Post-1996 terror attacks drove the military to close small bases and enlarge fortress-like megabases

Evidence

A move to consolidate troops at a smaller collection of very large bases had actually been under way for several years, thanks in part to a string of attacks beginning in 1996 that hit the Khobar Towers complex in Saudi Arabia, embassies in East Africa, and the USS Cole. In response, the military began closing small bases, bases in congested urban areas vulnerable to truck bombs, and other hard-to-protect facilities. The remaining Little Americas began growing larger, with taller walls, broader boundaries, and tighter security. Inside the gates, the military expanded shopping, food, and recreational offerings to provide troops and family members with most everything they might require. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 135

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to ADDENDUM ‘Grafting & Growth’ only weakly; more directly it reinforces the book’s fortress-bases theme and how threats produce larger, more insulated bases.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 135