Close Persian Gulf Region Bases

How many military bases does the United States really need for national security purposes in the Persian Gulf and the surrounding region? The following, which excludes any lingering unclassified facilities in Iraq, is just a partial list of our presence in the area.

KUWAIT
Army: Camp Arifjan
Air Force: Ahmed Al-Jaber Air Base
Air Force & Army: Ali Al-Salem Air Base (since 1991)
Army: Camp Buehring (NW)
Army: Camp Virginia
Navy: Kuwait Naval Base

BAHRAIN
Navy: Manama Naval Base
Air Force: Sheikh Isa Air Base
Air Force: Bahrain International Airport

SAUDI ARABIA
Air Force: Eskan Village

QATAR
Air Force: al-Udeid Air Base
Camp al-Saliyah

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Navy: Fujairah Naval Base
Navy: Jebel Ali Seaport
Air Force: al-Dhafra Air Base

OMAN
Air Force: Masirah Air Base
Air Force: Thumrait Air Base
Seeb International Airport (dual use)

DJIBOUTI
Navy: Camp Le Monier

TURKEY
Air Force: Incirlik Air Base

ISRAEL
Army: Dimona Radar Facility
Navy: Port of Haifa (6^th Fleet)

INDIAN OCEAN
Navy: Diego Garcia

AFGHANISTAN
Marines: Camp Dwyer
Marines: Camp Leatherneck
Marines: Camp Rhino
Marines: FOB Delhi
Marines: FOB Delaram
Marines: FOB Fiddler’s Green
Marines: FOB Geronimo
Marines: PB Jaker
Air Force: Bagram Airfield
Air Force: Shindand Airbase
Air Force: Kandahar International Airport

KYRGYZSTAN
Air Force: Manas Air Base

UZBEKISTAN
Termez Air Base Khanabad

KAZAKHSTAN
U.S. military presence

TAJIKISTAN
NATO presence

European Bases Should Be Vacated

In addition to the large number of U.S. military facilities in Germany, there are several in other European countries, that are draining funds from the federal treasury, without yielding much of anything in return, and they should be closed.

BRITAIN: In addition to supporting seven NATO facilities in the United Kingdom, the U.S. leases the following installations:
Air Force: RAF: Lakenheath, Brandon, Suffolk
Air Force: RAF: Menwith Hill, Yorkshire Dales
Air Force: RAF: Mildenhall
Air Force: RAF: Croughton, Upper Heyford
Air Force: RAF: Alconbury, Cambridgeshire

NETHERLANDS: The U.S. Air Force contributes to the Joint Force Command Brunssum (NATO) in the Netherlands.

PORTUGAL: The U.S. Air Force leases a base at Lajes Field in the Azores, which are Portugese Islands in the Atlantic. We also contribute funds to support a NATO facility in Portugal itself.

SPAIN: The U.S. Navy uses the Rota Naval Station in Spain, and our Air Force has bases in Andalucia.

ITALY: The exact number of U.S. bases in Italy is not clear. One author claims there are over 100, while another source lists just a few. The U.S. uses at least the following:
Army and Air Force: Aviano Air Base (NATO)
Army: Caserma Ederle, Vicenza
Army & Air Force: Camp Darby, Pisa-Livorno
Army: San Vito Dei Normanni Air Station—Brindisi
Navy and Air Force: Naval Air Station Sigonella (NATO)
Navy: Naval Support Activity Gaeta
Navy: Naval Support Activity Naples
Navy: NCTS Naples

KOSOVO: Since the Serbian bombings in the 1990s, the U.S. has had a presence in Kosovo. The U.S. Army uses Camp Bondsteel and Film City-Pristina.

BULGARIA: Since Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2005, the U.S. presence in Bulgaria has grown. The U.S. Army has bases at Aytos Logistics Center (Burgas Region) and Novo Selo Range (Sliven Region), while the U.S. Air Force has a presence at Bezmer Air Base in the Yambol Region, and Graf Ignatievo in the Plavdiv Region.

GREECE: The U.S. Navy uses a Naval Support Activity at Souda Bay, on the island of Crete. We have also maintained facilities at Hellonicon and Nea Makri.

Korea: Time to Close Military Bases

The U.S. has roughly 39 disclosed military bases in South Korea, 57 years after an armistice put an end to the Korean War (1950-53), and the question now is whether they serve any purpose, or has our ongoing American military presence actually become an obstacle to reunification, and a roadblock to demilitarization?

A U.S. presence in Korea followed a vacuum caused by the defeat of imperial Japan in WWII. After trade started with Korea in 1875, the Japanese decided to simply take resources by force in the 20^th Century, and their abuse did not stop until 1945, when the U.S. occupied South Korea, and the Soviets entered North Korea.

While the U.S. and Soviets forced Japan to grant independence, neither of the wartime allies was particularly focused on the needs of the Koreans. As the American and Russian forces withdrew in 1948, they divided Korea into a North Korean People’s Republic, north of the 38^th Parallel, and the Republic of South Korea, south of it.

Two years later, the North invaded the South in an effort to reunite Korea. The United Nations, with Russia absent from the vote, found a breach of the UN Charter, and authorized the use of collective force to repel the invasion, in what became the Korean War (1950-53). Mao’s China soon entered the conflict on the side of the North, causing a stalemate, and an ultimate ceasefire. A 2½-mile Demilitarized Zone has separated two Koreas ever since.

