60,000 troops plus 100,000 family and civilian workers. I smell a big fat

[DS1]

base housing construction contract for oh, Betchel? Our friends at Halliburton?

It's not about security. The surrounding areas won't have the ability or room to build such a massive number of homes for the returning troops that have families - so, build them on base.

[Barret]

1. I suspect

He may want troops at home to have someone to enforce martial law...

[donsu]

2. bingo

nt

[DS1]

3. time to buy some barbed-wire stocks

:shrug:

[luaneryder]

9. He may want that and need that

but a rotation like they're talking about (and I do believe that's all it amounts to, talk) would take more than the few weeks left before the election. It would take a very considerable amount of time. It's all business as usual, read LIES. He'll just use mercenaries to enforce martial law since it seems he has no trouble with that.

[Barret]

11. He may have this election rigged

if so then he may intend to use them to maintain power afterwards.

[atreides1]

4. Most Bases

Don't have the room for more housing, and there are little to few jobs in the surrounding areas for the family members. Let's also not forget that local public schools may not be able to handle the sudden influx of new students.

This may be about having enough troops here in the states to enforce martial law.

[DS1]

5. most bases have room for woodland training

which is mostly irrelevant these days. knock down trees with logging companies, build houses with contractors, educate kids with Federally mandated standards, etc

[NewJeffCT]

7. public schools?

Another good reason for Bush to promote his vouchers.

[maxrandb]

10. On that other right wing sight that will not be named

They were talking about how this will screw Germany's economy and how this is our "great leaders" way of sticking it to Old Europe. This kind of shit never ceases to amaze me.

Used to get into conversations all the time with people about the bases in Norfolk and Virginia Beach. They would always argue that it would "devastate" the local economy, blah, blah, blah....meanwhile developers were salivating at the chance of developing that prime real estate. Have any ideas how many shops and stores and restaurants and condominiums you could put up at a Naval Air Station?

Some people are soooo stupid. There are so many civilian spouses of military members in places like Japan, that are just making a killing tutoring Japanese kids in English. The backlash to this might be even more Americans out of work. Not to mention all the US Government contractors working on these bases overseas.

[Kellanved]

12. That is not the case

Certainly, regional economies will take damage, especially bars and discos. However this does not damage the German economy in a significant way . Quite the contrary actually: the most important base, Rammstein, will continue. The nearby Kaiserslautern (AKA K-Town) is the only city with an economy influenced by the US Army in a really significant way (BTW it has the largest American civilian Expat community).

A few other bases are in areas with very high real-estate prices. The return of these bases to the German institutions and the ensuring selling of them will take the pressure of the market and spill money into the regional treasuries (as it has happened in Frankfurt already).
For a few small towns it will be a catastrophe, of course.

[matcom]

6. ding ding ding ding ding ding

friends we have a winner

[montanacowboy]

8. This will take years to accomplish

but the speeple will see it as "they are bringing the troops home from Iraq" - it's all perception, all smoke and mirrors, all bullshit - it's a way to punish Germany and reward Poland...I need a pepto bismal

[Jacobin]

13. Psst.....they're going to Iran if Smirk is re-selected