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January 14, 2004
The U.S. has expressed interest in moving some of it's current bases in Germany to Eastern Europe. Rumania has responded by offering several sites, some on the Black Sea coast. Rumania is well aware that a few thousand well paid American troops would be a long term economic shot in the arm for any Rumanian area containing such a military base. Moreover, the American troops would leave much of the base maintenance and administrative tasks to Rumanians, who would receive above average pay (and still be a lot cheaper than the German civilians running American bases in Germany.) While constructing new hangers, warehouses, housing and other facilities would be expensive, it would still be cheaper than new construction in Germany. Moreover, a lot of base facilities in Germany are old, as some of those bases have been in use for over half a century. As in Germany, the Rumanians are offering former bases of their own, which would then be modified and refurbished to suit American needs. Germany, still dealing with a high unemployment rate, does not like the idea of American bases moving east. The Soviet Union is no longer a threat, but areas farther east are. Germany's opposition to the Iraq invasion gives the United States an opportunity to move bases out of Germany without causing a major diplomatic flap. The new bases, in new locations farther east, will much more effectively serve future American military operations and bolster relations with new NATO members in Eastern Europe.
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