The military of the United States is deployed in most countries around the world, with approximately 160,000 of its active-duty personnel stationed outside the United States and its territories. [1] This list consists of deployments excepting active combat deployments, including troops in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia. [2]
Outside of active combat, US personnel are typically deployed as part of several peacekeeping and classified missions, military attachés, or are part of embassy and consulate security.
![]() | This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: old sources.(December 2022) |
A longstanding justification for maintaining military installations worldwide for the United States is that a military presence abroad by the U.S. promotes and strengthens democracy. [3]
According to Hermann and Kegley, military interventions have boosted democracy in other nations. [4] The majority of academics, however, concur with professor of international politics Abraham Lowenthal that American efforts to spread democracy have been "negligible, often counterproductive, and only occasionally positive." [4] [5] [6]
JoAnn Chirico believes that the U.S. military presence and installations are often considered responsible for suppressing democracy in countries such as Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kuwait, Niger, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. [3]
In her essay, "Dictatorships and Double Standards", Jeane Kirkpatrick argued that although the United States should encourage democracy, it should be understood that premature reforms may cause a backlash that could give the Communists an opportunity to take over. For this reason, she considered it legitimate to support non-communist dictatorships, adding that a successful and sustainable democratic process is likely to be a long-term process in many cases in the Third World. The essence of the so-called Kirkpatrick Doctrine is the use of selective methods to advance democracy in order to contain the wave of communism. [7]
The following regional tables provide detail of where personnel from six branches of the US military are currently deployed. These numbers do not include any military or civilian contractors or their dependents. Additionally, countries in which US military are engaged in active combat operations are not included. The numbers are based on the most recent United States Department of Defense statistics as of June 30, 2024. [1]
Jurisdiction | Total | Army | Navy | USAF | USMC | USCG | USSF |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() ( excl. Alaska & Hawaii) | 1,062,976 | 364,198 | 273,546 | 243,497 | 137,903 | 35,130 | 8,702 |
![]() | 20,618 | 10,234 | 41 | 8,567 | 8 | 1,755 | 13 |
![]() | 631 | – | 37 | 22 | 10 | 562 | – |
![]() | 572 | 122 | 417 | – | 27 | 6 | – |
![]() | 335 | 205 | 2 | 119 | 8 | 1 | – |
![]() | 156 | 29 | 36 | 69 | 15 | 4 | 3 |
![]() | 139 | – | – | 110 | – | – | 29 |
other | 695 | 140 | 143 | 72 | 278 | 59 | 3 |
Total | 1,086,122 | 374,928 | 274,222 | 252,456 | 138,249 | 37,517 | 8,750 |
Jurisdiction | Total | Army | Navy | USAF | USMC | USCG | USSF |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 52,852 | 2,319 | 22,060 | 12,356 | 16,009 | 19 | 89 |
![]() | 44,747 | 18,445 | 12,709 | 5,428 | 6,540 | 1,467 | 158 |
![]() | 23,732 | 15,042 | 339 | 8,117 | 158 | 1 | 75 |
![]() | 6,453 | – | 3,785 | 2,284 | 88 | 295 | 1 |
![]() | 300 | 48 | 79 | 141 | 23 | 2 | 7 |
![]() | 221 | 16 | 163 | 23 | 11 | 8 | – |
![]() | 108 | 33 | 9 | 26 | 39 | 1 | – |
other | 338 | 96 | 47 | 40 | 145 | 10 | – |
Total | 128,751 | 35,999 | 39,191 | 28,415 | 23,013 | 1,803 | 330 |
Jurisdiction | Total | Army | Navy | USAF | USMC | USCG | USSF |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 34,894 | 21,049 | 381 | 12,892 | 399 | 11 | 162 |
![]() | 12,319 | 4,016 | 3,454 | 4,764 | 58 | 1 | 26 |
![]() | 10,180 | 217 | 284 | 9,559 | 51 | 14 | 55 |
![]() | 3,253 | 30 | 2,783 | 406 | 33 | 1 | – |
![]() | 1,119 | 611 | 88 | 384 | 34 | – | 2 |
![]() | 405 | 115 | 26 | 215 | 13 | 34 | 2 |
![]() | 393 | 13 | 349 | 25 | 6 | – | – |
![]() | 281 | 143 | 96 | 32 | 10 | – | – |
![]() | 254 | 6 | 51 | 179 | 17 | 1 | – |
![]() | 140 | 24 | 96 | 12 | 8 | – | – |
other | 648 | 159 | 67 | 177 | 238 | 6 | 1 |
Total | 63,886 | 26,383 | 7,675 | 28,645 | 867 | 68 | 248 |
Jurisdiction | Total | Army | Navy | USAF | USMC | USCG | USSF |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 3,424 | 24 | 2,833 | 21 | 209 | 337 | – |
![]() | 1,683 | 121 | 7 | 1,525 | 30 | – | – |
![]() | 500 | 468 | 3 | 21 | 8 | – | – |
![]() | 270 | 167 | 15 | 65 | 23 | – | – |
![]() | 234 | – | 234 | – | – | – | – |
![]() | 214 | 76 | 6 | 110 | 7 | – | 15 |
![]() | 151 | 107 | 7 | 17 | 20 | – | – |
![]() | 131 | 25 | 19 | 35 | 52 | – | – |
![]() | 118 | 67 | 10 | 13 | 28 | – | – |
![]() | 98 | 68 | 4 | 13 | 13 | – | – |
other | 994 | 209 | 76 | 107 | 601 | 1 | – |
Total | 7,817 | 1,332 | 3,214 | 1,927 | 991 | 338 | 15 |
Jurisdiction | Total | Army | Navy | USAF | USMC | USCG | USSF |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overseas (incl. unincorporated US territories) | 7,612 | 1,482 | 12 | 1,174 | 4,912 | 4 | 28 |
Domestic (50 states and District of Columbia) | 3 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – |
Total | 7,615 | 1,485 | 12 | 1,174 | 4,912 | 4 | 28 |
The officially stated goals of the foreign policy of the United States of America, including all the bureaus and offices in the United States Department of State, as mentioned in the Foreign Policy Agenda of the Department of State, are "to build and sustain a more democratic, secure, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community". Liberalism has been a key component of US foreign policy since its independence from Britain. Since the end of World War II, the United States has had a grand strategy which has been characterized as being oriented around primacy, "deep engagement", and/or liberal hegemony. This strategy entails that the United States maintains military predominance; builds and maintains an extensive network of allies ; integrates other states into US-designed international institutions ; and limits the spread of nuclear weapons.
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The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (GWOT-SM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created through Executive Order 13289 on 12 March 2003, by President George W. Bush. The medal recognizes those military service members who have supported operations to counter terrorism in the War on Terror from 11 September 2001, to a date yet to be determined.
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