After both North and South Korea joined the UN in 1991, train travel between the two was attempted to ease tensions, but the labeling of the North as a terrorist state, and fear of conflict, has kept both sides on edge, and has caused occasional flare-ups.

From the perspective of the North, since the Americans still have 30,000 troops stationed at various military facilities in the South along with their weapons, they must maintain a large military to repel a possible attack.

So what would really happen if the U.S. unilaterally withdrew all forces? Hawks may in a knee jerk fashion predict an invasion by the North. What is much more likely is a demolition of the barrier between North and South, and the commencement of trade. The North would gladly take the benefits of trade from the Southern economy, one of the strongest in Asia.

While a total unilateral withdrawal is largely a pipe-dream given the dysfunctional American political system, since very few American politicians would have the courage to do something so bold, progress always begins with an idea, and the idea is to unilaterally close our bases in Korea, and withdraw from their soil. Such a move would ease tensions, lead to reciprocal demilitarization, and eventual reunification.

Japan: Close All Military Bases

The U.S. still has at least 22 military facilities in Japan, 67 years after the end of World War II, a conflict that transformed the Japanese government from a militaristic chain of command into a liberal democracy, such that now they pose no threat whatsoever to the U.S. So why do we still have a military presence in Japan?

While Korea is in the neighborhood, where the U.S. military has an even greater presence, Japanese bases add little to their needs. China, also nearby, is really no threat to the U.S. Since Hong Kong and Taiwan are part of sovereign China, the U.S. could not act lawfully, even if unrest developed in those enclaves. In the 1960s, we listened in on the Soviets from undisclosed bases in Northern Japan, but the Cold War ended over 20 years ago, and Russia has been our ally ever since.

While reports show some U.S. forces are now being moved to Guam, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and the Philippines, the best place for them is back home in the U.S. We should work on withdrawing all of our forces from the following Japanese bases:

TOHOKO REGION (N Honshu)
Air Force: Misawa Air Base, Misawa-Aomori

KANTO REGION (SE Honshu, Tokyo)
Army: Camp Zama
Air Force: Yokota Air Base

SHIZUOKA PREFECTURE (SE Honshu)
Marines: Camp Fuji

KANAGAWA PREFECTURE (SE Honshu)
Navy: U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka
Naval Air Facility Atsugi

YAMAGUCHI PREFECTURE (SW Honshu)
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

KYUSHU ISLAND (Far SW)
Navy: U.S. Fleet Activites Sasebo

OKINAWA (Far S, Ryukru Islands,  Kyushu Region)
Army: Torii Station
Army: Fort Buckner
Marines: Camp Smedley Butler
Marines: Camp Courtney
Marines: Camp Foster
Marines: Camp Gonsalves
Marines: Camp Hansen
Marines: Camp Kinser
Marines: Camp Lester
Marines: Camp McTureous
Marines: Camp Schwab
Marine Corps Air Station Futenma
Naval Forces Japan, Okinawa
Air Force: Kadena Air Base, Okinawa

Germany: Let’s Close All U.S. Bases

For a long time since the end of World War II, 67 years ago, the Europeans, and in particular the Germans, have posed absolutely no threat to our national security, yet we continue to maintain 62 facilities in the fatherland that could be shut down. While 20 are scheduled for closure by 2015, the remaining 42 should also get the ax, since we do not need them, and can no longer afford them.

The 42 facilities, not currently slated for closure, (listed below) are in the states of Bavaria (13), Baden-Wurttemberg (8), Rhineland-Pfalz (17), Hesse (3) and North Rhine-Westphalia (1). The 20 set to close between 2012 and 2015 follow.

NOT SLATED TO BE CLOSED, BUT SHOULD BE:

ANSBACH (Bavaria) (8)
Army: Barton Barracks
Army: Bismarck Kaserne (the word means barracks)
Army: Katterbach Kaserne
Army: Shipton Kaserne
Army: Bleidorn Housing Area
Army: Urlas Housing and Shopping Complex
Army: Oberdachstetten Storage Area
Air Force: USAF Ansbach

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN (Bavaria) (1)
Army: Artillery Kasermne

HOHENFELS (Bavaria) (1)
Army: Hohenfels Training Area/Joint Multinational

ILLESHEIM (Bavaria) (1)
Army: Storck Barracks

VILSECK (Bavaria) (2)
Army: Rose Barracks
Army: Grafenwohr Training Area

BOBLINGEN (Baden-Wurttemberg) (1)
Marines: Camp Panzer Kaserne

HEIDELBERG (Baden-Wurttemberg) (1)
Army: Heidelberg Army Airfield

MANNHEIM (Baden-Wurttemberg) (1)
Army: Hammonds Barracks

STUTTGART (Baden-Wurttemberg) (5)
Army: Kelly Barracks
Army: Panzer Kaserne
Army: Patch Barracks
Army: Robinson Barracks
Army: Stuttgart Airport

BAUMHOLDER (Rhineland-Pfalz) (1)
Army: Smith Barracks

DEXHEIM  (Rhineland-Pfalz) (1)
Army: Anderson Barracks

GERMERSHEIM (Rhineland-Pfalz) (1)
Army: Germersheim Army Depot

KAISERSLAUTERN (Rhineland-Pfalz) (5)
Army: Kaiserslautern Military Community
Army: Kleber Kaserne
Army: Pulaski Barracks
Army: Rhein Ordnance Barracks
Army: Semback Kaserne

