me...opt out. But when you start bad mouthing my country, I think we should do everything in our power to cripple them economically. Just pull out all Military. Stop all trade and close their businesses here at home...kick them out of our country, since we are the rogue nation they claim we are.

SR

[PfromHoGro]

Yep. See-yah! Wouldn't want to be-yah.

[eBelasco]

Anyone know the yearly cost of keeping all these bases operational in Europe? Why do we need to keep any bases open over there (is Poland going to invade Belgium or something?!)? I would much rather have my taxes spent on another CVN or two.

[hardhead]

There have been no U.S. military activities in France since the mid-60s - the Frenchies beat us to the punch and kicked us out when they dropped out of NATO. Don't buy any T-Fal cookware.

[Tailback]

The next step should be to get out of the FYR's (former Yugoslav republics) and make Europe (to include the Russians) keep those idiots from killing each other.

[gulfcoast6]

Line em up, close them down!

[wasp69]

But when you start bad mouthing my country, I think we should do everything in our power to cripple them economically. Just pull out all Military. Stop all trade and close their businesses here at home...kick them out of our country, since we are the rogue nation they claim we are.

I agree with you completely. If it were up to me, I would take the one large main base (as well as the rest of them) out of Germany and scatter them in Eastern Europe where it would be cheaper, the locals more friendly, and they would not be concentrated but still able to link up quickly.