http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3460
The List: The Six Most Important U.S. Military Bases
By Daniel Widome
Page 1 of 1
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Posted May 13, 2006 <http://www.foreignpolicy.com/images/webOnly.gif>
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The U.S. military is cleaning house. Existing bases are being retooled or
eliminated, and new ones are popping up in some unexpected places. FP looks
at the overseas bases that are now vital to the U.S. militaryand the new
ones that will change its global footprint for years to come.
<http://www.foreignpolicy.com/images/apraharbor.jpg> (U.S. Department of
Defense)
Andersen Air Force Base & Apra Harbor, Guam
The base: Andersen can handle aircraft ranging from unmanned aerial vehicles
to long-range strategic bombers, and Apra Harbor can service everything from
nuclear submarines to aircraft carriers. The naval base is also home to one
of the three Maritime Prepositioning Squadrons worldwide, which provides
mobile, long-term storage of land-combat equipment and supplies near
potential trouble spots.
Its importance: Located in the Pacific Ocean about 2,000 miles from Asia,
Guam is close enough to the mainland to be vital in any conceivable conflict
yet distant enough to preclude a surprise blow from an adversary. Andersen
is one of the few locations with the necessary hanger facilities to protect
the B-2s sensitive, radar-evading skin, and strategic bombers regularly
cycle through the base to project power toward mainland Asia. The best part:
unlike other large bases in the region, Guam is U.S. territory.
_____
Balad Air Base/Camp Anaconda, Iraq
The base: Most prominent of the enduring bases being constructed in Iraq,
Balad is located just north of Baghdad. It is one of the busiest airfields
in the country, accommodating both Air Force fighters as well as transport
aircraft. Camp Anaconda, adjacent to the air base, serves as a main base and
logistics center for U.S. troops serving throughout central Iraq.
Its importance: Balads facilities and location make it more than just an
ideal base from which to fight insurgents in Iraq. It is also perfectly
positioned to project U.S. power throughout the Middle East, and it will
likely do so for many years to come. Although this convenience might serve
wider U.S. interests, it doesnt sit too well with Balads Iraqi
neighborsU.S. soldiers have nicknamed Camp Anaconda Mortaritaville after
a common greeting they receive.
<http://www.foreignpolicy.com/images/balad.jpg>
(U.S. Air Force)
_____
Bezmer Air Base, Bulgaria
The base: Bezmer reflects a broader trend toward lighter, more austere bases
in Eastern Europe and away from the larger military complexes in Western and
Central Europe. To keep a low profile in the host countries, the Pentagon is
reluctant to even refer to Bezmer and its Eastern European equivalents as
bases, and it stresses that the host countries retain full control of
their facilities.
Its importance: Compared to U.S. bases in old Europe, Bezmer and its
Eastern European equivalents are cheaper to operate and closer to potential
hot spots in the Middle East and Central Asia. In times of conflict, the
military will use these facilities to surge men and materiel toward the
front lines. The hope is that former-Soviet bloc host countries will be more
amenable to U.S. bases than other hosts in old Europe and be less likely
to block their use in a time of conflict.
_____
<http://www.foreignpolicy.com/images/DiegoGarcia.jpg> (U.S. Navy)
Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory
The base: Located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia served as
a base for B-52s during the 1991 and 2003 wars with Iraq and during
post-9/11 operations in Afghanistan. Its isolated anchorage is also home to
both Army and Marine seaborne prepositioning squadrons for land-combat
equipment and supplies.
Its importance: Isolationand British sovereigntymake Diego Garcia a far
more secure base for U.S. forces than any mainland base in Africa, the
Middle East, or South Asia. Specialized shelters to protect the sensitive
stealth equipment of visiting B-2s have recently been installed, and
strategic bombers regularly rotate through the base. The atoll is also an
important part of the U.S. Space Surveillance Network of telescopes, radars,
and listening stations.
_____
Guantánamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba
The base: Originally intended as coaling station for the U.S. Navy,
Guantánamo Bay (or Gitmo) remains an important logistical base for Navy
units operating in the Caribbean. It also serves as a hub for counter-drug
and migrant interdiction operations.
Its importance: Gitmos greatest strategic asset is its hazy legal statusit
is U.S.-controlled, but it is not U.S. territory. Although its not the only
place through which enemy combatants (neither POWs nor convicted
criminals) could be processed, it is readily accessible from the U.S.
mainland, and its staff and facilities have experience in detention
operations from their time as host to Haitian and Cuban refugees. As a
result, Gitmo is one of the most well-known and reviled U.S. bases
worldwide. The Bush administration has repeatedly rejected high-profile
calls to shut down the base.
<http://www.foreignpolicy.com/images/guantanamo.jpg>
(U.S. Department of Defense)
_____
<http://www.foreignpolicy.com/images/manas.jpg> (U.S. Air Force)
Manas Air Base, Kirgizstan
The base: Manas was established at Bishkeks international airport in the
months following 9/11 as a hub for multinational operations in Afghanistan.
It has since grown into a substantial base in the heart of Central Asia,
playing host to combat aircraft, their supporting personnel, and associated
facilities.
Its importance: In addition to its proximity to Afghanistan, Manas is
located near the immense energy reserves of the Caspian Basin, as well as
the Russian and Chinese frontiers. Kirgizstan has not threatened to follow
Uzbekistans example and expel U.S. forces, which suggests that Manas could
become a linchpin of the enduring U.S. presence in Central Asia. Recognizing
its value, Kirgizstan is talking about raising the rent from $2 million to
$207 million per year.
Daniel Widome is a San Francisco-based writer and foreign-policy analyst.
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