LANDSTUHL (Rhineland-Pfalz) (1)
Army: Landstuhl Regional Medical Center

MAINZ-GONSENHEIM MOMBACH (Rhineland-Pfalz) (1)
Army: USAG (Garrison) Wiesbaden Military Training Area

MAINZ-FINTHEN AIRPORT (Rhineland-Pfalz) (2)
Army: USAG Wiesbaden Training Area
Army: USAG Wiesbaden Radar Station

MIESAU (Rhineland-Pfalz) (1)
Army: Miesau Army Depot

PIRMASENS (Rhineland-Pfalz) (1)
Army: Husterhoeh Koserne

RAMSTEIN (Rheinland-Pfalz) (1)
Air Force: Ramstein Air Base

SPANGHAHLEM (Rhineland-Pfalz) (1)
Air Force: Spangdahlem Air Base

WACKERNHEIM (Rhineland-Pfalz) (1)
Army: McCully Barracks

GRIESHEIM (Hesse) (1)
Army: Dagger Complex Darmstadt Training Center

WIESBADEN (Hesse) (2)
Army: Wiesbaden Army Airfield
Army: Storage Station Mainz-Kastel (Weisbaden)

GEILENKIRCHEN (North Rhine-Westphalia) (1)
Air Force: NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen

SCHEDULED FOR CLOSURE:
BAMBERG (Bavaria) (2)
Army: Bamberg Local Training Area (2015)
Army: Warner Barracks (2015)

SCHWEINFURT (Bavaria) (5)
Army: Askren Manors Housing Area (2015)
Army: Conn Barracks (2015)
Army: Ledward Barracks (2015)
Army: Yorktown Housing Complex (2015)
Army: Rottershausen Storage Area

HEIDELBERG (Baden-Wurttemberg) (5)
Army: Patrick Henry Village (2014)
Army: Campbell Barracks (2015)
Army: Mark Twain Village (2015)
Army: Nachrichten Kaserne (2015)
Army: Patton Barracks (2015)

MANNHEIM (Baden-Wurttemberg) (5)
Army: Benjamin Franklin Village (2012)
Army: Funari Barracks (2012)
Army: Sullivan Barracks (2014)
Army: Coleman Barracks (2015)
Army: Spinelli Barracks (2015)

SCHWETZINGEN (Baden-Wurttemberg) (2)
Army: Kilourne Kaserne (2015)
Army: Tompkins Barracks (2015)

LAMPERTHEIM (Hesse) (1)
Army: Lampertheim Training Area (2015)

The German economy has benefited greatly from the large sums of U.S. dollars spent in their country since the end of WWII, but it is now time for the U.S. to get its own financial house in order, by withdrawing all of our remaining troops and closing all of our facilities.

Army Bases in U.S. Could Close

With the growing National Debt, many of the multitude of Army bases in the U.S., as listed below, could be closed.

HAWAII: The Pohakuloa Training Area is on the big island. On Oahu, the Honolulu area has several duplicitous facilities: 1) Fort Shafter; 2) Fort DeRussy; 3) Wheeler Army Airfield; 4) Schofield Barracks; 5) Tripler Army Medical Center; and 6) the Hale Koa Hotel on Waikiki Beach, which they say gets no federal funding, but I am sure it is subsidized one way or another. The army should not be running a beach hotel. Close it.

ALASKA: Fort Richardson, in Anchorage, is shared with the AF, Fort Wainwright is in Fairbanks, and Fort Greely is a missile base, 100 miles SE of Fairbanks.

CALIFORNIA: Southern California has the Los Alamitos Army Airfield in Orange County. A Desert Training Center is east of LA County in the Mojave Desert. The duplicitous Fort Irwin National Training Center is also in the Mojave. Camp Cook is in Santa Barbara. Camp San Luis Obispo is on the central coast. In Northern California, the Sierra Army Depot is near Reno. The Presidio-Monterey hosts a defense language institute. Monterey is houses Fort Hunter Liggett, as well as Camp Roberts. The Parks Reserve Forces Training Area is in Alameda County by the Bay. Camp Beale is in greater Sacramento. The Army uses the Military Ocean Terminal-Concord. The army also operates the Sharpe Army Depot and Tracy Army Depot.

OREGON: The Umatilla Chemical Depot is to be closed by 2015. Oregon also has an Army National Guard base at Camp Rilea.

WASHINGTON: Fort Lewis is a joint base with the AF, 9 miles from Tacoma. The Yakima Training Center is south-central.

IDAHO: Idaho reportedly has Gowen Field, and Orchard Range, both in Boise, and Edgemeade at Mountain Home.

MONTANA: Fort William Henry Harrison is where the Montana National Guard train.

WYOMING: Guernsey Maneuver Area is an Army National Guard post.

COLORADO: Fort Carson is in Colorado Springs; Pueblo Chemical Depot is in Central Colorado; and the Fort Logan National Cemetery is in Denver.

UTAH: While the Utah Guard uses Camp Williams, 25 miles from Salt Lake, the Dugway Proving Ground is 85 miles SE of Salt Lake, and Tooele Army Depot, near Salt Lake, is for storage.

NEVADA: Hawthorne Army Ammunition Depot is an ammunition storage facility in western Nevada.

ARIZONA: Fort Huachuca is 15 miles from the border, the Yuma Proving Ground is southwest, and Camp Navajo is a National Guard base up near Flagstaff.

NEW MEXICO: Rockets are tested at the White Sands Missile Range, covering parts of five counties in southern New Mexico.

NORTH DAKOTA: Camp Grafton, in the northeast, is used by the National Guard.

