EFL: The Army's two heavy divisions in Germany, the 1st Armored and 1st Infantry divisions, will relocate to the United States, but not for at least two to three years, Pentagon officials said Monday. "From a very realistic standpoint, this would mean that families living overseas now — perhaps halfway through their tours — will more than likely not be affected by this move," said a Pentagon official who spoke on condition of anonymity. "They'll finish their tour and come 'home' before the wheels start moving on the process. Moving vans won't be pulling up next week."
| But, unfortunately, building maintenace will most likely stop. |
The earliest that troops will be pulled from Germany will be 2006, after the process of realigning and closure of stateside bases is under way, said senior defense and state department officials who spoke Monday of with reporters at the Pentagon on condition of anonymity. Exactly when and where those divisions will move to depends on results of the independent commission studying Base Realignment And Closure, the official said. By May 2005, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld must submit to the commission a list of selected bases. While BRAC does not affect overseas bases, it will be a factor in where the military will redeploy overseas forces. Between 1988 and 1995, four BRAC commissions proposed changes to 152 major installations and 235 smaller ones.
| The senate was trying to add overseas basing to the review list. |
After a three-year study, Pentagon plans to move many as 70,000 U.S. troops over the next decade and about 100,000 family members and civilian employees, President Bush announced Monday while speaking at the Veterans of Foreign War convention in Cincinnati. "Over the coming decade we'll deploy a more agile and more flexible force, which means that more of our troops will be stationed and deployed from here at home," Bush said. "We will move some of our troops and capabilities to new locations so they can surge quickly to deal with unexpected threats." The reposturing of forces will have no impact on lengths of tour of troops now deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, officials said. The Army's V Corps will stay in Germany, and will "be restructured to be more deployable and will have a number of combat elements associated," said a senior defense official said. A much lighter and rapidly deployable Stryker brigade will be stationed in Germany and "associated" with V Corps, he said, without providing further details.
| They probably haven't figured them yet... |
The 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy, is gaining a brigade, and two F-16 squadrons will remain each at Aviano Air Base in Italy and Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, the official said. Those not sent to stateside bases could move posts in Eastern Europe, though most likely for shorter deployment and likely without families, officials said. But, "we're not looking to take forces 
in Europe today and station them in the East," a defense official said. The reposturing of troops is not intended to eventually lead to a draw down in end-strength. |