Small ‘forward operating site’ terminology lets officials deny that US bases exist

Evidence

Crucially, the “operating site” nomenclature and the smaller size of the bases often let U.S. officials insist that there is “no U.S. base” in the area. Instead, officials refer to the base as just a “site,” or, alternatively, as a “forward operating location” that’s a guest of the host country. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 137

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains the euphemistic distinction between ‘site’/‘forward operating location’ and ‘base’ as deliberate labeling to avoid acknowledging a US base.
• SEED: Possible angle: the language game of base denial as a pattern of semantic avoidance across US overseas footprint and similar to other infratructures called by softer names.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 137