We can't be the world's policemen
but that's exactly what we have become...
deployed in nearly 130 countries all over the world
globalsecurity.org
Where are the Legions? [SPQR]
Global Deployments of US Forces
The forces of the United States military are located in nearly 130 countries around the world performing a variety of duties from combat operations, to peacekeeping, to training with foreign militaries. Some of these deployments have existed for nearly 50 years, as in Japan, Germany, and South Korea, while other deployments have more recent origins such as the current occupation of Iraq.
Soldiers have been receiving many incentives for reenlisting like job reclassification and new duty assignments to Europe on top of reenlistment bonus averaging $10,000 dollars. Soldiers have also been reenlisting for the one semester of college, which allows the soldier to further their career and increase opportunities for promotion and advancement.
As of January 2005, there are some 250,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen deployed in support of combat, peacekeeping, and deterrence operations. This figure does not include those forces normally present in Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom or Japan unless bases at those locations are actively supporting a combat operation. Furthermore, tours of duty in these locations are routine and not considered hardship tours. If one were to include these forces the number of deployed troops worldwide would be around 350,000.
However, forces deployed to South Korea are included as those units are part of a UN command and deterrence operation.
Of the 37 combat brigades and Armored Cavalry Regiments in the US Army's active component, some 12 are currently deployed (including one from the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea). Another 10 have recently returned from deployment, including both of the two Armored Cavalry Regiments (it should be noted that press and Army officials tend to lump the ACR's in with the Brigades when counting total combat brigades). A total of 9 Brgiades are slated for deployment over the course of 2005. |