NEBRASKA: Camp Ashland is a National Guard post.

KANSAS: Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley, are both in northeast Kansas. The state also has the Munson Army Health Center, and Nickell Barracks.

OKLAHOMA: Fort Sill is 85 miles SW of Oklahoma City. Camp Gruber, and the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, are both in is in the eastern part of the state.

TEXAS: Corpus Christi Army Depot is in southeast Texas. Camp Bullis and the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston are both in San Antonio. Camp Mabry is in Austin. Camp Swift is in SE Texas. Fort Hood is between Austin and Waco. Red River Army Depot is northeast in Texarkana. Camp Wolters is a National Guard training center in the north-central area. Fort Bliss is our west near El Paso. Camp Bowie is an active training station.

LOUISIANA: Camp Beauregard and Fort Polk are in the central or west-central areas.

ARKANSAS: Fort Chaffee is in the northwest, while the Pine Bluff Arsenal is in the south-central area.

MISSOURI: Fort Leonard Wood is a major military base in the south-central part of the state, where many did boot camp.

IOWA: The Fort Des Moines Training School, as well as Camp Dodge, are both in Des Moines. The Army Ammunition Plant is on the Mississippi in the SE.

MINNESOTA: Camp Riley, in the center of the state, is used by the Minnesota National Guard.

WISCONSIN: Fort McCoy, in Sparta, is used as an Army training center. Camp Williams, a National Guard facility in the town of Camp Douglas, is also in western Wisconsin.

ILLINOIS: Charles M Price Support Center is located east of St. Louis. The Rock Island Arsenal is on the Mississippi.

INDIANA: The National Guard uses Camp Atterbury, in the center of the state, and is opening a duplicitous facility at the site of the old Fort Benjamin Harrison.

MICHIGAN: Camp Grayling trains the National Guard. The Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant is where Chrysler makes Army Tanks. Fort Custer, in the SW, is also used by the Army National Guard.

OHIO: Camp Perry is a National Guard facility on Lake Eire. The Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center is in northeast. Camp Sherman is a Guard base in southern Ohio.

PENNSYLVANIA: There are many facilities in south-central PA including Carlisle Barracks, founded in 1757, which conducts army training and hosts a War College. Fort Indiantown Gap, near Harrisburg, trains the Guard. The Harrisburg Military Post is a historic site. The New Cumberland Army Depot, 3 miles from Harrisburg, is called the Eastern Distribution Center. The Letterkenny Army Depot is south-central. Tobyhanna Army Depot (NW) repairs and upgrades surveillance and reconnaissance systems.

WEST VIRGINIA: Camp Dawson West Virginia Training Area is near Morgantown.

KENTUCKY: Fort Campbell, on the Tennessee border, is the home of the 101^st Airborne. Fort Knox is south of Louisville. Conventional and chemical weapons are stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot, in the state’s center.

TENNESSEE: Explosives are manufactured at the Holston Army Ammunition Plant. The predecessor to the Kingston Demolition Range, known as the Clinton Engineer Works, is where uranium for the atomic bomb was enriched in WWII. Milan Army Ammunition Plant is in western Tennessee.

MISSISSIPPI: Camp Shelby is a training site in Hattiesburg.

ALABAMA: Anniston Army Depot (N) is where chemical weapons are stored, and track vehicles are repaired. Aviation training occurs at Fort Rucker in southern Alabama. The Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville is involved in the space program, and does missile testing.

MAINE: The state reportedly has Guard bases at MTA Deepwoods; MTA Riley-Bog Brook; TS Caswell; and TS Hollis Plains.

VERMONT: Camp Ethan Allen Training Site is a Guard facility.

MASSACHUSETTS: Camp Curtis Guild, Fort Devens, and the Natick Army Soldiers Systems Center are all in Middlesex County, in the north. Camp Edwards is near Cap Code.

NEW YORK: Fort Hamilton is in Brooklyn. The U.S. Military Academy, which should be kept, is 50 miles north of NYC. The Watervliet Arsenal is further up along the Hudson River. Fort Drum is way up at the northeast end of Lake Ontario.

NEW JERSEY: Fort Dix near Trenton is now a joint base. Picatinny Arsenal, in northern NJ, is a facility where research and development is conducted.

DELAWARE: The Guard uses the Bethany Beach Traning Site.

MARYLAND: The Aberdeen Proving Ground is in northern Maryland. Fort Detrick is in the western part of the state. Fort Meade is the home of the National Security Agency (NSA).

WASH DC: Fort Lesley J McNair was founded in 1791.

VIRGINIA: Fort Myer is across the Potomac; Fort Belvoir, in Fairfax County, is also near DC; Fort Hill, one of the largest installations on the East Coast, is 90 miles from DC. Fort Lee is in metro Richmond. Fort Eustis is a joint base at Langley in Newport News. Fort Story in Virginia Beach is a subdivision of Eustis. Fort Pickett is a Guard facility in the south-central part area. The Radford Army Ammunition Plant, in western Virginia, is where explosives are manufactured.

NORTH CAROLINA: The south-central area is home to Fort Bragg, a major installation, Pope Army Airfield, and Camp MacKall, the home of the 82^nd Airborne. The Guard uses Camp Butner, in the north-central part of the state. The Military Ocean Terminal at Sunny Point is 26 miles south of Wilmington.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Fort Jackson is in Columbia, SC.

