Postwar base retention was justified by redundancy and strategic denial principles.

Evidence

As World War II ended, the United States, like other world powers throughout history, was reluctant to give up what many considered the “spoils of war.” Even if the military had little interest in using a base or a territory, many military leaders felt the United States should not cede its acquisitions. As justification, they generally invoked two military principles. The first, “redundancy,” says it’s always good to have backups. The second, “strategic denial,” says it’s smart to hold on to bases and territories simply to prevent enemies from using them. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 84

Categorization

• XREF: Strategic denial connects to the discussion of the offshore island perimeter logic in this same chapter (paragraph 87).
• SEED: The ‘strategic denial’ principle is a useful concept for any essay on why military footprints persist beyond utility.