Future Base Closures in Europe (Marines, overseas, estate, policy)

[bellhead]

One of the biggest changes over the last 20 years with a lot of the NSA ears and eyes bases like Menwith Hill are the analysts are no longer onsite. You only need to have the maintenance personal onsite who maintain equipment, the comms with the satellite birds, and the comm links back to the NSA in the US.

[Bamford]

Originally Posted by bellhead

One of the biggest changes over the last 20 years with a lot of the NSA ears and eyes bases like Menwith Hill are the analysts are no longer onsite. You only need to have the maintenance personal onsite who maintain equipment, the comms with the satellite birds, and the comm links back to the NSA in the US.

The NSA now just employs lots of contractors.

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by Bamford

The NSA now just employs lots of contractors.

U.S. Army General Keith Brian Alexander, a four-star general currently serves as Director of the National Security Agency (DIRNSA). The National Security Agency operates under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Defense. You can't get more military than that... Welcome to the National Security Agency - NSA/CSS

[Bamford]

Originally Posted by Poncho_NM

U.S. Army General Keith Brian Alexander, a four-star general currently serves as Director of the National Security Agency (DIRNSA). The National Security Agency operates under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Defense. You can't get more military than that... Welcome to the National Security Agency - NSA/CSS

Meet the contractors analyzing your private data - Salon.com

How Private Contractors Are Profiting from Government Surveillance | VICE United Kingdom

Menwith Hill does not have a big uniformed military presence, the people at these type of bases are usually quite clever and well payed contractors or work for US Government Agencies such as the NSA and NRA, there are some US Military Personnel but these are nearly entirely from Military Intelligence and particularly USAF Intelligence in relation to Menwith Hill. It's certainly no army barracks full of combat soldiers.

[GeorgiaTransplant]

Originally Posted by Bamford

Meet the contractors analyzing your private data - Salon.com

How Private Contractors Are Profiting from Government Surveillance | VICE United Kingdom

Menwith Hill does not have a big uniformed military presence, the people at these type of bases are usually quite clever and well payed contractors or work for US Government Agencies such as the NSA and NRA, there are some US Military Personnel but these are nearly entirely from Military Intelligence and particularly USAF Intelligence in relation to Menwith Hill. It's certainly no army barracks full of combat soldiers.

You keep changing your definitions.

First it's no soldiers.

Then it's only a few soldiers.

Now it has to be barracks full of combat soldiers....


Soldiers are Soldiers, regardless of branch. More than a few are in the UK.

[Bamford]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaTransplant

You keep changing your definitions.

First it's no soldiers.

Then it's only a few soldiers.

Now it has to be barracks full of combat soldiers....


Soldiers are Soldiers, regardless of branch. More than a few are in the UK.

No I am not, I have made it patently clear there are no US Army Bases and no US Army Units based in Britain. I have even said quite clearly that they are more French soldiers and soldiers from other NATO countries here than American Soldiers.

There are British Soldiers in North America, however that does not mean we have a substantial presence or indeed have army bases there.

I have already stated that Menwith Hill is not an Army base, it is an NSA/NRA base which isn't even guarded by US Forces it's guarded by the MoD Police and North Yorkshire Police.

I live in Britain, have traveled round my own country and have never seen any US Army Personnel and there are No US Army bases like there are on continental Europe, in fact if the truth be known there are very few US bases here at all any more and the ones left are being dramatically cut, with the future of US bases here far from certain. The UK did at one time have a US Naval Command in London and bases such as Holy Loch and the Joint Maritime Facility at St Mawgan in Cornwall but these have all closed now, with most US Navy in Europe now being based in Italy and particularly around the Naples area, which is home to the US Naval Support Activity.

