The U.S. military network has expanded geographically despite closing giant Cold War bases

Evidence

Unbeknownst to most, the Pentagon has been trying to acquire as many lily pads as it can, in as many countries as it can, as fast as it can. Although statistics are hard to assemble, given the often secretive nature of such bases, the Pentagon has probably built upwards of fifty lily pads and other small bases in the past fifteen years, while exploring the construction of dozens more. While the collection of giant Cold War–era bases has shrunk, the proliferation of new lily pads (and FOSs) in recent years has meant that our base nation has actually grown in geographic scope. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 151

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 151