GEORGIA: Fort Benning is a major installation, midway along the Alabama border. Fort Gordon is on the South Carolina line. Hunter Army Airfield is in Savannah, and Fort Stewart is also in southeast Georgia, near the Atlantic.

FLORIDA: Camp Blanding, in greater Jacksonville, is used by the Florida National Guard.

Air Force Bases in U.S. Could Close

The Air Force could close many of their 68 bases in the United States. No nation is ever going to invade or occupy us, and we simply don’t need such a large military. Many of the following could be decommissioned.

HAWAII: The Air Force should be allowed to continue sharing the Pearl Harbor-Hickam base.

ALASKA: The Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage can be saved, as well as Eielson AFB, 26 miles SE of Fairbanks, but the redundant Clear AFS, 78 miles Southwest of Fairbanks could be eliminated.

CALIFORNIA: In Southern California, we could disband two of the following four: 1) March Joint ARB in Riverside County; 2) Los Angeles AFB (involved in the space program); 3) Edwards AFB, northeast of LA; and 4) Vanderberg AFB, in Santa Barbara. In Northern California in the Sacramento area, two of the following three could be boarded up: 1) McClellan AFB; 2) Beale AFB; and 3) Travis AFB, between Sacramento and San Francisco.

WASHINGTON: Since there are Navy bases in near Seattle, the Air Force can keep Fairchild AFB, in western Washington, 10 miles from Spokane, while they dismantle the Joint Base-McChord Field, 9 miles from of Tacoma.

NEVADA: Nellis AFB, 7 miles northeast of Las Vegas, can carry on.

ARIZONA: We should maintain Davis-Monthan AFB, southeast of Tucson, but shut down Luke AFB, 15 miles west of Phoenix.

NEW MEXICO: The Holloman AFB, near the Mexican border, is in a sensible location, but let’s close Cannon AFB, on the Texas border in the east, and Kirtland AFB, up in Albuquerque.

IDAHO: Mountain Home AFB, southeast of Boise, can remain.

MONTANA: Malmstrom AFB, in the middle-western part of the state, can be saved, just in case the Canadians go nuts and invade.

WYOMING: Since we don’t need any bases in Wyoming, Francis E Warren AFB should get the ax.

UTAH: The U.S. can get by without the Hill AFB near Ogden.

COLORADO: Four facilities in the middle of Colorado are not required for our national security. We can spare the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, but the redundant Peterson AFB, also in Colorado Springs, should go, along with Schriever AFB, near Colorado Springs, and Buckley AFB, just to the north.

NORTH DAKOTA: Bases in North Dakota are unnecessary, unless we are concerned about those pesky Canadians. Close either Grand Forks AFB, in the east, or Minot AFB, up in the northwest.

SOUTH DAKOTA: Unless Native Americans in Rapid City are planning an uprising against the U.S., Ellsworth AFB has no purpose.

NEBRASKA: Offcutt AFB near Omaha exists so planes can strafe the corn fields, searching for terrorists among the corn cobs.

KANSAS: Thank god we have plenty of jet fuel to burn, so our pilots at McConnell AFB can cover the wheat fields of Wichita.

MISSOURI: Just to be sure every state has a wasteful Air Force installation, the Whiteman AFB was built near Kansas City.

OKLAHOMA: Since Texas has so many bases, Oklahoma must lose two of three. Take your pick between Altus AFB, in the southwest, Tinker AFB, near Oklahoma City, and Vance AFB, in the north-central area.

ARKANSAS: If the right-wingers go nuts and re-segregate Central High, instead of sending in army troops, Little Rock AFB could be used to just bomb them right off the map.

TEXAS: San Antonio, home to Lackland AFB, once served as boot for many vets, and it can be preserved, but Brooks City Base, in the same area, and Randolph AFB, northeast of San Antonio, should be decommissioned. Laughlin AFB in southwest Texas along the border can remain, but western Texas simply doesn’t need Dyess AFB in Abilene, Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo, or Sheppard AFB on the Oklahoma border.

LOUISIANA: Since the Air Force shares a Joint Reserve Base in New Orleans (close to Bourbon St), it can be saved, but the Barksdale AFB, up in the northwest part of the state, should be shut down.

ALABAMA: Montgomery would get to keep Maxwell AFB.

MISSISSIPPI: The Keesler AFB, down in Biloxi, may serve a strategic purpose, so let it continue, but Columbus AFB, in the northeast on the Alabama border, should be decommissioned.

TENNESSEE: The U.S. does not need the Arnold AFB, located in the south-central part of the volunteer state.

ILLINOIS: No one would miss Scott AFB in metro St. Louis.

INDIANA: Close Grissom Joint Air Reserve in Kokomo.

OHIO: Is the Wright-Patterson AFB in SW Ohio protecting us? If so, from what?

MASSACHUSETTS: One of the two in the Bay state can be eliminated: Take your pick: Hanscom AFB in the east, or Westover Joint Air Reserve Base, in the west near Springfield.

NEW JERSEY: Jersey can keep McGuire AFB, near Trenton.

DELAWARE: For the boys who didn’t make it home, it’s been a tradition to bring them back to Dover AFB. Let’s preserve it.

MARYLAND: The Air Force can continue sharing the Joint Andrews Naval Air Facility in Maryland.

WASHINGTON DC: The Bolling AFB, in southeast Wash DC, is ok.

VIRGINIA: Langley AFB will never be closed.

NORTH CAROLINA: Either the Pope AFB (actually an Army airfield) in south-central NC, or the Seymour Johnson AFB, in the center of the state, should get the ax.

