Still over there
Trump mulls removing some American troops from European bases
Troops from the U.S. 31st Fighter Wing based at Aviano air Base in Italy raise their flag during the opening ceremony of 2014 training exercises with Romanian pilots at a military airfield in Transylvania.
U.S. Vice president JD Vance, right, talks to a soldier April 24, 2025, during a stop at Ramstein air Base, Germany, to refuel.
MILITARY
U.S. President Donald Trump discussed with his advisers the option of removing some U.S. troops from Europe, a senior White House official told Reuters this month.
The internal deliberations come after Trump expressed his discontent with what he sees as NATO allies' lack of action to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the failure of his plans to acquire Greenland from NATO member Denmark.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who met with Trump in the White House on April 8, said allies initially were "a bit slow" to provide assistance but later offered substantial support on basing and logistics.
Here are some key details on U.S. military presence in Europe.
How many are in Europe?
The United States had about 68,064 active-duty military personnel assigned permanently in its overseas bases in Europe as of December, data from the U.S. Defense Manpower Data Center shows. These do not include rotational forces sent on deployment and exercise missions.
The U.S. military is spread over 31 permanent bases and a further 19 military sites to which the Department of Defense had access as of March 2024, a Congress report shows.
U.S. European Command oversees U.S. military operations across Europe, working with NATO allies through six component commands representing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Special Operations Forces and the newly established Space Force.
These components are headquartered in Germany and Italy, and focus on crisis response and security cooperation across Europe and Africa.
Where are they assigned?
The U.S. troops are stationed in more than a dozen European countries. Germany, Italy and Britain have the biggest presence of personnel.
This list comprises some of the largest contingents.
Germany: The largest U.S. base in Europe is the air base near the German city of Ramstein, where troops have been stationed since 1952. As of December, DMDC data shows 36,436 active service members were stationed in Germany, divided into five garrisons.
Britain: The U.S. forces in the United Kingdom included 10,156 service members as of December last year, garrisoned in three bases, hosting mainly Air Force personnel.
Italy: U.S. military personnel have been stationed in Italy since the end of World War II and comprise Army, Navy and Air Force divisions. DMDC data shows Italy hosted 12,662 active-duty soldiers at the end of last year across bases in Vicenza, Aviano, Naples and Sicily.
Spain: The country hosts U.S. Navy and Air Force bases near the Strait of Gibraltar. As of December, DMDC data shows 3,814 personnel were permanently assigned to Spain.
Poland: Poland hosts 369 permanently assigned active-duty service members, as well as about 10,000 personnel of rotational forces funded through the European Deterrence Initiative, DMDC and Congressional Research Service data shows. The personnel are garrisoned across four bases with temporary U.S. access.
Romania: Similarly to Poland and other ex-communist bloc countries, Romania hosts a rotational presence of U.S. forces on top of 153 permanently assigned service members, according to DMDC and the Congressional Research Service. The bases to which the U.S. has access include Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Camp Turzii and Deveselu.
Hungary: The U.S. conducts rotational deployments and exercise missions in Hungary. DMDC said in December that the country hosted 77 permanently assigned service members stationed at two bases: Kecskemet and Papa Air.
