U.S. Deploys 220,000 People in 100 Countries to Protect America
Thousands of U.S. service members and Defense Department civilians are serving around the world during the holidays to protect America, its interests and its allies, according to a Defense Department statement released Tuesday.
Around 9,800 Americans are deployed to Afghanistan. And roughly 3,500 Americans are deployed to Iraq and Syria to assist in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS). The Army’s 82nd Airborne Division forms the nucleus of the deployment there.
In total, there will be roughly 220,000 American service members serving overseas this holiday season. They operate in more than 100 countries, on every continent.
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“I want you to know that you are what I wake up to every morning,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter told troops Dec. 19 aboard the USS Kearsarge. “You’re what I think about all day. I’m so proud of you and 100 percent, 1,000 percent behind you.”
The U.S. Navy has 36 ships deployed around the world. The largest is the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, which has transited the Suez Canal and is headed for operations in the Arabian Gulf.
There are more than 5,000 personnel aboard the ship. The Truman will be accompanied by destroyers, each with about 300 crew members. Submarines and resupply ships are also usually part of the equation.
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The amphibious ready group centered around the USS Kearsarge is operating in the Arabian Gulf. There are 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard.
Navy ballistic missile submarines operate 24/7 around the world. The submarines are part of America’s nuclear triad, and there are around 150 crew members.
In the Pacific, there are roughly 50,000 American service members based in Japan. Another 28,500 troops are based on the Korean Peninsula.
About 500 service members will be celebrating the holiday season in Australia and more celebrating in Singapore.
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Africa has one large base — Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti — and there are around 4,000 service members assigned there. Roughly another 1,000 service members are deployed elsewhere on the continent.
More than 64,000 U.S. service members are stationed across Europe — from Rota, Spain, to the Baltic Republics. The highest number is in Germany, followed by Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain. There are another 3,000 based in Turkey, which is a NATO ally with most of its territory in Asia.
In Central and South America, there are roughly 5,500 service members deployed. U.S. airmen may also be operating to resupply scientists in Antarctica during the holidays.
Photo courtesy: U.S. Department of Defense
