Are Overseas U.S. Bases A Liability Or An Asset?

Puncturing The U.S. Base Myths -- Rep. J. Randy Forbes, The Diplomat

Military bases overseas are a vital part of American security, says U.S. Rep. J. Randy Forbes. Without them, crucial alliances in Asia could suffer.

As Washington continues to debate the consequences of defense cuts, one line of popular thinking is that we can save tax dollars without sacrificing security if we close down our overseas bases and bring our forces home. Why do we still have bases in Europe? Shouldn’t the Japanese just defend themselves?

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My Comment: When America was rich .... deterring regional aggression with forward basing has been central to U.S. military strategy since the end of World War II. Unfortunately .... those days are no longer with us. With the debt crisis continuing .... and no political will in Washington or in the electorate to push for non-defense cuts .... I expect a good number of these bases to be closed within the next 5-10 years.