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. The bases expanded. The bill keeps growing.
🧠 Key Insights
- • The US has ~750 overseas bases — the UK has 16, Russia 15, China 1 — more foreign bases than every other country on Earth combined, exceeding even the British Empire at its peak.
- • Many bases were built to counter the Soviet Union, which dissolved 34 years ago — the Pentagon estimates 20% excess capacity (~150 unneeded bases), but Congress blocks every closure attempt.
- • Camp Humphreys cost $10.7 billion to build — and the Niger drone base ($110M) was abandoned after a 2023 coup. Taxpayers fund bases that serve no lasting purpose.
- • The US military is the world's single largest institutional polluter — producing more greenhouse gas emissions than 140 countries, with PFAS contamination poisoning water supplies near bases from Okinawa to Camp Lejeune.
- • The Chagossian people were forcibly expelled and their dogs gassed to make room for the Diego Garcia base — one of many communities displaced by America's base network without consent or compensation.
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
From Wartime Occupation to Permanent Presence
The US overseas base network has its origins in World War II. As American forces liberated Europe and occupied Japan, they built hundreds of military installations. When the war ended, the bases were supposed to be temporary. They weren't.
The Cold War provided the justification for a permanent global military presence. NATO bases in Europe, forward-deployed forces in Asia, and naval bases around the world were all framed as essential to containing the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union dissolved in 1991 — 34 years ago — but the bases remain.
After the Cold War, instead of closing bases, the US found new justifications: humanitarian intervention (1990s), the War on Terror (2000s), and great power competition with China (2020s). Each era produces new bases while the old ones never close. It's the military version of the ratchet effect.
Today, the US maintains more overseas bases than all other countries on earth combined. The British Empire at its height had garrisons in about 36 countries. The Roman Empire had legions in roughly 25 regions. The US has troops in 80 countries — and special forces in 134.
🌍 No Other Country Comes Close
~750
United States
~16
United Kingdom
~15
Russia
~10
France
1
China
Bases by Country
Troops by Country
Countries with US Military Presence
East Asia & Pacific
Europe
Middle East
Africa
Americas
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.
Major Base Costs
Camp Humphreys, South Korea
Largest US overseas base. Construction cost $10.7B. 36,000 personnel.
Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
Largest US base in the Middle East. 11,000 personnel. Air operations hub.
Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti
Only "permanent" US base in Africa. Rent alone: $70M/year. Used for drone strikes across the Horn of Africa.
Thule Air Base, Greenland
Missile early warning radar. Built in 1951. The indigenous Inughuit people were forcibly relocated without consultation.
Niger Drone Base (Agadez)
One of the most expensive US military construction projects in history. Niger expelled US forces after a 2023 coup.
Kadena Air Base, Okinawa
Largest US Air Force base in the Pacific. Okinawans have protested since 1945.
💰 Who Pays? Host Nation Support
Some host countries subsidize US bases through “burden sharing” agreements. But the subsidy rarely covers the full cost — and the US presence serves US strategic interests, not the host nation's.
Japan
"Sympathy budget" — Japan pays ~75% of local costs for US bases. 53,000 troops.
South Korea
Under the Special Measures Agreement. Trump demanded $5B, was refused.
Germany
Covers about 28% of non-personnel costs. Trump threatened withdrawal over payments.
Qatar
Al Udeid was built by Qatar at a cost of $1B+. The US pays minimal rent.
Djibouti
Strategic chokepoint. Small country, huge leverage. Rent has increased 5× since 2001.
Bahrain
Home of US 5th Fleet. Bahrain provides the port; US provides regime security.
Why Bases Never Close: BRAC Politics
The Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process was created in 1988 because Congress found it politically impossible to close unneeded bases through normal legislation. Every base is in someone's district, and no member of Congress wants to be the one who “lost” a military base — even if it's redundant.
BRAC has conducted five rounds (1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, 2005), closing approximately 350 installations and saving an estimated $12 billion per year. But the last round was in 2005 — twenty years ago. Congress has blocked every attempt to authorize a new BRAC round since, despite the Pentagon repeatedly requesting one.
The Pentagon's own studies estimate it has 20% excess base capacity — that's roughly 150 bases that serve no military purpose but remain open because of political pressure. Each is a jobs program disguised as national security.
Overseas, the dynamics are similar but involve diplomatic relationships. Closing a base in Japan or Germany would be interpreted as a diplomatic signal, creating foreign policy complications that policymakers use as an excuse to maintain the status quo.