SOUTH CAROLINA: The Charleston AFB, on the coast, or the Shaw AFB, inland at Sumter, should be boarded up.

GEORGIA: Moody AFB, near the Florida border, or Robins AFB, in the middle of the state, should be slated for termination.

FLORIDA: Patrick AFB on the Atlantic could remain, but two of the three in western Florida: Tyndall AFB (Panama City), Elgin AFB, and Hurlburt Field, are redundant. The government could bulldoze and subdivide MacDill AFB in the City of Tampa, sell the land for development, and make a fast buck for the treasury.

Marine Bases in U.S. Could Close

Do we really need so many Marine Corps bases? All of them in the U.S. are listed below with the hope you become exhausted reading through them. If we want to balance the federal budget, we have to cut waste by eliminating duplicitous military installations. Take your pick as to those we really need.

HAWAII: The Island of Oahu hosts Marine Corps Base-Hawaii in Honolulu, Camp H. M. Smith, and an Air Station at Kaneohe Bay.

CALIFORNIA: Camp Pendleton, a major training base, is in San Diego County, along with the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. Also in San Diego are redundant Air Stations at Camp Pendleton, and at Miramar. The 29 Palms Air Ground Combat Center, and the Barstow Marine Logistics Base, are in San Bernardino County, just east of Los Angeles. A Marine Aviation Detachment is at China Lake, further north in the Mojave Desert. Aviation Training Support Group 23 is based in the center of the state, at Lemoore. A Marine Corps Detachment is at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey. The Mountain Warfare Training Center is at Bridgeport, on the California-Nevada line, near Reno.

WASHINGTON: Marine Aviation Training Support Group 53 has a presence on Whidbey Island, near Seattle.

ARIZONA: The Marines have an Air Station at Yuma and another Marine Corps Detachment at Huachuca City.

OKLAHOMA: A Marine Corps Detachment is based at Fort Sill.

TEXAS: There are Marine Corps Detachments at Fort Bliss in El Paso, and at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo. Aviation Training Support Group 22 is situated at Corpus Christi. The Marines also have a reserve Detachment at Fort Worth.

LOUISIANA: The Marine Reserve HQ is in New Orleans.

MISSOURI: The Marine Mobilization Command is in Kansas City. Another Marine Corps Detachment is at Ft Leonard Wood.

INDIANA: The Marine Reserve Center is based in Indianapolis.

KENTUCKY: Another Marine Corps Detachment is stationed at Fort Knox in Louisville.

ALABAMA: There is also a Marine Corps Detachment at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.

RHODE ISLAND: The Navy War College at Newport houses another Marine Corps Detachment.

MARYLAND: Marine Aviation Detachments are located at Patuxent River, Fort Meade, and at the Aberdeen Proving Ground.

VIRGINIA: The important Quantico Marine Corps Base is in northern Virginia. The Marines also operate Henderson Hall, near the Pentagon, as well as a ceremonial Marine Barracks in DC. Marines are at the Camp Allen Naval Station at Norfolk. At nearby Virginia Beach, Aviation Training Support Group 33 is operated. A Marine Corps Detachment is also based at Fort Lee.

NORTH CAROLINA: In addition to the major base at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC, there are several redundant facilities there including: 1) Camp Geiger, 2) Camp Gilbert Johnson, 3) Courthouse Bay, and 4) Stone Bay. The New River Air Station is also in Jacksonville, NC. The nearby City of Havelock houses another redundant Cherry Point Air Station. The Marines practice carrier landings at the Bogue Landing Field. They have yet another training area at Camp Davis.

SOUTH CAROLINA: An enlistee training base, Parris Island Marine Recruit Depot, is in Port Royal. The Marines also have an Air Station at Beaufort.

GEORGIA: The Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany is in the southwest part of the state. Additional Marine Corps Detachments are located in Augusta, and at Fort Benning, in Columbus.

FLORIDA: Jacksonville, Florida is the home of the Blount Island Command. Pensacola houses a Marine Corps Detachment at Corry Station, as well as Aviation Training Support Group 21.

Why do we maintain such a large military? No foreign state is ever going to invade us, as it would be virtually impossible to maintain a foothold. Let’s get real and start closing some bases.

Navy Bases in U.S. Could Be Closed

As you peruse the following list of navy bases in the U.S., ask the question, do we really need them all? Due to the geographic isolation of the continental U.S., it would be impossible for any country, or group of nations, to successfully invade us. The British gave up during the American Revolution, and the War of 1812, even though they were the Super Power of the day. Our neighbor to the south failed in the Mexican War. We removed the Spanish from our hemisphere in the Spanish-American War. Germany never even seriously considered an invasion in either world war. Japan was only able to conduct a surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, a Hawaiian territory 2,000 miles from California. They certainly could not have established a foothold on the West Coast, nor did they have any intention of doing so. Even the Soviet Union would not in their wildest of dreams have succeeded in occupying the continental U.S. Remember, 911 was not from abroad; it was a criminal assault waged from within. We can easily remain safe without many of the following bases:

HAWAII: Our major Pacific installation at Pearl Harbor-Hickun, adjacent to Honolulu, should continue. The missile range and communications center, also on the islands, should also remain.