The US Army in Europe (USAREUR)

2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment: Vilseck, Germany

173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team: Vicenza, Italy

12th Combat Aviation Brigade: Ansbach, Germany

7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command: Grafenwoehr, Germany

US Army NATO Brigade: Sembach, Germany

19th Battlefield Coordination Detachment: Kaiserslautern, Germany

10th Army Air & Missile Defense Command: Kaiserslautern, Germany

21st Theater Sustainment Command: Kaiserslautern, Germany

7th Civil Support Command: Kaiserslautern, Germany

18th Engineer Brigade: Schwetzingen, Germany

16th Sustainment Brigade: Bamberg, Germany

18th Military Police Brigade: Sembach, Germany

405th Army Field Support Brigade - Kaiserslautern, Germany

409th Army Contracting Support Brigade - Kaiserslautern, Germany

266th Financial Management Center - Kaiserslautern, Germany

66th Military Intelligence Brigade: Wiesbaden, Germany

5th Signal Command: Wiesbaden, Germany

2nd Signal Brigade: Wiesbaden, Germany

Europe Regional Medical Command: Heidelberg, Germany

30th Medical Command: Heidelberg, Germany

Europe Regional Dental Command: Heidelberg, Germany

Other US Army Units in Europe:

Installation Management Command – Europe: Heidelberg, Germany

Joint Task Force East, Romania

Multi-National Battle Group-East, Kosovo

United States Army Expeditionary Contracting Command, Europe: Kaiserslautern, Germany

5th Military Police Battalion (Criminal Investigation Division): Kaiserslautern, Germany

[BucFan]

I'm not sure what that list is for, but I noticed several units that have closed - from my understanding, there's no more military in the Heidelberg area.

[Bamford]

Originally Posted by BucFan

I'm not sure what that list is for, but I noticed several units that have closed - from my understanding, there's no more military in the Heidelberg area.

Some units may indeed have been disbanded since that list was made, as the US is making large cuts to it's forces in Europe and consolidating what is left. The list was in response to a poster who seems under the delusion that there are major US Army units based in Britain. There may be small elements of intelligence units but that's about it, Britain is certainly not a major host in terms of the US Army and hasn't been for many years. Even an Infantry Battalion would only constitute around 600 men generally, and an Intelligence battalion would most likely be half this size, indeed you could measure any US Army Troops in the UK the hundreds and not the thousands and there are no US Army bases. Indeed there are possible more British Soldiers at BATUS in Canada at any one time than there are US Army troops in the UK, but that doesn't mean I would suggest there was a lot of British troops in Canada, and in terms of BATUS, it's future is also uncertain with the possibility of closure following a forth coming review.

[bellhead]

Originally Posted by Bamford

Some units may indeed have been disbanded since that list was made, as the US is making large cuts to it's forces in Europe and consolidating what is left. The list was in response to a poster who seems under the delusion that there are major US Army units based in Britain. There may be small elements of intelligence units but that's about it, Britain is certainly not a major host in terms of the US Army and hasn't been for many years. Even an Infantry Battalion would only constitute around 600 men generally, and an Intelligence battalion would most likely be half this size, indeed you could measure any US Army Troops in the UK the hundreds and not the thousands and there are no US Army bases. Indeed there are possible more British Soldiers at BATUS in Canada at any one time than there are US Army troops in the UK, but that doesn't mean I would suggest there was a lot of British troops in Canada, and in terms of BATUS, it's future is also uncertain with the possibility of closure following a forth coming review.

The other not noted here is the Army is more concerned with tactical rather than strategic intelligence gathering, which has been the realm of the Air Force and Navy. Those two services split it up between land/water surveillance.

The military also functions as a trade school apprentice program for the NSA and other federal agencies. Most people outside of the military do not realize the amount of training both formal and OJT that the military receives especially in the 6 year commitment fields in the Air Force and Navy. The first two years of their enlistments revolve around school and training with the next year qualifying and learning their trades. Also after their enlistments the hiring agencies have a good idea of what they are getting as a product. They have earned the trust and know the jobs or the have a very good idea of the overall scope of the job they apply for.

[millie61]

[quote=Bamford;33793537]There are very few US soldiers in the UK, and the remaining USAF bases are shedding lots of service personnel, whilst the future of bases such as Lakenheath is far
Where do you get your information from ?