Letter: It is time for our troops to come home

Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2001 | 9:14 a.m.

Recent figures released by the Defense Department show that 211,000 American service personnel are stationed in 139 foreign nations. Another 26,000 serve on naval vessels in foreign waters, according to the Tampa Tribune-Times.

The largest contingents of our troops are in Germany, 69,572; Japan, 40,570; and 36,263, South Korea. Other deployments include 11,564 in Italy; 11,274 in Great Britain; 7,169 in Bosnia-Herzegovina; 5,469 in Kuwait; 5,423 in Serbia (including Kosovo); 5,397 in Saudi Arabia; 2,123 in Spain; 2,105 in Turkey; 1,677 in Iceland; 1,598 in Belgium; 1,112 in Bahrain; 977 in Portugal; 774 in the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; 670 in the Netherlands; 627 in Diego Garcia; and 517 in Greece. There are also small contingents in Kenya, Ethiopia, Yemen, Uganda, Russia and 12 countries that formerly comprised the Soviet Union.

The Tribune-Times also noted that although there have been sharp reductions in the number of U.S. military personnel, they were equipped to conduct 26 nontraining operations in foreign lands between 1992 and 1998. Promised exit dates for those in Bosnia, Kosovo and the Persian Gulf have passed and no exit strategy has been announced. American military presence has been continuous in Japan since 1945 and in Korea since 1950.

Isn't it about time Americans pressured Congress to bring home our 211,000 American servicemen stationed in 139 nations? Isn't it about time to pressure Congress to get the United States out of the United Nations in order to accomplish this?

KEN HOVEY