In this article in Duetch Welle we find that the Germans are just now coming to realize that a troop pullout from their "Warmonger Free Zone" will mean the loss of quite a bit of hard currency from us warmongers. It seems that some people who depend on that money are a bit worried about the financial impact of losing those US dollars which get pumped into the German economy. Perhaps they will be able to make up the difference with more social programs.
U.S. soldiers and their families pump billions of dollars into Germany's economy. Base closures would have a massive impact on local communities.
While the Pentagon is downplaying media reports that the United States could withdraw up to half of its troops in Germany, local regions who would be affected by this move are worried.
Across Germany, the United States has stationed some 71,000 soldiers. Some of the most significant bases are located in structurally weak regions, which are dependent on the purchasing power of the troops.
The Kaiserlautern Military Community (KMC), for example, is home to over 20,000 army and airforce troops, civilians and retirees, plus the same number of U.S. dependents. According to the most recent annual economic impact report at the 435th Comptroller Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, KMC last year pumped nearly $1.29 billion into the area’s economy.
That factors in everything from housing expenditures to construction to getting a haircut. It also includes the 6,190 German employees who draw their salaries from the military community.
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