America′s military shift sends different messages at home and in Europe | Europe | DW.DE | 09.01.2015
▻http://www.dw.de/americas-military-shift-sends-different-messages-at-home-and-in-europe/a-18182336
The Pentagon’s announcement to phase out US military installations in Europe to cut costs should not come as a much of a surprise. After all, the US defense department must slash projected spending by close to a trillion dollars over a decade, as mandated by Congress.
The process of evaluating which US military facilities can be closed has been going on for almost two years, said Gustav Lindstrom, head of the emerging security challenges program at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. “We are just seeing the culmination of this.”
The scheduled return of US bases in six European countries to their host nations will not have a major impact on Washington’s military presence and readiness in Europe. They are slated to be offset by a stronger rotational force, with the total US troop levels in Europe is expected to remain steady around 64,000.
In June 2014, the White House announced the so-called European Reassurance Initiative (ERI), slated at roughly a billion dollars to be spent this year on training, exercises and capacity building in Europe.
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While Pentagon experts favored cutting US military bases instead of overseas installations, fierce opposition by local politicians means it would be very difficult to implement. Shutting bases an ocean away is politically a lot easier and less costly. That’s why European bases came first.
But the projected savings of $500 million dollar per year are just a drop in the bucket towards the mandated cut of $1 trillion. Much more will have to come. The writing is now on the wall.
Moscow should not interpret base closings as shift of US role in Europe