• German angst as U.S. troops bid "Auf Wiedersehen"
    75 replies, posted
[quote]GRAFENWOEHR, [URL="http://www.wtkr.com/topic/intl/germany-PLGEO000003.topic"]Germany[/URL] (Reuters) - Walter Brunner, a lively 82-year old whose blue baseball cap matches the color of his eyes, leans across a red leather booth at the American-style diner in this southern German town and tries to make light of the looming pullout of U.S. troops. "We Germans fought for the Russians to go, now we are fighting for the Americans to stay," jokes Brunner, chairman of the German-American contact club in Grafenwoehr, whose lifeblood is its [URL="http://www.wtkr.com/topic/unrest-conflicts-war/defense/u.s.-military-ORGOV000021106.topic"]U.S. military[/URL] base. He watched a young [URL="http://www.wtkr.com/topic/entertainment/music/elvis-presley-PECLB003449.topic"]Elvis Presley[/URL] arrive here for training in 1958 and still goes tenpin bowling with his American friends every Monday night. News that the 172nd infantry brigade, with its 3,500 soldiers and 8,000 family members, is being pulled from Grafenwoehr to return to the United States has hit this town hard. After 67 years of living together, locals in Bavaria say the Americans are not just their employers and customers, but also close friends. [URL="http://www.wtkr.com/topic/unrest-conflicts-war/defense/u.s.-department-of-defense-ORGOV000094164.topic"]The Pentagon[/URL] on Thursday announced sweeping defense cuts of $487 billion over the next decade, as it seeks to create a smaller, more agile force with a strategic focus on the Asia-Pacific region and Middle East. The demands of the Cold War, where Russians and Americans faced off across the walls, fences and barbed wire of the Iron Curtain, have receded into history. Under the new strategy, two combat brigades, one in Grafenwoehr, the other in Baumholder near the French border, will leave Germany, reducing the size of the U.S. army in [URL="http://www.wtkr.com/topic/intl/europe-PLGEOREG0000014.topic"]Europe[/URL] by almost 10,000 from its present number of 41,000. That would leave just two brigades remaining in Europe -- one in Vilseck in Germany, close to Grafenwoehr, the other in Vicenza in [URL="http://www.wtkr.com/topic/intl/italy-PLGEO000004.topic"]Italy[/URL]. The military plans to rotate U.S. based units into Grafenwoehr and Baumholder for training, keeping the sites. Grafenwoehr will also continue its key role training allied troops. The economic impact however will be severe. Local businesses say up to 90 percent of their trade comes from Americans. The town of Grafenwoehr receives 2.8 million euros in state subsidies every year largely due to the U.S. presence. Some 2,900 Germans are employed directly or indirectly by the military. According to U.S. army data American purchasing power in and around Grafenwoehr, a quaint town of 7,000 not including the U.S. base, is around 35 million euros. Another 30 million euros is spent per year on rent by American families. "Grafenwoehr lives from the Americans and will die without them. It's as simple as that," said 35-year-old Helmut Dostler, whose family have run Grafenwoehr's Hotel Zur Post for four generations. "Losing troops would be fatal for the area. They are the biggest employer. Even if troops come here for training for a few months we will barely see them in the town." At Spahn, a photo studio outside the gates of the base where framed photographs of U.S. servicemen and women and their families line the walls the concern is the same. "Only a few years ago new houses and facilities were built for soldiers. We'd expected the area to bloom. Now the opposite is happening," said 42-year-old Alexander Kneidl. Youngsters here grow up as comfortable with American culture as their own, German women marry American soldiers and frequently Americans opt to leave the military and stay in this picturesque region of gentle hills and dense forests just 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Czech border. Today, the barbed wire is gone and there remains a simple crossing point from one [URL="http://www.wtkr.com/topic/economy-business-finance/economy/european-union-ORGOV000067.topic"]European Union[/URL] member state to another. It is because of this transformation that the function of the American military in Germany has had to change. The Russians left eastern Germany with the reunification of the country two decades ago. No longer needed to counter or deter a Soviet attack, American bases in Germany are today home to units who serve with international partners in Afghanistan and beyond. Grafenwoehr also provides state of the art training for [URL="http://www.wtkr.com/topic/unrest-conflicts-war/defense/nato-ORGOV000049.topic"]NATO[/URL] partners and dozens of other allies, preparing them to work together in overseas conflicts.[/quote] [url]http://www.wtkr.com/news/nationworld/sns-rt-us-militarytre80q1a6-20120127,0,6920415.story[/url]
Why were they there? [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Did not read the article" - Orkel))[/highlight]
[QUOTE=Sgt-NiallR;34429078]Why were they there?[/QUOTE] Did you try reading the article Or inferring from basic history
[QUOTE=Sgt-NiallR;34429078]Why were they there?[/QUOTE] Tourism.
