Study weighs costs, benefits of options in shifting U.S. overseas forces

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A new study by the Congressional Budget Office warns that a large shift in U.S. forces overseas to Eastern Europe, Africa or the States would cost a lot of money up front and might offer little or no benefit down the road.

The report, requested last winter by the Senate Budget Committee, predicts the costs and benefits of a range of options, from simply eliminating accompanied tours overseas to moving almost all soldiers based in Europe and South Korea home to the United States.

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Among the study’s conclusions:

¶ Moving forces to new locations in Eastern Europe may only slightly improve their ability to respond faster to trouble spots.

¶ While rotating stateside-based forces to forward bases would cut overseas infrastructure costs, it would also reduce the number of troops available for operations and increase the time troops spend away from their families.

¶ Any major shift of forces will require “significant spending.”

¶ New overseas locations will not reduce the cost of maintaining troops.

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http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=22281