More Budget Cutting Possibilities

Guess how many military bases we have around the world.  Would you believe more than 1,000?  Frankly, I was more surprised to read that we have 4,000+ military bases here in the U.S.  These numbers were supplied by David Vine, who has spent a lot of time and effort studying our overseas military footprint.  He's probably right, otherwise the Pentagon would have corrected him before now.

Vine translates these overseas bases into a cost of $170 billion a year.  The Congress, at least on paper, seems interested in knowing these costs at it passed the Overseas Cost Summary Act whereby the Pentagon is to report annually on these costs.  The Pentagon's latest report in $22.1 billion, a far cry from Vine's estimate.  However, the act does not require the inclusion of these costs: 

• at least 18 countries and foreign territories on the Pentagon’s own list of overseas bases.
• bases in U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico and Guam.

• bases in Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau.
• the cost of maintaining naval vessels overseas.
• health-care costs of the million or so people at these bases.
• rent paid to other countries for the land we garrison.
• the 550 bases in Afghanistan.

The big bases are well-equipped.  One being built in Italy includes a brigade headquarters, two sets of barracks, a natural-gas-powered energy plant, a hospital, two schools, a fitness center, dining facilities and a mini-mall.

I think these are good possibilities where money can be saved.  Don't you?