U.S. plans major shift of troops in Europe

[never cry wolf]

Hey, ya think this has any connection to the 6 Navy battle groups currently on the move? In any case, these shits are reorganizing EVERYTHING! Any guess who may be contracted for all the logistics involved in these move?

snip----------------

U.S. plans major shift of troops in Europe
Pentagon would pull 2 divisions from Germany

By Michael R. Gordon
New York Times News Service
Published June 4, 2004

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has proposed a plan to withdraw its two Army divisions from Germany and undertake an array of other changes in its European-based forces, in the most significant rearrangement of the U.S. military around the world since the beginning of the Cold War, according to U.S. and allied officials.

Pentagon policymakers said the aim is to afford maximum flexibility in sending forces to the Middle East, Central Asia and other potential battlegrounds. But some experts and allied officials are concerned that the shift will reduce Washington's influence in NATO and weaken its diplomatic links with its allies, all at a time of rising anti-American sentiment around the world.

snip-----------

Administration officials said Douglas Feith, the undersecretary of defense for policy, recently briefed German officials on the plan. The Germans were told that the withdrawal plan had yet to be formally approved by President Bush and that the United States would listen to their concerns, a U.S. official said.

Officials said they expected the major decisions on the rearrangement to be made in a month or two. But the main direction of the Pentagon plan appears to be set.

"Everything is going to move everywhere," Feith said a year ago, as the Bush administration was beginning to develop the details of its plan. "There is not going to be a place in the world where it's going to be the same as it used to be."

more---> http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0406040332jun04,1,5591209.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

[asjr]

1. They have done nothing

right yet, why should we believe them now?

[2Design]

2. I just wonder what they are up to....and who they are going to

attack next.....

This is a real scramble.....they seem to be moving out of countries that were anti war.....

Just can't trust these guys at alll

[lebkuchen]

12. Scramble is right. Decision on base closure was to come in Mar/Apr.

The Bushies got weighed down in Iraq with so many attacks that they'd postponed the decision to 2007. Now the Times is saying we're a mere month away from a decision!

The only thing consistent about this administration is its lack of consistency. This could be an act of desperation to grease the moneypots before the Bushies lose in Nov. I fully expect them to cheat like hell, but they may realize that their lack of votes will come at a higher margin than they are able to purge voter registration lists.

[lastknowngood]

3. The naval shift appears to be associated with the possible impact

of an asteroid here on earth. This is more a shift of bodies to the gulf to ensure the complete domination of the oil states. They have four more wars to fight at least. The Israeli agents inside our government are using our military to establish their domination of the region. Our kids blood for their security and the oil for the billionaires. Makes you proud to be an American don't it, to be the bought army for the international corps?

[bigendian]

4. Update on "aussie bloke"

http://www.surfingtheapocalypse.net/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=3851

[outinforce]

5. Why Should We Remain In Germany?

What possible reason is there for the US to remain in Germany?

Or, for that matter, what possible reason is there for the US to have any troops stationed in Europe at all???

[Yupster]

6. Reason to be in Germany is

we have fine facilities already built there. On the other hand, there's no strategic reason left to be there, and places like Poland or Hungary would be just as close to the Missle East and a lot cheaper to operate.

[outinforce]

7. Why Be In Europe At All?

What possible reason is there for the US to station even a single soldier in Europe -- Germany, Poland, Hungary, or anywhere else?

If I recall correctly, the Europeans have no troops stationed anywhere in North America. Why should we have troops stationed in Europe?

[lebkuchen]

15. Western Europe has provided terrific incentive for reenlistment purposes

Americans like coming here. The base support overseas is better than what can be had stateside. In addition, housing troops overseas is often times cheaper for the taxpayer than housing them stateside because preexisting facilities overseas don't necessitate the need to build them in the US.

The eastern side of West Germany, near Vilseck, is an excellent training area.

[lebkuchen]

13. For one thing, where will we take our Iraq casualties?

They're going to close Landstuhl, Wuerzburg (1ID headquarters) and Heidelburg (5th Corp headquarters) hospitals? Walter Reed is full! Landstuhl is full! Wuerzburg just opened up a new ward to accomodate what Landstuhl can't handle. Does it make sense to you to upend our medical support to our troops when we're in the middle of a guerilla war fought from the inside of a humvee?

Even if Landstuhl doesn't close, the other army hospitals in Germany are going to be needed, as they are now. 1ID casualties that can't be handled in Landstuhl go to Wuerzburg, 1AD to Heidelburg.

[Vickers]

8. These idiots, making military decisions because of policy differences

with the host countries. What a shame.

The only heartening aspect of it is, the military brass just might get pissed enough to actually stage a coup if they steal the next election.

[lebkuchen]

14. I think the policy differences are somewhat manufactured

though considering Bush's predisposition to temper tantrums, your theory may be on the mark.

The Bushy contractors are winning contracts in eastern bloc countries. They're hoping to privatize base support (the BSBs), and put all those non-combatant troops on the front lines. Moving to the east will mean more tax dollars for base construction/renovation. Don't plan on Romania, Poland and Bulgaria footing the bill, as the Germans and Japanese are doing. The only thing those countries are able to provide our military is lots of sex slaves.

[LittleApple81]

9. What they don't tell you: (1) Money for Halliburton and friends to build

basis, move troops, provide food.
(2) I readabout this some time ago: they will not provide facilities for the troops to take their families along. So they will be by themselves, and the "host" countries won't get the moola they think they will get.

Nothing like making the troops as unhappy, poor, and resentful as possible.

[lebkuchen]

16. Right

More unaccompanied tours...just what the doctor ordered for Army morale. Only an insane person would have the lack of foresight to come up with a plan like this.

[Kellanved]

10. related: "Berlin says no decision on US troop withdrawal "

BERLIN - No decision has been taken yet on US troop withdrawals from Germany, a Defence Ministry spokesman in Berlin said Friday, hours after a New York Times report that two entire US Army divisions would go.

Those divisions were believed to be the 1st Armoured Division and the 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized). There has been speculation for over a year that they would not return to Germany after their current deployment in Iraq.

The spokesman said discussions with the Americans were continuing, and declined to comment on the newspaper report, other than saying it referred to "plans that have not been settled on the political side".

The New York Times said the Pentagon was contemplating taking the two divisions out of Germany, replacing them with a brigade equipped with Stryker light armoured vehicles, and removing the US Air Force F-16 fighters at Spangdahlem base in Germany.

...
http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=26&story_id=8209

[lebkuchen]

17. The Bushies had originally planned to pack out the 1AD dependents

while the military sponsor was deployed to Iraq, which created an uproar within the military community, so Gen. Jones et al backed down with a promise to allow families to remain until their spouses had redeployed home. Now that the 1AD has had to be extended, it puts a kink in the Bushies' timetable to get those private contracts in the Eastern Bloc in gear.

The Bushies are now offering 1AD families the opportunity to PCS without their extended military spouse, making it sound as though they're doing military families a favor given the extension. Real slick.

The 1ID won't be returning until Mar/Apr 05, though there are clear indications, reaching beyond mere rumor, that the 1ID's extension is already a done deal based on what's in the pipeline for logistic support.

There must be a fix in the upcoming election to make the Bushies so cock-sure that all this movement is going to take place well into 2005. Difficult to believe Kerry would support something so onerous to (re)enlistment at a time when morale is incredibly low, requiring extensions of stop-loss to keep the troop count at a reasonable level.

[Moderator]

11. Kick