The Pentagon’s cost-saving justifications for European base moves are unreliable

Evidence

In Germany, in addition to Grafenwoehr, the Army is now spending around $500 million to move its European headquarters from Heidelberg to Wiesbaden. A Government Accountability Office report found that the Army’s estimate of money saved by this move was inflated by almost double, and that construction delays have further eaten into any potential savings. “The original analyses,” the GAO added, “were poorly documented, limited in scope and based on questionable assumptions.” This at a time when more and more critics are questioning why the Army is in Germany and Europe at all. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 798

Categorization

• QUESTION: Why does the Army keep European headquarters at all if critics question its presence—worth chasing what strategic rationale remains.