The United States must keep a forward presence in Europe even as defense budgets continue to decline, said Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. Speaking in Bethesda, Md., on Feb. 18, Hagel said the United States already has closed 80 percent of its bases in Europe in recent years. However, “we still need bases . . . so that we have got platforms and assets and forces” ready if a problem arises, he said. “We’ve done a tremendous job on this, I think, of closing these places down that we don’t need [and] using the ones that we do need,” said Hagel. He noted that the remaining US bases in Europe make up a “very, very small percentage” of the defense budget. Hagel also highlighted the basing relationship the United States has with Japan and South Korea. “Not only [do they] let us use all those bases . . . they also add a lot of support, in terms of funding for those bases,” he said. (Hagel transcript)
The Pentagon’s new Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military has 90 days to find ways to combat the problem within the ranks, and the group will consider all options to address an issue that has “shattered the dreams” of many service members who joined with optimism about…