# Over 54,000 American troops in Germany. What do they do all day? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 20, 2013, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840 "2013-01-20T22:44:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/21 "2013-01-21T02:41:11Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Those wily Canadians have a permanent detachment at NORAD, you know. I knew there was a reason why they bug me… No, I’m thinking big honking quasi-urban developments of foreign troops with tanks or jets. Are there Canadian ones that I don’t know about? WHAT ARE THEY KEEPING FROM ME? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/22 "2013-01-21T02:46:09Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > As someone who was stationed in Germany for two years I stand by my answer. We did other stuff too. If you did whoring and drinking as your main job between 0800-1800, then I MIGHT consider rescinding the warning. samclem ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/23 "2013-01-21T03:46:18Z")
There are 650 German Air Force troops at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico: > **[Holloman Air Force Base](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holloman_Air_Force_Base)** > > Holloman Air Force Base (IATA: HMN, ICAO: KHMN, FAA LID: HMN) is a United States Air Force base established in 1942 located six miles (10 km) southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, and a census-designated place in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The base was named in honor of Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research. It is the home of the 49th Wing (49 WG) of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). > In addition to hosting several combat wi... [http://www.holloman.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=4364](http://www.holloman.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=4364) It’s easier to train pilots somewhere with lots of open space. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/24 "2013-01-21T04:05:53Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > Consuming tax money to make it easier to fight the war we’ll have for the next generation. > > The US has yet to raise a generation in peace. Think about that. That’s not quite true. The years between the Civil and Spanish-American wars were pretty peaceful. Ditto between the War of 1812 and the Civil War. But of course, then along came the 20th century. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/25 "2013-01-21T04:10:05Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > As someone who was stationed in Germany for two years I stand by my answer. We did other stuff too. Which was the other stuff (which might be relevant to GQ)? ---
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/26 "2013-01-21T04:44:43Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Peace is over-rated. BS. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/27 "2013-01-21T05:25:53Z")
> [@Tupac](#): > > BS. Says the guy who sold the majority of his records after going down in a hail of gunfire. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/28 "2013-01-21T06:04:03Z")
There are apparently lots of foreign military troops in small groups at various American bases: > **[Foreign military bases in the US?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=594274)** > > The US military has bases all over the world. I suppose that the UK and other super powers do the same. Are there any foreign military bases in the US? ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/29 "2013-01-21T06:50:01Z")
Drunken fraulein Okay okay, someone’s already been told off for cracking a similar joke, but since factual answers have alread… okay I have no excuse ---
**Author:** ![Bartman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bartman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bartman)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/30 "2013-01-21T07:25:25Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > That’s not quite true. The years between the Civil and Spanish-American wars were pretty peaceful. Ditto between the War of 1812 and the Civil War. But of course, then along came the 20th century. Well… only a couple dozen Indian wars, campaigns vs pirates, various “Yankee trader” expeditions to force various locals to sign favorable trade treaties by sabre point, and of course increasing interventions in Latin America. By my count there are less than a dozen years in the 19th century where the US wasn’t at war with (or conducting military operations against) someone. Depending on how you break it down there are something like 50-60 named US wars in the 19th Century and about half as many in the 20th. But regardless of century there has almost always been a war available for the adventurous lad (and recently lass) to go fight in. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/31 "2013-01-21T07:29:33Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > Agreed “some troops”, but fifty-four THOUSAND? Believe it or not, there used to be a lot more than that. > [@](#): > > As relations hardened between the Cold War adversaries, Germany became the primary potential battleground for World War III and U.S. troop levels tripled from 1950 to 1953. Every year for nearly four decades, one-quarter of a million troops were billeted in West Germany, but by 1993 the number had dropped to 105,254. In 2000, just 69,203 American military personnel remained. > **[Global U.S. Troop Deployment, 1950-2003](https://www.heritage.org/defense/report/global-us-troop-deployment-1950-2003)** > > The proposed global redeployment of U.S. troops coupled with the open question of how long U.S. forces will stay in Iraq highlight the need for objective data on force deployments, objectives, and results. Surprisingly, no comprehensive time series... (Roughly two-thirds of the way down.) ---
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/32 "2013-01-21T09:05:21Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Peace is over-rated. And one big waste of equipment. