Where??

 Gemini:

US Military; outside the continental United States, where are there American military bases, or bases that hold equipment for the US. Is this information in the public domain??

Yes, this information is largely in the public domain. While specific tactical details or classified "black sites" are not publicized, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) regularly publishes reports on its global footprint for budgetary and transparency reasons.

As of 2026, the United States maintains approximately 750 military installations in over 80 countries and territories outside the continental U.S. (OCONUS).

1. Where are the Major Bases?

The vast majority of overseas personnel and infrastructure are concentrated in a few key nations:

Country,Approximate Number of Sites,Notable Bases

Japan,~120,"Kadena Air Base, Yokosuka Naval Base"

Germany,~119,"Ramstein Air Base, USAG Bavaria"

South Korea,~73,"Camp Humphreys (Largest overseas base), Osan AB"

Guam (US Territory),~54,"Andersen Air Force Base, Naval Base Guam"

Italy,~44,"Aviano Air Base, Vicenza (Caserma Ederle)"

United Kingdom,~25,"RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall"

2. Equipment Storage (Pre-positioned Stocks)

The U.S. doesn't just keep people abroad; it keeps massive amounts of heavy equipment (tanks, ammunition, medical supplies) in "Pre-positioned Stocks" (APS). This allows troops to fly into a region and "draw" equipment immediately rather than shipping it from the U.S.

APS-2 (Europe): Major sites in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, and a massive new facility in Powidz, Poland.

APS-3 (Afloat): Large transport ships stationed in the Indian and Pacific Oceans (often near Diego Garcia) loaded with enough gear for an entire brigade.

APS-4 (Northeast Asia): Key stocks located in South Korea and Japan.

APS-5 (Southwest Asia): Massive warehouses in Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE to support Middle Eastern operations.

Norway: The Marine Corps maintains a unique pre-positioning program inside climate-controlled caves in central Norway.

3. Is this information Public Domain?

Yes, for the most part. * Official Reports: The DoD publishes the Base Structure Report (BSR) and various Force Structure Exhibits annually. These documents list the location, size, and replacement value of installations.

Legal Status: Under U.S. law, works created by federal employees (like these reports) cannot be copyrighted and are inherently in the public domain.

Exceptions: Information regarding "contingency locations" (temporary or secretive sites in active conflict zones like Syria or parts of Africa) is often classified for security reasons.

How to Find the Data

If you want to dig deeper into the official data, you can search for the following terms on government websites:

DoD Base Structure Report

Army Pre-positioned Stocks (APS) Fact Sheets

DMDC (Defense Manpower Data Center) Location Reports

Would you like me to find a specific list of bases for a particular country or region?

https://usafacts.org/articles/where-are-us-military-members-stationed-and-why/

What kinds of arrangement with foreign countries make this possible. Does the US pay for this service?

Maintaining hundreds of bases and equipment stocks worldwide requires a complex web of legal, diplomatic, and financial arrangements. It is rarely as simple as "renting" land; instead, it is usually a partnership based on mutual security interests.

The short answer to your question is: No, the U.S. generally does not pay a "service fee" to host nations. In fact, it’s often the opposite—host nations frequently pay the U.S. to help cover the costs of having troops there.

1. The Legal Framework: SOFAs

The most important document for any overseas presence is a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).

What it is: A legal contract that defines the rights and privileges of U.S. personnel in a foreign country.

What it covers: It ensures U.S. troops aren't subject to local taxes, clarifies whether they can be prosecuted in local courts for crimes, and allows them to use their own driver's licenses and postal systems.

Key Example: The NATO SOFA covers most of Europe. Without a SOFA, the U.S. typically will not station permanent troops in a country.

2. The Money: "Burden Sharing"

Rather than the U.S. paying "rent," most arrangements involve Host Nation Support (HNS). Because these countries view the U.S. military presence as vital to their own national security, they contribute to the cost of maintaining the bases.

Japan & South Korea: These are the gold standards of burden sharing. Under "Special Measures Agreements," these countries pay billions of dollars annually to cover the salaries of local workers on base, utility bills, and the construction of new facilities.

Germany: While Germany provides less direct cash, it offers "indirect support" by waiving millions in taxes and rents, and providing land at no cost.

The "Cost Plus 50" Debate: In recent years, U.S. administrations have occasionally pushed for allies to pay 100% of the cost of hosting troops, plus a 50% "premium" for the protection provided—though this is not currently the standard practice.

3. "Access" vs. "Bases"

In many parts of the world (like Africa or Southeast Asia), the U.S. doesn't own a base at all. Instead, it uses Base Access Agreements.

The host nation keeps ownership of the base.

The U.S. gets permission to land planes, dock ships, or store equipment (like the APS stocks mentioned earlier).

In exchange, the U.S. often provides military aid, training for the host country’s army, or upgrades to the host country's local infrastructure (like paving runways that both militaries can use).

4. Rare Exceptions: Actual Rent

There are very few cases where the U.S. pays what looks like traditional rent:

Djibouti (Camp Lemonnier): This is one of the few places where the U.S. pays a direct annual lease (roughly $63 million/year) because the country is small and relies on that income.

Guantanamo Bay (Cuba): The U.S. sends an annual lease check of $4,085 based on a 1903 treaty. Interestingly, the Cuban government has famously refused to cash these checks for decades as a protest against the U.S. presence.

Would you like to know more about how these agreements affect the local laws or how a country can "kick out" the U.S. military?