U.S. might cut troops in Korea, Europe

VFW Magazine, April, 2003 by Tim Dyhouse

Two areas of the world that have hosted U.S. troops since the beginning of the Cold War may be saying goodbye to GIs in the future, based on comments by Administration officials to Congress in February.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Feb. 13 that he might consider withdrawing some of the 38,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.

"I'd like to see a number of our forces move away from the Seoul area and the area near the DMZ and be more oriented toward an air hub and a sea hub," he said.

Rumsfeld explained that such a configuration would permit U.S. forces to reinforce South Korean forces, while still providing a strong deterrent to North Korean aggression. This, he said, would allow a smaller U.S. force in that region.

Some defense analysts say Rumsfeld is concerned that U.S. troops in South Korea could be a prime target for a North Korean missile attack. Others believe his comments could be a thinly veiled threat to incoming South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun, who was elected in part on an anti-American platform.

"Rumsfeld was putting down a marker: `You don't want us there, we'll leave,'" said retired Air Force Col. William Drennan of the U.S. Institute of Peace in a Los Angeles Times article. "That's very much a heartburn issue in Seoul right now. It's very controversial."

Also in February, Army Secretary Thomas White said the U.S. might reduce its number of troops in Europe. He noted that instead of having large permanent bases, troops could serve six-month tours in Europe, which would save a significant amount of money. It also would follow the Pentagon's plan of making the U.S. force in Germany lighter, more mobile and able to deploy on shorter notice. Currently, some 71,000 U.S. troops are based in Europe.