Military Bases in Germany

New York Times ^ | June 14, 2004 | Editorial

[Dilbert56]

Personally, if the NY Times thinks it's a bad idea - that's enough to convince me it's a great one. Once again they leap to the conclusion that it is we who need to improve our relationships with Old Europe. I suggest the onus is on them. They're the ones with limping economies, rampant unemployment and schizophrenia about the E.U.

Allied are countries that stand by you even when it's not in their obvious & immediate interest. They do so to preserve and enhance the long-term relationship. Germany and France have failed the test. They are no longer allies.

We need to reward our allies and penalize those who oppose us. Other countries will understand that and think twice about comparing us to Hitler or abusing an undeserved seat on the UNSC to thwart us.

[hosepipe]

Germany needs an Ambassador that speaks only english and french, not troops especially armored troops.

[Lukasz]

Last data 9 october 2003

4019 polish troops around the world, mostly Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Bosna, Kosovo and Afghanistan. Pretty good contribution for such young democracy. They were engaged before as well in Israel and all other peace missions.

Now you can write number of German troops.

[chilepepper]

Yep, NYT is trying to cover for the German socialists' anti-American behaviour, so they can slap us in the face and not pay the consequences.

We should reward Poland and the other new EU states along with other countries brave enough to stand up to the Islamofascists...

If the NYT is for something, i am immediately suspicious -- if i used to hold the same views they espouse, i'll quickly re-examine my views -- i must have missed something if i end up on the same side as the Slimes...

[Michael81Dus]

7,750 men and women mostly in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, but also in Georgia, at the Somali coast line, Ethiopia, Eritrea.

Good job, I´ve met Polish paratroopers two years ago, they were kind and well trained.

[longjack]

ping

Not election related, but interesting.

[Eagle Eye]

At least you had only good things to say about them.

Some of my comments from my nearly 6 years there aren't quite as nice.

But the closer to the border you got, the nicer they were to us GI's.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

The large American military presence in Germany has long symbolized the understanding at the heart of NATO — Washington's commitment to remain permanently engaged in Europe's security and to integrate its military operations with those of its major European allies. Recent history has only reinforced how important that relationship is to the United States. NATO is the only alliance capable of sharing some of the global military burdens that have now overstretched America's ground forces.

NATO was created to "Keep the Russians out and the Germans down". Hence the continued occupation of Germany and the lack of a peace treaty 60 years after the end of WWII. The Bundesrepublik government is an instrument of the four occupying powers, not the actual German government in the sense of a constitutional authority with powers from the nation.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Where were you when you were in Germany?
I was at Merrill Barracks, Nuernberg, and Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart.

[vetvetdoug]

The Nery York Slimes left out the fact that when Gore reorganized government during the Clinton Administration, 800,000 military personnel were cut. The NYT was silent then so now during the Bush Administration closing a few bases becomes important to them.

[Billthedrill]

It is telling that the objections that the NY Times musters against this are (1) political, and (2) economic. The truth is that we are attempting to overcome an overreliance on both of those factors that has existed in the past with regard to military deployment, and it isn't an easy thing to do. Many of those bases were placed where they were (as they have been in the United States as well) for reasons other than military utility.

But these are luxuries we can no longer afford. These redeployments are NOT being done to punish anyone despite the Times' persistent efforts to blame this and everything else on Bush. They have been on the drawing board since the Reagan administration.

[happygrl]

such moves will have depressant effect on the morale of military families, absent soldier-family separation as a consequence of deployment

I was a military brat, and aware of the prestige and the Plum posting that Europe was for families.

But it is now a decade since the end of the Cold War, and we have other priorities.

It is the military's mission to respond to those priorities.

Good military families will have good morale. And they will buck up and do their duty whereever their men are posted.

[Cronos]

We should move ALL US troops OUT of Germany. What's the point of keeping them there? The Cold war is over and now the Germans can take care of themselves.

[jimbo123]

Inside every German is a Nazi dying to come out.

[Eagle Eye]

Baumholder, Gelnhausen, Butzbach, and some NATO sites up north. And those are just places I was stationed, actually got to see a bit more of the country side than that, including Hohenfels, Graf, and a lot of other places along the way.

[sawmill trash]

The Pentagon is proposing sharp cuts in U.S. forces in Germany

FINALLY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sawmill trash]

The large American military presence in Germany has long symbolized the understanding at the heart of NATO —

...the understanding that the USA will bail our butts out if the commies show up coming throught the pass.
What the he!! has NATO done for us ?

Let em cover their own defense expenses and quit bleeding us for it.

[RJL]

The Socialists at the New York Times are sure quick to support their fellow Socialists running Germany.

[BlueLancer]

"...got to see a bit more of the country side than that, including Hohenfels, Graf, and a lot of other places along the way."

And don't forget Wildflecken ... the only place in the world where it didn't matter which direction you were walking, it was always uphill.

[Bayou City]

I was at Merrill Barracks, Nuernberg....

When were you at Merrill, I was there 79-82 with the 116th Ord. Co. Regards!