I support immediate withdrawl. From Japan and Germany.

I've been thinking about this for quite some time and I can see no reason whatsoever to keep what (despite polite terms) is an occupying presence in countries we occupied and pacified over half a century ago.

We no longer need to fear Soviet aggression in Germany, and are unlikely to oppose China militarily if it chooses to take Taiwan, so there can be no true strategic use for these bases except to facilitate reckless adventures like the one we are engaged in with Iraq.

Furthermore, we need to let South Korea know that they have a decade to prepare to defend themselves. They are now a wealthy industrialized nation, and can fight and resolve their own frozen war without our help.

I firmly believe that, other than foreign anchorage and refueling rights, liaison and embassy duty, the USA does not need a permanent military presence anywhere except US soil.

Yeah, that's the ticket

Perhaps they are there to be withing "quick strike" range of other places?

To summarize the information below, Germany currently has about 70,000 U. S. troops, which will be reduced by about 30,000 to 40,000 between 2006 and 2009. That would leave about 30,000 to 40,000 troops in Germany. Please note that the article below does not state that those troops will be reassigned to Mainland U. S....my guess is that they will be assigned to the Middle East.

Japan has what appears to be primarily a ceremonial garrison/skeleton organization that currently probably doesn't exceed 8,000 total troops.

Total number of troops in both countries will be about 38,000 to 48,000 by 2009...almost a 50% cut of current totals.

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1st Armored, 1st Infantry divisions to withdraw from Germany
<http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-307748.php>

QUOTE:

They fleshed out some, but not all, of the details of President Bush’s announcement Monday that 60,000 to 70,000 U.S. troops now stationed overseas would be affected by global moves and that most would return to stateside bases.

Germany is currently home to 70,000 American troops. The removal of both divisions and their supporting elements would involve 30,000 to 40,000 troops.

About half of all U.S. installations in Europe would be vacated or returned to host nations, said one senior defense official, who stressed that most of the affected installations are quite small.

Troops remaining in Europe would be a new Stryker brigade in the Grafenwoehr/Vilseck region of Germany as well as the Army’s V Corps headquarters and associated combat-support units. In Italy, the Army would add a third battalion to the two existing battalions of the 173rd Airborne Brigade at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, the defense official said.
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United States Army Japan
<http://www.usarj.army.mil/>

Headquarters, USARJ & 9th TSC
The 9th Theater Support Command
US Army Garrison Japan
**U.S. Army Postal Service Center, Honshu
**USARJ Band
**Directorate of Public Works

10th Area Support Group
**35th Supply and Services Battalion
**78th Aviation Battalion
**83rd Ordnance Battalion
**505th Quartermaster Battalion
**Military Police Battalion
**88th MP Detachment
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Supporting Organization
**78th Signal Battalion
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Tenant Units and Activities
**U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, Pacific
**U.S. Army Dental Activity
**U.S. Army Medical Department Activity
**Educational and Developmental Intervention Services (EDIS)
**U.S. Army Japan District Veterinary Command
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500th Military Intelligence Brigade
**U.S. Army Engineer District
**Pacific Stars and Stripes

How we can have over 1,000,000 troops but can't find 150,000 for Iraq. Where are they all?

U.S. out of north America now!

only if an ally of ours feels a threat from another country. We definitely should get out of Japan and Germany. It's been sixty years now.