Withdrawing From Overseas Bases: Why a Forward-Deployed Military Posture Is Unnecessary, Outdated, and Dangerous
By John Glaser For Cato Institute
Bottom Line: In the absence of a major peer competitor, and in an era of low-security threats, the policy of maintaining a constant worldwide overseas military presence is unwise. A less aggressive strategy requiring fewer overseas bases would greatly reduce both military spending and security dangers to the United States. The United States should withdraw its permanent peacetime military presence abroad and abandon its forward-deployed posture in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
The United States maintains an empire of military bases throughout the world—about 800 of them in more than 70 countries. This forward-deployed military posture incurs substantial costs and disadvantages, exposing the United States to vulnerabilities and unintended consequences. The strategic justifications for overseas bases—that they deter adversaries, reassure allies, and enable rapid deployment operations—have lost much of their value and relevance in the contemporary security environment.
https://www.realclearpolicy.com/public_affairs/2019/01/28/withdrawing_from_overseas_bases_why_a_forward-deployed_military_posture_is_unnecessary_outdated_and_dangerous_111013.html
