COMMENTARY | The U.S. Marines are heading for Australia. Under terms of a mutual security deal announced today by President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, the force of 2,500 Marines would begin arriving early next year.
I suppose there is some logic to having a small detachment of Marines in that corner of the world. Obama said they would be strategically stationed to aid in natural disasters, according to an ABC News report, but in reality we need a rapid deployment force in that region. Australia is a good choice. It has a stable government and is a long-standing ally, unlike some of the other choices in that area.
At a time when we should be cutting back our foreign military base expenditures, Obama seems to want to expand it. He needs to take a serious look at the U.S. bases in Germany and other parts of Europe. We are being saddled with those defense costs at a time when the U.S. budget is strained. Who, exactly, is threatening Europe these days? Germany needs to take care of for its defense. That means it needs to pay for it too. For that matter, so does the rest of Europe.
Obama also agreed to greater cooperation between Australian forces and U.S. military assets in the region. It makes sense to use existing Australian military bases, as well as shared use of American aircraft with the latest technology. American air forces would coordinate with the Australian Air Force, according to the Pentagon. Using existing facilities will hopefully cut the cost to American taxpayers, although some initial expenditures are probably necessary.
According to Kiplinger, the U.S. military maintains 702 bases of various sizes in 63 countries. Really? That's a waste of resources and taxpayers' money. No other country has such a diverse military presence, and for good reason: There's no need for it. The true cost of operating these bases is buried inside the Pentagon budget and probably dozens of smaller lines across the sprawling federal budget.
It's a different world from the days of the Cold War and the evil Soviet empire. American military posturing has to change with that new world mentality lest we risk over-expansion of our capabilities.
Dan McGinnis is a freelance writer, published author and former newspaper publisher. He has been a candidate, campaign manager and press secretary for state and local political campaigns for more than 30 years.
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