US Army to keep 6 military facilities in Europe, vetoing transfer plans
The US Army in Europe and Africa has announced plans to retain six military sites that were previously scheduled to be returned to Germany and Belgium in face of growing demand for facilities on the continent.
A seventh military facility in Germany will be transferred to the US Air Force, said an Army statement on Friday as cited in an AP report.
The sites were originally announced for closure in 2015 and, in one case, 2010, the report noted, adding, however, that the decision was reassessed by the administration of US President Joe Biden as demand for more military installations in Europe outgrew construction and renovation.
The announcement came after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered a months-long “global posture” review just days after taking office back in January. That review is not yet complete, but is expected to be finished by next fall.
The review, according to the report, will assess how the US military “can best arrange and support its worldwide network of troops, weapons, bases and alliances to align with changing foreign policy and security threats” set forth by the Biden administration.
This is while the administration has reiterated that it views China – rather than terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda or the Daesh -- as the top national security challenge, and that the posture review could involve additional movement of US troops and military assets to the Pacific region.
However, the report further points out that other top US commanders have also argued that they face similar challenges from Iran, China and Russia on their continents -- including Europe and Africa.
According to the report, it was not yet clear on Friday how these latest moves by the Army in Europe will fit into that global review.
It added, that the sites being retained in Germany are the Barton Barracks, Ansbach; Pulaski Barracks, Kaiserslautern; Coleman Barracks, Mannheim; Weilimdorf Warehouse, Stuttgart and Amelia Earhart Center, Wiesbaden.
In Belgium, the Army is holding on to the Daumerie Barracks, the report noted, adding that the Husterhoeh Barracks in Pirmasens, Germany, will be turned over to US Air Forces in Europe-Africa.
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