Quote:
Originally Posted by thenry
I'll be honest I don't understand all that. Countries are cooperating with eachother fine. There's no need for the freeloading.
|
Once again, it’s not freeloading…
The USA has bases (and lots and lots of military supplies) in Europe because when they decide to attack/defend Countries in the Middle East, it’s cheaper and quicker for them to ship the ammo, parts, & people from Europe to their bases in the Middle East than it would be to ship them from various bases in the USA (especially the bases in Middle/Western USA).
For instance, Ramstein (in Germany) to Kuwait is around 2,400 miles, and would take around 6 hours flight time; Joint Base Langley–Eustis (in Virginia, USA East Coast) to Kuwait is 6,500 miles, and would take 12-15 hours flight time, and would require refuelling stops, so would probably take longer…
When you’re moving tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of tons of equipment, this could make the difference between winning or losing a conflict.
The US bases in Europe and the Middle East are their equivalent of Amazon Distribution Centres in the UK - it’s quicker and more cost-effective to have the goods nearer where they are needed.
Quote:
LT. COL. GEORGE C. THORPE, USMC
"Strategy and tactics provide the scheme for military operations; logistics the means therefore
|
Or to put it another way, firepower & technology win battles, but logistics and supply lines win wars.
It’s no good having boots on the ground, if you can’t get ammo and food to them, as the Germans found out with Operation Barbarossa…