CALIFORNIA: SAN DIEGO: The Pacific Fleet homeport at the San Diego would be one of the last places to close. Seven more San Diego County facilities however were cleverly put together under one roof, and labeled the Coronado Naval Base, so on paper they would appear to be one. Many of them listed here are redundant: 1) the Coronado Amphibious Base, 2) San Clemente Air Base, 3) Imperial Beach Helicopter Field, 4) La Posta Mountain Warfare Training Base, 5) Silver Strand Special Forces Facility, 6) Camp Morena, and 7) the North Island Aircraft Carrier Base. San Diego County also houses the Point Loma Naval Base, another duplicitous facility. Just east of San Diego County, the Navy has yet another air station at El Centro, near the Mexican border. While the Naval Medical Center in San Diego should be preserved, the Seal Beach Navy Weapons Station in Orange County should proceed with a planned closing.

CALIFORNIA: NORTH OF LOS ANGELES: In Ventura County, the Navy has an air station at Point Mugu. Redundant Ventura County facilities are at Port Hueneme and Nicolas Island. In the Mojave Desert, 150 north of LA, weapons are tested at the China Lake Naval Station. The Navy also operates the Lemoore Air Station in Fresno County, as well as an engineering postgraduate school in Monterey. On the Sacramento River, the Concord Weapons Station closure should proceed as planned.

OREGON & ALASKA: It was refreshing to see no evidence of Navy bases in Oregon or Alaska.

WASHINGTON: The Everett Naval Station, north of Seattle, is the port for a carrier strike force. The Kitsap Naval Base, across the Puget Sound, and west of Seattle, consists of the old Bangor and Bremerton facilities, which merged in 2004. Bremerton is also where the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard is located. Also over the Sound, west of Seattle, is the Navy Air Station-Whidbey Island.

NEVADA: The Navy has an Air Base at Fallon, Nevada, near Reno, which was built in 1942, based on an incorrect fear the Japanese would be invading the coast. Fallon should be closed.

NEW MEXICO: One source reported the existence of a White Sands Navy Air Warfare Center in New Mexico. If so, the Navy doesn’t need a landlocked location. They should shut it down.

NORTH DAKOTA: There appears to be a Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station in North Dakota. It would be more efficiently located at one of the seaside bases.

ILLINOIS: Bases on the Great Lakes made sense 200 years ago, during the War of 1812, when actual battles took place in these waters, against British forces from Canada. Today, the Great Lakes Naval Station, north of Chicago, which serves as a training center, could be better situated at one of our ocean ports.

INDIANA: There is a landlocked Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center, 25 miles southwest of Bloomington, Indiana. Some of their functions were removed in 2005. Now, the rest should go. The Hesler Naval Armory, on a river in Indianapolis (land-locked), was built in 1936 as a public works project. Close it now.

TENNESSEE: Yes, there is a Mid-South Naval Support Base in landlocked Tennessee, near Memphis. It employs 7,500. Let’s get the Navy back to the ocean, by shutting this facility down.

WEST VIRGINIA: There is reportedly a Navy Information Operations Command at Sugar Grove, West Virginia. What Senator was on the Armed Services Committee when this base was opened in landlocked West Virginia? Move it to the ocean.

TEXAS: On the Gulf of Mexico, the Corpus Christi Air Station, and the Kingsville Station, also in the Corpus Christi area, present redundancies. One of them should be terminated. The inland base at Fort Worth also needs the ax. Fort Sam Houston reportedly provides Medical Education Training, and they may continue.

LOUISIANA: Since the Naval Support Activity-New Orleans was eliminated (2011), the Navy Air Station-New Orleans can survive.

MISSISSIPPI: The Naval Mobile Construction Battalion, in Gulfport, Mississippi, may carry on, but the inland Naval Air Station in the middle of the state, up in Meridian on the landlocked Alabama border, could be decommissioned.

FLORIDA GULF: Western Florida has redundant facilities in and around Pensacola. The Corry Technical Training Station is in a western suburb of Pensacola and it is very close to the Naval Air Station at Pensacola. Just 23 miles to the west of Pensacola, is the Whiting Naval Air Field, and 100 miles along the beach to the east, the Panama City Naval Support Activity can be found.

FLORIDA KEY WEST: The Naval Air Station at Key West appears to have some strategic value, and it should be spared.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC: The City of Jacksonville on the Atlantic has the Jacksonville Air Station, as well as a redundant Mayport Naval Air Station. One of the two must go.

GEORGIA: Not far from Jacksonville, the Navy has a Submarine Base at Kings Bay, in St. Mary’s Georgia. An inland Navy Supply School at Athens, Georgia was boarded up in 2011.

SOUTH CAROLINA: The Navy Support Activity-Charleston was merged in 2010 with an Air Force Base. They now jointly share a Charleston facility. The Navy also governs a hospital named Beaufort, near Hilton Head. Surprisingly, there were no navy bases in North Carolina.

VIRGINIA: The Norfolk Navy Base is the command center for the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Indian Ocean. It is the largest in the world, occupying 4 miles of waterfront, and 7 miles of pier and wharf. A redundant Naval Air Station Oceana is in Virginia Beach, close to Norfolk. Virginia Beach also houses the Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, which has a Norfolk address. Portsmouth, Virginia houses a Naval Medical Center. Portsmouth further has the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The U.S. has another Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, VA. Near Newport News, the U.S. operates the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. The Hampton Roads Training Support Center is in Virginia Beach.

WASH DC: Our capital is home to a Navy Observatory, Navy Band, Historical Center, Judge Advocate Corps, and Pentagon (over river in VA). The Anacostia Naval Support Facility is also here.

