US Overseas Military Bases
The United States maintains 750 military bases in 80 countries — more than any empire in history. Annual cost: $55B. Many of these bases were established during wars that ended decades ago. The troops stayed.
750
Overseas Bases
80
Countries
173,000
Troops Deployed
$55B/yr
Annual Cost
“Unlike any other nation in history, the United States stations its legions not to defend its own borders, but to project power — and the costs are borne by people who have no say in the matter.”
— David Vine, Base Nation, 2015
🌍 No Other Country Comes Close
~750
United States
~16
United Kingdom
~15
Russia
~10
France
1
China
Bases by Country
Troops by Country
East Asia & Pacific
Japan
Since 1945 · 80 years · 120 bases
53,713 troops
$5.7B/yr
70% of bases on Okinawa. Locals regularly protest.
South Korea
Since 1953 · 72 years · 73 bases
28,500 troops
$3.4B/yr
70+ years after Korean War armistice.
Australia
Since 2011 · 14 years · 7 bases
2,000 troops
$300M/yr
AUKUS partnership. Expanding presence.
Europe
Germany
Since 1945 · 80 years · 119 bases
33,948 troops
$3.6B/yr
80 years after WWII ended.
Italy
Since 1945 · 80 years · 44 bases
12,313 troops
$1.5B/yr
Key staging area for Africa/Middle East operations.
United Kingdom
Since 1942 · 83 years · 25 bases
9,397 troops
$1.2B/yr
Includes RAF Lakenheath nuclear weapons storage.
Spain
Since 1953 · 72 years · 4 bases
3,300 troops
$400M/yr
Rota naval base and Morón Air Base.
Turkey
Since 1943 · 82 years · 5 bases
2,600 troops
$300M/yr
Incirlik Air Base houses ~50 US nuclear weapons.
Poland
Since 2022 · 3 years · 4 bases
4,700 troops
$500M/yr
Rapidly expanding since Russia-Ukraine war.
Middle East
Bahrain
Since 1971 · 54 years · 1 base
7,300 troops
$800M/yr
US Fifth Fleet HQ. Naval Support Activity Bahrain.
Kuwait
Since 1991 · 34 years · 7 bases
13,500 troops
$1.2B/yr
Permanent presence since Gulf War.
Qatar
Since 1992 · 33 years · 1 base
10,000 troops
$800M/yr
Al Udeid Air Base — CENTCOM forward HQ.
Africa
Djibouti
Since 2002 · 23 years · 1 base
4,000 troops
$400M/yr
Camp Lemonnier — only permanent US base in Africa.
Other
Honduras
Since 1983 · 42 years · 1 base
500 troops
$100M/yr
Soto Cano Air Base.
Cuba
Since 1903 · 122 years · 1 base
800 troops
$200M/yr
Guantánamo Bay — 120+ years on Cuban soil against their will.
✊ Local Opposition
US military bases are frequently unwelcome in their host communities. Some of the longest-running protests include:
- Okinawa, Japan: 70% of US bases in Japan are crammed onto this one island. A 2019 referendum showed 72% of Okinawans opposed new base construction. Both governments ignored the result. Environmental contamination from PFAS chemicals has polluted local water supplies.
- Vicenza, Italy: Massive protests against the expansion of Camp Ederle. Residents organized under the slogan “No Dal Molin” — the base was built anyway.
- Ramstein, Germany: Annual protests against the base's role as a relay station for US drone strikes in the Middle East and Africa. German courts have ruled the government must ensure US operations from German soil comply with international law.
- Jeju Island, South Korea: Villagers protested for years against construction of a naval base. The base was built over community opposition, destroying centuries-old volcanic rock formations.
Environmental contamination is a persistent issue. US bases have been linked to PFAS contamination, fuel spills, and unexploded ordnance in communities from Japan to Germany to the Philippines.
💡 Did You Know?
- • $55B/yr on overseas bases is more than the entire budget of the Department of Education ($79B).
- • It costs roughly $50,000-$150,000 per troop per year to maintain overseas deployments — including housing, food, transport, and facilities.
- • Many bases were built to counter the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union dissolved 34 years ago.
- • The US military's overseas base network produces more CO₂ than 140 countries.