What foreign country hosts the most active-duty U.S. military personnel?
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
The United States has a strong military presence both domestically and overseas, with over 1.3 million active-duty members stationed at home and abroad. Underscoring this vast reach is the fact that the Department of Defense (DoD) manages over 4,790 military sites worldwide, covering 27 million acres. For context, that’s roughly the size of the state of Virginia. According to the map above and the chart below,* what two countries hosts the most U.S. troops overseas?
Based on your knowledge of contemporary American history, why do you think those two countries host so many U.S. troops?
What is one consequence of having so many troops stationed abroad?
There were over 228,390 US military personnel stationed in foreign countries as of September 2023, 168,571 of which were active-duty troops. The 59,819 remaining personnel stationed abroad comprise DoD civilians and reserves DoD civilians and reserves, who work in offices, laboratories, shipyards, airfields, medical centers, and educational centers. Their roles are crucial for maintaining smooth and efficient operations across various facets of daily base functions. Explain whether having that many troops abroad makes our troops more or less likely to be engaged in fighting?
Some people describe the United States as “the policeman of the world.” Based on the visual above, do you think the U.S. is, in fact, “the policeman of the world”?
The United States used drafts during the Civil War, World War I and World War II, as well as from 1947 until the final draft call on Dec. 7, 1972. Since then, the military has filled its ranks with volunteers. Based on the current armed conflicts happening in the Middle East and in Ukraine, explain whether you believe that the number of U.S. troops stationed abroad will increase in the near future, and whether the U.S. will reinstate the draft.
The U.S. military has been falling short of its recruiting goals, particularly for the Army. In 2023, three of the four major military services failed to meet their recruiting goals and missed the total military recruiting goal by 41,000 troops. Because of the shortfall of soldiers, the Army reduced its end strength target from 485,000 to 465,000 for 2024. At the same time President Trump recently signed executive order barring transgender people from military service. Explain how you think the Trump administration will impact the ability of the military to be prepared for combat.
Along with training troops and defending US citizens on American soil, the military protects its national security interests by defending strategic supply chains, deterring attacks and future aggression, and participating in bilateral, regional, and multilateral defense programs. Which of the above listed reasons do you think is most essential to U.S. security?
As of September 2023, the US had 2.63 million military personnel, including active-duty troops, reserve, and civilian workers stationed domestically.[1] Of these, 1.14 million (3,294) were active-duty troops across the 50 states and Washington, DC. Roughly 60% of these troops were in five states. According to the data from the visual below,* what state is home to the most U.S. active-duty troops?
The principle of civilian control of the military places ultimate authority over U.S. armed services in the hands of civilian leadership, with civilian responsibility and control of the military balanced between the executive and legislative branches of the government. Article I of the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war (in the War Powers Clause), while Article II of the Constitution establishes the President as the commander-in-chief. Identify and describe some current examples of civilian control over the military.
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Can you enlist in the military if you have face tattoos? Learn more about the process of enlisting in the U.S. Army and share what you learned with your classmates.
Get Creative
If the If the U.S. military was a restaurant chain, what would it be?
Learning Extension*
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