✊ 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 (0.6% of Japan's land area). A 2019 referendum showed 72% of Okinawans opposed new base construction. Both governments ignored the result. The Okinawan anti-base movement is the longest-running in the world. Sexual assaults by US military personnel — including the 1995 rape of a 12-year-old girl by three Marines — have fueled decades of outrage. 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 and a UNESCO-recognized biosphere.
- Diego Garcia: The Chagossian people were forcibly expelled from their homeland to make way for a US military base. They were dumped in Mauritius with nothing. Their dogs were gassed. They have been fighting for the right to return for over 50 years.
☣️ Environmental Contamination
US military bases are among the most polluted sites on earth. From PFAS chemicals in drinking water to depleted uranium in soil, the environmental damage is vast and ongoing.
Okinawa, Japan
PFAS contaminationPFAS "forever chemicals" from firefighting foam have contaminated water supplies near bases. Okinawa's water supply serves 450,000 people. The US military initially refused to allow Japanese inspectors onto bases. PFAS levels near Kadena Air Base measured at 13× Japan's safety standards.
Guam
Ordnance contaminationDecades of bombing practice contaminated soil and water. Guam has one of the highest cancer rates in the Pacific. Cleanup efforts are decades behind schedule. A new Marine base threatens the habitat of endangered species.
Camp Lejeune, NC (US)
Water contaminationToxic chemicals in drinking water from 1953-1987 exposed up to 1 million Marines and families. Linked to cancers, birth defects, and neurological disorders. The VA denied claims for decades. The PACT Act (2022) finally allowed lawsuits.
Clark Air Base, Philippines
Toxic wasteWhen the US abandoned Clark after the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, it left behind massive toxic waste dumps. Local communities have reported elevated cancer rates and birth defects for decades.
Diego Garcia
Forced displacementThe UK forcibly removed the entire Chagossian population (over 1,500 people) between 1968-1973 to make way for a US military base. Residents were loaded onto cargo ships and dumped in Mauritius. Their dogs were gassed. The Chagossians have fought for the right to return for 50+ years. In 2024, the UK agreed to return sovereignty — but the base stays.
Subic Bay, Philippines
Toxic wasteDecades of US Navy operations left toxic contamination including heavy metals, asbestos, and petroleum products. The cleanup remains incomplete 30 years after the US departed.
Vieques, Puerto Rico
Bombing range contaminationThe Navy used Vieques as a bombing range for 60 years (1941-2003). Residents have cancer rates 27% above the Puerto Rican average. Heavy metals, napalm residue, and depleted uranium contaminate the soil and water.
Ramstein, Germany
Drone relay & noiseRamstein serves as the critical relay for US drone strikes in the Middle East and Africa. Without Ramstein, most drone operations would be impossible. German courts have questioned the legality of this under German and international law. Additionally, constant military air traffic generates severe noise pollution for surrounding communities.
The US military is the world's single largest institutional polluter. Its global operations produce more greenhouse gas emissions than 140 countries. The Pentagon was specifically exempted from the Kyoto Protocol's emissions requirements at US insistence.
💡 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.
- • The Pentagon estimates it has 20% excess base capacity — about 150 unneeded bases — but Congress refuses to close them.
- • The last BRAC round was in 2005 — 20 years ago. Congress has blocked every attempt since.
- • The Chagossian people of Diego Garcia were forcibly expelled and their dogs gassed to make room for a US military base.
- • Camp Humphreys in South Korea cost $10.7 billion to build — the most expensive overseas base ever.
- • US bases in Okinawa occupy 15% of the island, leaving less land for the 1.5 million Okinawan residents.
Data Sources
- • Department of Defense — Base Structure Report (annual)
- • Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) — troop deployment statistics
- • David Vine, “Base Nation” (2015) — comprehensive overseas base research
- • Congressional Research Service (CRS) — “Overseas Basing of US Military Forces”
- • RAND Corporation — overseas basing cost analyses
- • Government Accountability Office (GAO) — base cost and efficiency reports
Related Pages
- → Empire of Bases — analysis of America's global military footprint
- → Base Nation — the hidden cost of overseas bases
- → Troop Deployments — where US troops are stationed
- → Military Spending — $886B/yr and counting
- → Pentagon & Climate — the military's environmental footprint
- → What else could $55B/yr buy?