This post was inspired by the incredible book Shields of the Republic by Mira Rapp-Hooper. Go out and buy it now!

Last week, the American foreign policy community became embroiled in a controversy that almost nobody in mainstream America heard about or cared about. The Trump administration announced the withdrawal of around 12,000 American soldiers from bases throughout Germany. Many of these troops will be re-positioned to other bases throughout Europe, while some will end up coming home. The United States has had military forces positioned throughout much of Europe and Asia ever since the end of the Second World War as a means to deter Soviet aggression. Even after the Cold War ended, U.S. troops stayed for a variety of reasons, one of which is to counter renewed Russian aggression. Whether or not the redeployment move is a “gift” to Russia, it does raise the question “Why do we still have military forces in Europe and Asia?” This week, we’ll look to answer that question.

The Forward Defense Position

Arguably the biggest and most important reason for stationing American troops abroad during peacetime is part of what is called the Forward Defense position. The idea here is that the best way to defend the American homeland from major military threats (i.e. Russia and China) is to essentially create a giant buffer zone spanning nearly half the globe. The United States is fortunate to have no major adversaries to the north and south. It also enjoys the security of two large oceans which can be easily defended with the greatest naval force in history. This makes the American homeland extremely secure, but it isn’t enough to guarantee that the U.S. remains a dominant power in the world. For that, an extension of that influence is necessary.

Consider this, if the Nazis or Soviets had succeeded in conquering Europe and the Imperial Japanese had succeeded in dominating the Asia-Pacific region, the United States would have found itself isolated and marginalized in a very fascist world. Suddenly, that great ocean buffer would be a liability with two enemy powers able to control the seas and threaten the homeland. With the establishment and continuation of military bases abroad, the United States is able to extend this buffer zone and maintain the security it has long enjoyed at very little cost. After all, it’s way cheaper to keep an existing base and defend abroad than it would be to repel attacks at home.

Joint Allied Defense

But this isn’t just for our benefit, U.S. troops and bases also provide protection for allied nations against major powers like Russia and China. Without that protection, they could be overrun by direct military forces or (more likely) covert paramilitary operations. Consider what has happened in Ukraine. Ukraine didn’t have a U.S. military presence prior to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine. Other nations like Germany and Poland do have American bases which reinforce the NATO security commitment. The Baltic nations don’t have bases, but they do have NATO protection guarantees, so that security promise isn’t quite as convincing.

Ultimately, all of this is done to contain nations like Russia and China with the aim of preventing another major war of conquest. These nations don’t want to risk attacking U.S. forces, so there is a strong deterrent effect here. In Asia, there isn’t a NATO-like system, but American forces prevent revisionist nations like China from engaging in direct military operations because China doesn’t want to risk open war with the United States. So the continued presence of American forces reinforces our security commitments to ensure our allies don't get rolled over by large powers. This presence is also very helpful in responding quickly to provide relief efforts during disasters and humanitarian crises such as the 2005 Pacific tsunami.

Encouraging military & Economic cooperation

World War II broke out in part because Germany exploited Europe’s divisions and went to war with Britain, France, and Poland (among others). By bringing them all together into a joint alliance, the U.S. has helped unify Europe against a much larger threat (the Soviets, now Russia). These days, nobody expects Germany to start attacking France as they are now allied together with an overall U.S. security backing. Without this backing, it would be much easier for nations like Russia to divide and conquer throughout Europe. In Asia, the American presence has helped ensure that Japan would not re-engage in imperialism by bringing it closer into cooperation with other U.S. allies like South Korea.

There is also a practical benefit here for American and allied forces. It’s way easier to conduct joint operations with allies when we actually have a presence in the region. In addition, the positioning of bases helps in intelligence gathering and security cooperation. Just like in business, you have a much higher chance of success in a region by opening an office in a city or country rather than trying to do everything from one office halfway around the world. The soft power of American cultural exchange through its presence in other nations should not be underestimated either. This power provides more exposure for American companies to gain a foothold in markets all over the world. Ultimately, that exposure helps power our economy and empower our local communities in America that rely on these companies for jobs.

The Bottom Line

There are many major benefits to maintaining America’s force deployment abroad. A forward defense position allows the U.S. to maintain the hard-won security position of the Second World War, while also providing for the joint defense of key allies throughout Europe and Asia. Just by being there, these forces provide a significant deterrence against aggressive nations from without and against alliance infighting from within. But ultimately, America’s leadership role in the world provides substantial security, cultural, and economic benefits. We can argue all we want about the exact numbers of who gets stationed where, but the continued presence of American troops in bases abroad provides essential (though often unseen) benefits to the average American. Though the original threats that sparked the creation of America's forward defense strategy have changed, the need for some number of troops abroad remains as critical as ever.