The Ultimate In Camouflage

More than 60 years after rescuing Europe from Adolf Hitler — and incurring more than 100,000 casualties in the valiant effort — U.S. commanders have ordered American troops based in Europe not to wear their uniforms off post. It’s to keep them from becoming terrorist targets. It comes three weeks after a German-born Muslim militant shot and killed a pair of U.S. troops outside Frankfurt Airport.

“The directive specifically forbids the wear of uniforms for travel between duty and domicile, short convenience stops, conduct of physical fitness, travel between installations, and off post messing,” said a U.S. European Command message broadcast Wednesday over the American Forces Network. The new policy, the Stars and Stripes newspaper said, “will surely result in some inconveniences for troops, many of whom have grown accustomed to eating lunch at nearby restaurants, and running daily errands. And no one living off post will drive to or from work in uniform.”

Might make more sense just to bring them home. Of course, some have been killed by terrorists here, too.

Related Topics: european command, uniforms, National Security
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  • afguy

    Might make more sense just to bring them home.
    .
    Gee… now, why hasn’t someone else thought of that? Now… exactly what function are they presently fulfilling over there?
    .
    Are we still fighting the Germans? The Soviets? The Chinese?
    .
    Or are they just the European branch of our national jobs program called the U.S. military?

  • bobell

    They’re showing the flag. Letting everyone know that the US has boots on the ground wherever needed — and even wherever not needed.
    .
    Gotta be careful, though, not to show too much flag. Wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt.

  • conversets

    Which do you like better:

    “a pair of U.S. troops”

    or

    “two U.S. soldiers”

    ?

  • afguy

    I just thought it was because the job market here would suck even more if we brought them all back and they had to try to find jobs off-base to supplement their incomes.
    .
    Not like the lower ranks are awash in dough anyway… expecially with families to support.

  • deconstructiva

    “Don’t mention the war.” – Basil Fawlty.
    I’m presuming there’s a logistical need for a base in safe territory to handle our too many wars to count operations on the other side of the globe and NOT have to rely entirely on the Navy to move everyone around. But agreed, can’t it be elsewhere? Maybe Putin wants to bring back the USSR (as does the Far Right here – they need a common enemy to keep themselves from attacking each other) but I’d bet everyone else in Russia and Europe would just prefer to make money and get on with their lives. Just like us.

  • anon76

    IIRC they were airmen, not soldiers.

  • conversets

    troop (plural troops)

    A collection of people; a company; a number; a multitude.
    (military) A small unit of cavalry or armour commanded by a captain, corresponding to a platoon or company of infantry.
    A detachment of soldiers or police, especially horse artillery, armour, or state troopers.
    Soldiers, military forces (usually “troops”).
    (nonstandard) A company of stageplayers; a troupe.
    A particular roll of the drum
    a unit of girl or boy scouts
    an orderly crowd
    (mycology) Mushrooms that are in a close group but not close enough to be called a cluster.

  • http://koldo44.wordpress.com koldo44

    Thomson is right, WWII finished almost 70 years ago, and there’s no need for american garrisons in Germany. Germans are american vassals, and maybe got cold feet to join american forces using NATO cover into Lybia.
    The US needs Lybia to have more bases in Africa to replenish the american fleet.

  • http://koldo44.wordpress.com koldo44

    Also we have to help Sarkozy to save face, since he got a lot of money for his presidential campaign, and he doesn’t want to pay back the Lybians, because France is bankrupt.
    What friends are for?

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