Want to save a shitload of money? Bring home our military, and consolidate military bases

[Hugabear]

Step 1: Immediately withdraw our troops from Afghanistan and Iraq/Kuawait.

Step 2: Begin a phased close-down of all overseas US military bases. The vast majority of these are relics of WWII and the Cold War. Do we really need to continue our military presence in Germany and Japan? Last time I checked, both of those countries were allied with us. The only tricky withdrawal might be our troops stationed in South Korea. But even then, I'm pretty sure that South Korea can defend itself. Besides, if the shit really hit the fan, we have the ability to strike anywhere in the world on very short notice. But at the same time, we really need to re-examine our military/foreign policy. Much of the animosity we face around the world stems from our military presence. We need to put an end to our imperialistic attitudes, the notion that we have to be everywhere to "keep an eye on things". Bring our troops home, focus on securing our own borders, take care of our own country, and don't worry about meddling in the affairs of everyone else.

Step 3: Begin the process of consolidating our domestic military bases. Do we really need to have dozens, if not hundreds of military bases scattered throughout the country? Why not consolidate most of these bases into a handful of "superbases", with the Army, Air Force, and Navy sharing the same base. The military likes to talk a good deal about joint training and coordination, this would be a great step in that direction.

Maybe I'm hoping for a bit too much, but we could really put a huge dent in the budget with these steps, to the tune of billions of dollars per year.