American Bases in Germany:
Value second to none

U.S. Air Force personnel salute a pilot from the 52nd fighter wing as his F-16 takes off from Spangdahlem Air Force Base. dpa photo.

Fast Fact: The sprawling Spangdahlem Air Base complex currently includes about 1,282 acres of land, a 10,000-foot primary runway, an 8,074-foot secondary runway and over 500 buildings.

Over the years, the Pentagon has invested tens of billions of dollars to build military communities in Germany that are second-to-none anywhere in the world for infrastructure and amenities.

The value of this investment is beyond dispute: A first-class network of road-, rail- and river-ways spares U.S. military personnel logistical headaches — and saves U.S. taxpayers money.

After all, the costs of constructing these sprawling complexes were paid decades ago — with the help of generous German contributions.

And even today, Germany continues to contribute nearly $1 billion each year to the maintenance of U.S. bases.

• To put that number in perspective, consider this: According to figures from the Council on Foreign Relations, Ramstein, the biggest U.S. base in Germany, costs about $1 billion annually — an amount equal to Germany's yearly contribution toward the upkeep of U.S.bases.

• On average, the others cost about $240 million each — about the same as a single F/A-22 fighter jet.

First-class care: The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center

At the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the largest American hospital outside of the United States, no expense is spared when it comes to caring for patients that arrive from the frontlines of conflicts around the world. With all the technology of a major urban medical center back home and an array of specialists unrivaled by any other American hospital abroad, Landstuhl is well prepared for the arrival of wounded servicemen and -women from Iraq, Afghanistan and all points in between. What's more, the physicians fighting to save lives at Landstuhl can count on their German counterparts for help. When victims of the bombing of the U.S. embassy in Kenya arrived at Landstuhl with fine glass shards blasted into their eyes, German specialists at a nearby facility performed the eye delicate surgery. In addition, an agreement is in place for nearby German doctors and hospitals to handle overflow outpatients should the need ever arise. Find out more: http://www.landstuhl.healthcare.hqusareur.army.mil/

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American Bases in Germany

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Key Military Communities in Germany

New York Times on Military Bases in Germany -- June 14, 2004

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