MARYLAND: The Navy has the Indian Head Naval Surface Warfare Center in southern Maryland. The Walter Reed Medical Center (Bethesda) is northeast of DC. Camp David (the Naval Support Facility) is 62 miles from DC. Potomac is the home of the Carderock Naval Surface Warfare Center. The Patuxent River Naval Air Station is on the Chesapeake. The Navy Academy is at Annapolis, along with a Naval Communications Station.

PENNSYLVANIA: There are reportedly two Naval Support Activity facilities in Philadelphia and Mechanicsburg.

NEW JERSEY: The Earle Naval Weapons Station is in greater New York City. Near Trenton, the Navy and Air Force operate a base at Lakehurst.

NEW YORK: There is a Naval Support Facility at Saratoga Springs.

CONNECTICUT: The Navy’s primary submarine base is in New London, Connecticut.

RHODE ISLAND: The Navy Station-Newport houses an Officers Candidate School, Justice School, and Naval War College.

MAINE: The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is where they remodel and repair ships.

Again, do we really need all this to repeal an attack that will not happen, and more importantly would never succeed, if it did?

Coast Guard Stations Could Close

Of the 173 active U.S. Coast Guard stations, approximately 85 are redundant, and could be closed to help reduce the National Debt. The Guard has 74 bases on the Atlantic, spanning 2,069 miles, 23 in the Gulf of Mexico, spread over 1,631 miles, 28 on the Pacific, from San Diego to Seattle, and 42 in the Great Lakes.

The original purpose of the Coast Guard, in 1790, was to help stamp out piracy. Their duties expanded in the 1800s, as shipping by sea grew to be the primary carrier for commerce and business. At one time, 350 lighthouses were manned by the Guard.

During the second half of the 20^th Century, technology made the existence of a large number of coastal stations obsolete. Advanced communications and helicopters changed the nature of rescue at sea operations, and reduced the need for as many ships and ports.

Most Coast Guard facilities however, built in the mid to late 1800s, still remain open, thanks to pork-barrel politics. Proof that a great number of bases are no longer needed can be found in our newest states. Alaska, which has a general coastline of 5,580 miles, has only 3 stations. Hawaii, with 750 miles of shore to patrol, has just two ports. Puerto Rico, our territory in the hurricane belt, gets by using just a single outpost.

The Guard could continue to serve their purposes with roughly one facility for every 100 miles of coastline. If this rule was implemented, facilities could be closed in nearly every area:

15 could be decommissioned in New England:
Maine, with 230 miles of shore, could close 4 of 6 stations.
New Hampshire (13 miles) doesn’t have a base, or need one.
Vermont (landlocked) should shut down the one they have.
Massachusetts (192 miles) could shed 8 of 10 facilities.
Rhode Island (40 miles) may retain one, but terminate 2 others.
Connecticut (166 miles) could preserve the training station at Groton as well as the Coast Guard Academy at New London.

19 could be eliminated along the Northeastern Atlantic:
New York (127 miles) could cancel 6 of 8, sparing the Staten Island base, and the Brooklyn Air Station.
New Jersey (130 miles) should unload 8 of 10.
Pennsylvania (not on ocean) could close their Philly area base.
Delaware (28 miles) could maintain the one they have.
Maryland (31 miles) could keep Baltimore’s, while vacating four.
The DC Coast Guard Headquarters would remain.

11 on the South could be boarded up:
Virginia (112 miles) could get by with 1 of the 3 they have.
North Carolina (301 miles) should close 7 of 10.
South Carolina (187 miles) could maintain the two they have.
Georgia (100 miles) should give up 2 of 3.
Florida (580 Atlantic miles) can keep their 6 on the east coast.

6 bases in the Gulf of Mexico could be closed.
Florida (770 miles) could function with 8, including the facility at St. Petersburg, while closing down 4 others.
Alabama (53 miles) could keep the one base they have.
Mississippi (44 miles), doesn’t need 2; one has to go.
Louisiana (397 miles), with only 3 stations, can maintain theirs.
Texas (367 miles) should terminate 1 of their 5.

14 on the West Coast can be vacated:
California (840 miles) can eliminate five, and continue with 8, including the San Diego Air Station, and the Alameda base.
Oregon (296 miles) closes 4, while covering 296 miles with just 3.
Washington (157 miles) doesn’t need eight; five should get the ax.

20 bases could be shut down on the Great Lakes:
New York could retain the 3 they have on Lake Ontario, to patrol a 331-mile Canadian border.
New York on Lake Eire (77 miles) would have to unload 1 of 2.
Pennsylvania on Lake Eire (51 miles) could maintain their base.
Ohio on Lake Eire (312 miles) needs to board up 6 of 9 stations.
Michigan on Lake Huron can keep 3 of 6 along roughly 300 miles of Canadian border.
Michigan on the east side of Lake Michigan (354 miles) doesn’t need 5 of 9 stations, as they have no international duties.
Indiana on Lake Michigan (43 miles) could keep their base.
Wisconsin on Lake Michigan’s west shore (245 miles) could get by with 3 of their 7 stations.
Illinois on Lake Michigan (63 miles) says good-bye to 1 of 2.
Michigan’s 2 stations on Lake Superior, covering 208 miles of U.S. Border, would both be spared
Wisconsin on Lake Superior (108 miles) could retain their base.
Minnesota keeps 1 on Superior to guard 150 miles of north shore.

Once government opens facilities, politicians fight to keep them, whether they continue to serve any purpose or not. If conservatives are serious about reducing the National Debt, they should take the lead and close roughly 85 unnecessary Coast Guard stations.