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/33 "2013-01-21T10:04:50Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > As someone who was stationed in Germany for two years I stand by my answer. We did other stuff too. But the OP specifically asked what you guys did all day. What you did all night was off topic. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/34 "2013-01-21T10:07:44Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > As someone who was stationed in Germany for two years I stand by my answer. We did other stuff too. As someone who was also stationed in Germany, and had a son stationed there, that is, actually, a factually correct answer. Not a complete one, but a correct one. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/35 "2013-01-21T12:20:54Z")
Go back and read news articles about attacks and offensives in Afghanistan and Iraq, you’ll likely find mention about injured troops being airlifted to Germany, so the bases there are not useless. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/36 "2013-01-21T14:09:01Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > If you did whoring and drinking as your main job between 0800-1800, then I MIGHT consider rescinding the warning. > > samclem Well sometimes we worked nights. > [@Colibri](#): > > Which was the other stuff (which might be relevant to GQ)? I promise when I have more time I will add more if all my information has not been covered by then. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/37 "2013-01-21T14:56:28Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > There are apparently lots of foreign military troops in small groups at various American bases: > > [Foreign military bases in the US? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=594274) Thanks. Lot of previous thread cites in those. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/38 "2013-01-21T18:28:56Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > Believe it or not, there used to be a lot more than that. > [Global U.S. Troop Deployment, 1950-2003 | The Heritage Foundation](http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2004/10/global-us-troop-deployment-1950-2003) > (Roughly two-thirds of the way down.) Right now there are 4 Brigades of troops in Germany. When I was first in Germany there were 2 Armored Cavalry Regiments, 4 Divisions and a couple of other separate Brigades. All under the command of 2 separate Corps. A lot of troops spread over a large area. As stated earlier troops in Germany do what troops do every where. They train. There are two major training complexs run by the US Army in Germany (like most of the bases, former Nazi bases). Grafenwohr is a large live fire training area. Hohenfels is a large maneuver training area. Regardless of where you are stationed in Germany, you wind up spending a lot of your time in either of those two places. Some of the training is joint with other NATO allies including the Germans. Some is getting ready for the next deployment. In the 90s Germany was the jumping off point for operations in Kosevo. 1991 was the first time an already forward deployed unit was further deployed when VII Corps was sent to Saudi Arabia. When not in the field most garrison troops work M-F and have nights off. The work day consists of training and maintenance. So again, as stated before, they do what troops everywhere do. And by the way, I didn’t make a joke. It was a literary allusion. From my favorite play, 1776. [John Adams volunteers to visit New Brunswick after a report is given of Washington’s soldiers being afflicted with venereal disease and alcoholism] Adams: Wake up, Franklin, you’re going to New Brunswick! Franklin: [Half asleep] Like hell I am. What for? Hopkins: The whoring and the drinking! [Franklin gets up and marches off right behind Adams] ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/39 "2013-01-22T02:33:56Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > I suppose I could see the US troops in Japan being useful in backing up the 20,000 US troops in South Korean should North Korea do something stupid. > > Also the growing Chinese military is another reason the US troops in Japan may become useful at some point. US troops in places like Germany and South Korea act as a tripwire. They aren’t really there to defend those countries should the Russians (well, Soviets) or North Koreans do something stupid; their presence is a deterrent to keep those countries from doing something stupid in the first place. A few tens of thousands of extra troops probably aren’t going to make a difference in the outcome of a full on attack. If the tripwire is broken, it means tens of thousands dead, wounded or captured Americans. Such high casualty numbers would compel a large retaliation by the US, a factor not lost (hopefully) on the Russians, North Koreans, Freedonians, etc. So part of the mission for these troops (and the reasoning behind their large numbers), even in 2013, is deterrence. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840/40 "2013-01-22T04:10:17Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Whoring and drinking. N/M… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-54-000-american-troops-in-germany-what-do-they-do-all-day/647840.md?page=3)