European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 22, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                June 2007 stars and stripes part 3 Ben and stripes five years the defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sent marching orders to Marine James l telling him that the european command needed an overhaul to meet the unique challenges of the 21st Jones started in called for the moving of thou Sands of troops from Europe Back to the United mov ing troops into Eastern Europe and setting up Forward operating Sites in but Jones successor army Bantz Craddock is questioning whether pulling troops out of Europe during this time of War is a prudent stars and stripes reviews the status of the military transformation in Europe in a series of stories that look at the present and Day 1 Neucom leaders address transformation issues Day 2 a look at troop strength through the years Day 3 How the military closes its bases Day 4 stateside bases get ready for influx of troops Day 5 air Navy also getting new look today the Impact of politics on transformation to read the entire visit correction Steve and stripes above a Black Hawk is loaded onto a Barge in in april 2006 As the last of the 1st infantry division headed to the left Jon a Pilot assigned to the 493rd fighter gives a romanian Pilot a firsthand View of air refuelling in May Over right a Green Beret staff from 1st 10th special forces group teaches Foo patrol tactics in 2005 to nigerien soldiers in Charlie and stripes changing to meet changed world by Charlie Coon Gades Are the German based stars and stripes infantry division has moved Back to the and the 1st a before it was simpler soviet Mored division two Bri bad everyone Good of Gades of about soldiers each would be based in Germany and As new global threats one of the same size would re anything could the military in Europe is its but for what when you look for formulas and try to summarize them in buzzwords such As transformation this is much said Anthony Corde Manof the Washington based Center for strategic and International stud All of this is a different a it assumes nato and Europe based troops Are not going to fight in Many main in military strategists have shifted the focus of Europe based the geopolitical arc of in where enemies might Roost or has moved away from Europe and toward Les Sta ble regions South and More world War ii Era prop erties will be closed and Given Back to continuing a Post cold War trend from the since the russian Bear was brought to its new lines in the Sand have been but it is to perform a global they Are squiggly and tomorrows military would project peace As much As Power while gathering understanding As Well As Intelli and it would still re Tain the ability to obliterate an enemy when called that the the transformation Agenda that began what s in and whats out big army divisions Are and self contained Bri Gades Are becoming More military strategists Are shifting the focus of Europe based troops to the geopolitical arc of in Les stable regions to the South and More world War ii Era properties will be closed and Given Back to Ger terrorist at Geno medical and regions of lawlessness Are now the an asymmetric according to the transformation re quires a versa tile plan of at and the future Mili tary in Europe would reflect ideas but Dod plans remain the same by Leo Shane and Jeff Schogol stars and stripes Washington top defense officials May be reconsidering the draw Down of forces in but for now there sticking with the congressional leaders and Pentagon officials said they have not made or requested any major changes in the plans to relocate forces from nor do they see any such moves in the near Karen a defense department said a general shift of forces to Southern and Eastern Europe is progressing on the department remains committed to its plans for global defense posture realignment in Europe and she Many of these planned posture changes Are already Well under members of the House armed services committee receive periodic updates on that and both Republican and Democrat leaders on the panel say they have not been told of any imminent changes in the a spokeswoman for committee chairman Ike said he would not be opposed to reexamining the especially in Light of the decision to build up the army and marines Over the coming both lawmakers and defense planners had anticipated a drop in the total number of military when the Europe draw Down was first but the committee does not have any hearings or special briefing sessions planned on the nor any proposals for a slowdown in the relocation about five years ago is now getting a Post Rumsfeld Bantz who in december took command of the european is Wor ried that the current plan which would decrease troop strength in Europe from to Over the next several years would leave him it has already affected Euc oms ability to participate in a to intonation training so while Craddock and Neucom re crunch the troop strength this much is known i big army divisions Are for the newly form ing Africa headquartered for now in Germa would have a state depart ment official As its Secondi com and employ a Large num ber of the strategy Calls for the Mili tary to work More closely with other parts of the govern ment to Salve the worlds trouble if we can get it a lot of these problems Are not said Lawrence a senior Fel Low for the Washington based Cen Ter for american theres a military component to and self contained Bri but there really teamwork and ally maintenance was also deemed a High priority of the changing in the nato special operations coordination Center designed to harmonize the training of special operations troops from natos 26 member established in Stuttgart with a two Star Admiral at the Over the next two troops also will begin rotating to bases in Romania and Bulgaria to train with forces the military has been in creasing its reach by establishing at least 21 cooperative Security locations in Africa and Eastern eur the locations Are bar boned now but can be made operational when the strategy Ana noted that the Navy and air Force still can project military Power through Long Range but key he would now be fought with boots on the sometimes even hiking boots and you need to redefine the civil military relationship so you can work with Aid nongovernmental Organiza and police forces to help nations develop Security and Sta Cordesman a former assistant Secre tary of defense under Ronald re said tomorrows military in Europe is being shaped by to Days what Iraq in particular and Afghanistan taught us is that were but were not on ipod Korb if we want to keep the support of the american weve got to get other countries to work with email Charlie Coon at