# Are there still U. S. troops in... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 29, 2007, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-u-s-troops-in/420984 "2007-09-29T23:33:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2007, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-u-s-troops-in/420984/1 "2007-09-29T23:33:34Z")
About ten years ago the United States sent some troops to Macedonia to help guard the boarder with Greece. Are they still there? And what about the troops we sent about five years ago to the Caucaus nation of Georgia to help train its troops? Are they still there? Are there any other “forgotten” deployments of U. S. troops anywhere in the world? ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-u-s-troops-in/420984/2 "2007-09-30T00:36:09Z")
[According to this source, there were 40 members of the Armed Forces deployed in Macedonia and 10 deployed in Georgia as of June 2006](http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/2006/hst0606.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-u-s-troops-in/420984/3 "2007-09-30T07:17:51Z")
The next question is, of course, why in the world do we have 10 troops stationed in Albania… with one apiece from the Army, navy and air force? It looks like we have a handful of marines stationed pretty much everywhere. Are these consulate guards, or something? Seems like you’d want more than 6 guys to guard an embassy 24/7, but I can’t imagine any other need to have that few in so many given places. And what in the world are the three guys doing on Gibraltar? I thought the Brits had monkey-guarding down pretty much pat. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-u-s-troops-in/420984/4 "2007-09-30T08:21:49Z")
Looks like one lucky guy got sent to Fiji… um, why? Surely there are better uses for American tax dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-u-s-troops-in/420984/5 "2007-09-30T19:44:24Z")
[QUOTE=Desert Nomad] Looks like one lucky guy got sent to Fiji… um, why? Surely there are better uses for American tax dollars. [/QUOTE] Embassy staff - military attache, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-u-s-troops-in/420984/6 "2007-09-30T20:19:41Z")
[QUOTE=Desert Nomad] Looks like one lucky guy got sent to Fiji… um, why? Surely there are better uses for American tax dollars. [/QUOTE] Congratulations on your commission Lieutenant. We have assignments in Afghanistan, Iraq, Germany, and Japan for you to choose from. Sir, Afghanistan is a shit hole, Iraq can get you killed, German food sucks, and I hate sushi too. My uncle is a Congressmen and he said it wouldn’t be like this. Let’s see, we do have one position in Fiji. It requires guarding the beach by yourself and the cabin is rather rustic but the island girls tend to be rather attractive and the diving is world class. I think that will do sir. ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-u-s-troops-in/420984/7 "2007-09-30T20:52:32Z")
Fiji is [not quite the serene island paradise](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Fijian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat) it’s often made out to be. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-u-s-troops-in/420984/8 "2007-09-30T20:55:50Z")
Why are there so many still left in the losing nation of World War II? 64000 in Germany, 11000 in Italy, 34000 in Japan. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-u-s-troops-in/420984/9 "2007-09-30T21:17:27Z")
[QUOTE=Mbossa] Fiji is [not quite the serene island paradise](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Fijian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat) it’s often made out to be. [/QUOTE] However, we have a couple of Air Force guys in Antigua, 34 Navy personnel in the Bahamas, and an Army guy in Barbados (along with, apparently, 5 guys from the Delta Force or Stargate Command or something. :dubious: ) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-u-s-troops-in/420984/10 "2007-09-30T22:41:53Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] Why are there so many still left in the losing nation of World War II? 64000 in Germany, 11000 in Italy, 34000 in Japan. [/QUOTE] Because the U.S. can. It doesn’t have much to do with any situations in those countries. The U.S. simply won bases there after WWII and we will take bases wherever we can get them. Having bases in Europe, Asia, or even Cuba are considered very advantageous and we have other ones all over. The bonus to a host country like Japan is that they have a foreign military that is benign to them overall but also protects them from a foreign attack just by virtue of having a large U.S. military presence there.