See what you would do Ron Paul?
America get out America pls stay
take your nukes with you, germany doesnt want you.
What I want to know is why we have 41.000 us troops skulking around in europe for.
[QUOTE=Radley;34429847]What I want to know is why we have 41.000 us troops skulking around in europe for.[/QUOTE] For fun
[QUOTE=Radley;34429847]What I want to know is why we have 41.000 us troops skulking around in europe for.[/QUOTE] Amsterdam.
It makes sense I suppose, reduce spending on conventional warfare situations so more can be put into methods that are more fitting. Still makes you long for the old days though, doesn't it? [QUOTE=BloodYScar;34429797]take your nukes with you, germany doesnt want you.[/QUOTE] German angst indeed.
[QUOTE=BloodYScar;34429797]take your nukes with you, germany doesnt want you.[/QUOTE] Lets go back to before 1991 shall we Mr. Scar? "OH GOD PLEASE STAY. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE."
Its sad sure, But it was bound to happen eventually.
[QUOTE=Radley;34429847]What I want to know is why we have 41.000 us troops skulking around in europe for.[/QUOTE] Defense?
[QUOTE=Zambies!;34429969]Lets go back to before 1991 shall we Mr. Scar? "OH GOD PLEASE STAY. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE."[/QUOTE] I was born in 91, no valid point here my friend. :downs: [QUOTE=TheCloak;34430005]Defense?[/QUOTE] Defense? Just like the shield at Russia's border? America must be planning something extremely evil if they still feel the need for such measures.
Well, if they go away, that's their decision. I don't mind them being here or not either, never heard of any problems related to them.
[QUOTE=Radley;34429847]What I want to know is why we have 41.000 us troops skulking around in europe for.[/QUOTE] Cold War era Soviet deterrent
-snip-
[QUOTE=Boba_Fett;34430304]Just so you know, our military doesn't drag nuclear weapons around with it.[/QUOTE] there are american nukes in germany.
[QUOTE=Zambies!;34429969]Lets go back to before 1991 shall we Mr. Scar? "OH GOD PLEASE STAY. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE."[/QUOTE] I hate how similiar this dude's name is to mine [img]http://i.somethingawful.com/forumsystem/emoticons/emot-saddowns.gif[/img]
[QUOTE=Niklas;34430324]there are american nukes in germany.[/QUOTE] Wow, now I feel pretty stupid. I did not know that.
[QUOTE=Boba_Fett;34430304]Just so you know, our military doesn't drag nuclear weapons around with it.[/QUOTE] oh hi turkey
[QUOTE=BloodYScar;34430114]Defense? Just like the shield at Russia's border? America must be planning something extremely evil if they still feel the need for such measures.[/QUOTE] Not really. Granted the shield is a silly and unecessary measure, but people are paranoid. Nobody actually WANTS to have to use it, in fact it was installed [I]because[/I] they hoped it'd never be used. What you're saying is roughly equivalent to thinking that because someone bought a gun, they must want to shoot people.
[QUOTE=Zambies!;34429969]Lets go back to before 1991 shall we Mr. Scar? "OH GOD PLEASE STAY. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE."[/QUOTE] How condescending.
I lived in the Grafenwoehr military base when my mother was in the army. It was a nice place, the local Germans were very friendly. Its a shame to see that they will be losing a huge percentage of their income because of the Americans leaving though.
[QUOTE=Falchion;34430404]How condescending.[/QUOTE] Except its true.
-i have no clue what i'm saying-
[QUOTE=Cone;34430400]Not really. Granted the shield is a silly and unecessary measure, but people are paranoid. Nobody actually WANTS to have to use it, in fact it was installed [I]because[/I] they hoped it'd never be used. What you're saying is roughly equivalent to thinking that because someone bought a gun, they must want to shoot people.[/QUOTE] If you are a complete nut, buy a bunch of guns and turn your house into a fortress its you business. However if you do that AND install spring guns in your neighbours garden and use drones to spy on the whole neighbourhood it gets kinda suspicious, dont you think?
[QUOTE=BloodYScar;34430524]If you are a complete nut, buy a bunch of guns and turn your house into a fortress its you business. However if you do that AND install spring guns in your neighbours garden and use drones to spy on the whole neighbourhood it gets kinda suspicious, dont you think?[/QUOTE] Well sure, but if we're continuing the analogy then those spring-guns will only be set off if someone puts a tonne of concrete on it.
You wanna know what's sad? We're pulling out of other nations, destroying the towns built up around them and we did that to American long before this.
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