The significance of US military bases in Germany

US President Donald Trump didn't like Chancellor Friedrich Merz's latest statements on the Iran war, that much was clear from Trump's recent rant on Truth Social, where he claimed the German leader "doesn't know what he's talking about!"

So what happened? On Monday, Merz said the US "clearly have no strategy" in dealing with Tehran, saying "an entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership."

The German leader's words did not go down well with Trump, who quicklythreatened to reduce the US troop presence in Germany. By Friday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered the withdrawal of around 5,000 American troops over the next six to 12 months.

This is not, however, the first time that a US president has threatened to reduce the number of soldiers stationed in Germany. But US military facilities in Germany carry significant strategic importance for the US, while forming an important part of the economy in certain parts of the country.

Some 35,000 to 39,000 US soldiers are currently stationed in Germany, plus at least another 10,000 military personnel. They are spread across 20 different major sites, located primarily in the south and southwest of the country. Including smaller installations, there are about 40 US‑run military facilities in Germany in total.

Ramstein and Spangdahlem

Ramstein Air Base in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate is the largest US military base outside the US. It serves as a logistics hub for troops, equipment and freight enroute to the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe.

Ramstein is the US Air Force headquarters in Europe and serves as NATO'scommand center for military airspace surveillance for all European partners. The air base is also home to a satellite relay station, which is of great significance for the deployment of US combat drones, for example in the Middle East. As the Earth's curvature does not allow direct drone piloting from the US, signals are relayed by satellite via Ramstein.

The base also serves as medical hub, as injured soldiers from Europe, Africa or the Middle East are flown to Ramstein and treated at the adjacent Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the largest US military hospital outside the US.

Both facilities are part of Kaiserslautern Military Community, which comprises more than 50,000 US soldiers, civilian employees and their families.

Spangdahlem, the second largest US Air Force base on German soil, lies around 120 kilometers (75 miles) further northwest. Unlike Ramstein, Spangdahlem primarily serves for operational combat missions. A fighter squadron comprising around 20 F-16 jets is stationed here that functions as a rapid reaction force in times of crisis. The squadron helps secure NATO's eastern flank and is specialized in eliminating enemy air defenses.

Stuttgart and Wiesbaden

While Ramstein and Spangdahlem are largely operational US bases, Stuttgart and Wiesbaden take on a more strategic role. This is because Stuttgart is home to the US European Command (EUCOM) and the US Africa Command (AFRICOM). All US military activity in Europe and Africa is coordinated from here. Wiesbaden also hosts the headquarters of US Army Europe and Africa. Furthermore, Western arms deliveries and training programs for the Ukrainian armed forces are coordinated here.

Grafenwöhr and Hohenfels

These two Bavarian communities east of Nuremberg are home to the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, the US military's most important training center in Europe.

Grafenwöhr boasts one of the world's largest and most modern military training grounds, where soldiers learn to operate weapons systems using live ammunition. Hohenfels, meanwhile, hosts realistic combat exercises in mock villages, occasionally using civilian actors. Thousands of NATO soldiers train at both locations every year to improve cross-border cooperation.

Büchel

Büchel air base in Rhineland‑Palatinate is widely believed to be Germany's only remaining nuclear weapons site, although neither the US nor Germany has ever officially confirmed this. Like other European countries, Germany participates in what is known as NATO's "nuclear sharing." This means that while the US stores nuclear weapons in Europe, it is their NATO host nations which deliver the weapons by warplane in the event of a crisis.

Stockholm-based peace research institute SIPRI estimates that the US has a total of 15 to 20 tactical nuclear bombs stockpiled in this location.

The airbase is home to a specially trained German tactical air force squadron and a US ammunition support squadron that maintains and repairs the weapons stored here.

Why are there so many US bases in Germany?

After theAllied victory over Nazi Germany, the western part of the country — which later became West Germany — was divided into three occupation zones: Administered by the British, French, and US respectively. The latter mainly comprised the south and southwest of Germany, which is why US troops are still concentrated here today.

With the onset of the Cold War, West Germany became a frontline state bordering communist East Germany and Czechoslovakia, two Warsaw Pact countries. Both West Germany and the US were keen to grow the US military presence to serve as a deterrent against the Soviet Union. At its peak, over 250,000 US soldiers were stationed in West Germany in the mid-1980s.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989/1990, Germany's geographical location in the middle of Europe remained strategically advantageous to the US.

That is why its bases continued to be used to support US military operations in the Middle East and Africa, but also to secure NATO's eastern flank against Russia, even though the number of US soldiers stationed in Germany has steadily fallen.

How important are US bases to Germany's economy?

The bases are an important economic factor for Germany. Many sites are located in rural regions of the country, where the US military serves as the single biggest investor and employer.

More than 10,000 Germans work directly for the US military, while an estimated 70,000 German jobs are indirectly tied to companies working for the US forces, for instance in the construction sector or service industry.

Every year, the US invests billions in the operation, expansion and modernization of its German bases.

Moreover, Germany-based US soldiers and their families spend a large part of their pay in German shops and businesses. The military community alone contributes up to €3.5 billion ($4.1 billion) annually to the regional economy.

This article was translated from German.