Bush unveils realignment of US troops

WASHINGTON -- President Bush announced yesterday that more than 60,000 US troops and their families stationed in Western Europe and East Asia will begin returning to the United States next year in the largest restructuring of America's overseas military presence since the end of the Cold War.

In a speech before the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Cincinnati, Bush unveiled a plan he said would reposition US forces over the next decade so they are better able to respond to the unpredictable threats of terrorist networks and weapons of mass destruction, instead of the hostile nations that drove American military preparations until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Most of the military personnel who will be redeployed to the United States or other countries are currently based in Germany, Japan, and South Korea, where more than 200,000 US forces are permanently stationed.

''Although we'll still have a significant presence overseas . . . over the next 10 years we will bring home about 60,000 to 70,000 uniformed personnel and about 100,000 family members and civilian employees," Bush said at the VFW's annual convention. ''Over the coming decade, we'll deploy a more agile and more flexible force, which means that more of our troops will be stationed and deployed from here at home."

At the height of the Cold War in the 1980s, the United States had substantially more troops in Europe, about 245,000, a force level that has fallen to 117,000 since the Soviet Union collapsed. But the overall number of US troops overseas has been growing again since 2001, with most of the 20,000 forces in Afghanistan and 140,000 in Iraq from the United States, putting significant strains on the military and prompting the Pentagon to rely heavily on the Reserves and National Guard in Iraq operations. Reducing the troop presence in Europe and East Asia would limit the need for long deployments in Iraq and make soldiers' stays there more predictable, according to Defense Department officials.

''No matter what the official explanation, it would appear that this is related to the fact that US forces are now stretched too thin around the world, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Richard Holbrooke, former US ambassador to the United Nations in the Clinton administration and a senior adviser to the Democratic presidential nominee, Senator John. F. Kerry.

Bush did not address the strains on the military as an institution, but predicted his plan would relieve some of the burden on the troops and their families who have had to live overseas for decades.

''Our service members will have more time on the home front and more predictability and fewer moves over a career," Bush said. ''Our military spouses will have fewer job changes, greater stability, more time for their kids and to spend time with their families at home."

Some Democrats, however, quickly criticized the move, saying it will reduce America's diplomatic leverage with longtime allies. Since the victory in World War II, the US military's support for its allies has been the linchpin of the NATO military alliance. It has also helped provide for a stable security situation in East Asia, particularly to keep North Korea in check.

''Today's announcement will, if implemented, weaken America's national security," Holbrooke said in a statement issued by the Kerry campaign. ''American troop withdrawals at this time will send exactly the wrong signal to our allies and adversaries around the world -- that America is pulling back from its most vital national security interests."

In Korea, Holbrooke said, the move ''violates common sense to withdraw forces at a delicate moment in negotiations with North Korea -- a dangerous dictatorship that really has" weapons of mass destruction. As for Europe, he said, a withdrawal will lead to ''less cooperation with our closest allies when we need more in the war on terrorism and Iraq."

But the president said the new approach will utilize military advances realized over the last decade that enable the armed forces to deploy anywhere in the world on short notice.

They will be in a position ''so they can surge quickly to deal with unexpected threats," Bush said. ''We'll take advantage of 21st-century military technologies to rapidly deploy increased combat power. . . . It will strengthen our alliances around the world while we build new partnerships to better preserve the peace."

In Europe, two large tank divisions will return to the United States from Germany and be replaced by special forces and quickly deployable airborne units, while ground, air, and naval headquarters will be consolidated, according to the plan. Others will be moved to new, smaller bases in Poland, Romania, and other new Eastern European allies, to the Middle East, and to the former Soviet republics.

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, returning from an overseas trip, told reporters that he briefed Russia's defense minister, Sergei Ivanov over the weekend to assuage any concerns that US forces will encroach upon Russia's eastern and southern borders. He said there are no plans for large, permanent formations in those areas, but rather bases that can be used on a rotating basis.

In June, the government of South Korea expressed support when it was announced 12,500 US troops would be redeployed. Other affected nations did not have immediate public reactions to Bush's plans. Germans have generally supported having US bases in their country, while Italians have been less hospitable. Japanese and South Koreans have been more vocal in opposing the large US military presence in their countries.

Under Bush's plan, some bases in the Middle East and Central Asia will be upgraded so that more forces can rotate in from the United States for training or possible military operations. In East Asia, the United States will bring home some forces but replace them with Air Force bombers and Navy cruise missiles that have long-range strike capability.

Officials said it will take years to complete the process, as agreements are negotiated with allies to close bases and gain new rights to use locations elsewhere. Another factor will be the next round of base closings in the United States, scheduled to begin next year.

Bush said the redeployments would save US taxpayers money by closing some overseas bases and consolidating troops. A study released in May by the Congressional Budget Office of a similar Pentagon proposal concluded that while it would eventually save $1 billion annually, the realignment would cost $7 billion over the next decade. But the nonpartisan office questioned whether it would dramatically improve the Pentagon's ability to respond quickly to crises.

Holbrooke raised similar questions about Bush's plan.

''This will not improve our ability to move forces quickly to hot spots," Holbrooke said. ''On the contrary, it will make us slower to respond. And the redeployments will not save any money. In fact, this will result in significant increases in costs, and the very large-host country contributions in Germany, Japan, and Korea, and elsewhere will be lost," a reference to their payments toward supporting US bases that have been part of those nations' defenses.

Bender can be reached at bender@globe.com.