Where are our boys and girls?

There were a total of 1.3 million active duty military and more than 800,000 reserve forces as of September 2017, according to Defense Department personnel data.

Where are all these kids based in the United States?

Alabama

·             Anniston Army Depot

·             Fort Rucker

·             Redstone Arsenal

American Samoa

·             Pele US Army Reserve Center & Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Samoa

Alaska

·             Fort Greely

·             Fort Wainwright

·             Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson

Arizona

·             Camp Navajo (ARNG)

·             Fort Huachuca

·             Yuma Proving Ground

Arkansas

·             Robinson Maneuver Training Center (ARNG)

·             Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center (ARNG)

·             Pine Bluff Arsenal

California

·             Camp Beale

·             Camp Cooke

·             Camp Haan

·             Camp Roberts (ARNG)

·             Camp San Luis Obispo (ARNG)

·             Fort Hunter Liggett

·             Fort Irwin

·             Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base

·             Military Ocean Terminal Concord

·             Naval Base Point Loma

·             Parks Reserve Forces Training Area

·             Presidio of Monterey

·             San Joaquin Depot

·             Sharpe Facility

·             Stockton's Rough & Ready Island

·             Tracy Facility

·             Sierra Army Depot

Colorado

·             Peterson AFB

·             Fort Carson

·             Fort Logan National Cemetery

·             Pueblo Chemical Depot

·             Rocky Mountain Arsenal

Connecticut

·             Camp Niantic (ARNG)

Delaware

·             Bethany Beach Training Site (ARNG)

District of Columbia

·             Fort Lesley J. McNair

Florida

·             Camp Blanding (ARNG)

·             Eglin Air Force Base

·             MacDill Air Force Base

·             Patrick Air Force Base

·             Hurlburt Field

·             Tyndall Air Force Base

Georgia

·             Camp Frank D. Merrill

·             Fort Benning

·             Fort Gordon

·             Fort Stewart

·             Hunter Army Airfield

Hawaii

·             Fort DeRussy (MWR Resort)

·             Hale Koa Hotel

·             Fort Shafter

·             Kunia Field Station

·             Pohakuloa Training Area

·             Schofield Barracks

·             Tripler Army Medical Center

·             Wheeler Army Airfield

·             Idaho

·             MTA Gowen Field Boise (ARNG)

·             Orchard Range TS Boise (ARNG)

·             TS Edgemeade Mountain Home (ARNG)

Illinois

·             Charles M. Price Support Center

·             Rock Island Arsenal

·             Camp Lincoln (ARNG)

Indiana

·             Camp Atterbury (ARNG)

·             Fort Benjamin Harrison

·             Muscatatuck Urban Training Center

Iowa

·             Camp Dodge

·             Fort Des Moines (ARNG)

·             Iowa Army Ammunition Plant

·             Kansas

·             Fort Leavenworth

·             Munson Army Health Center

·             Fort Riley

·             Great Plains Joint Training Area (ARNG)

·             Kansas Regional Training Institute (ARNG)

·             Nickel Hall Barracks (ARNG)

·             Smoky Hill Weapons Range (ANG)

·             Kentucky

·             Blue Grass Army Depot

·             Fort Campbell

·             Fort Knox

Louisiana

·             Camp Beauregard

·             Fort Polk

·             Peason Ridge Artillery Range

Maine

·             MTA Deepwoods (ARNG)

·             MTA Riley-Bog Brook (ARNG)

·             TS Caswell (ARNG)

·             TS Hollis Plains (ARNG)

Maryland

·             Aberdeen Proving Ground

·             Camp Fretterd Military Reservation (ARNG)

·             Fort Detrick

·             Fort George G. Meade

Massachusetts

·             Camp Curtis Guild (ARNG)

·             Camp Edwards (ARNG)

·             Fort Devens

·             Natick Army Soldiers Systems Center

Michigan

·             Camp Grayling(ARNG)

·             Detroit Arsenal

·             Fort Custer (ARNG)

Minnesota

·             Camp Ripley (ARNG)

·             Fort Snelling (USAR)

Mississippi

·             Camp McCain (ARNG)

·             Camp Shelby

·             Mississippi Ordnance Plant

Missouri

·             Camp Clark, Missouri (ARNG)

·             Fort Leonard Wood

Montana

·             Fort William Henry Harrison (ARNG)

Nebraska

·             Camp Ashland (ARNG)

Nevada

·             Hawthorne Army Ammunition Depot

New Hampshire

·             Center Strafford Training Site (ARNG)

New Jersey

·             Fort Dix, part of Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst

·             Picatinny Arsenal

·             United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape May

New Mexico

·             Los Alamos Demolition Range

·             White Sands Missile Range

New York

·             Camp Smith (New York) (ARNG)

·             Fort Drum

·             Fort Hamilton

·             United States Military Academy

·             Watervliet Arsenal

North Carolina

·             Camp Butner (ARNG)

·             Camp Davis

·             Camp Mackall

·             Fort Bragg

·             Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point

North Dakota

·             Camp Grafton (ARNG)

Ohio

·             Camp Perry (ARNG)

·             Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center (ARNG)

·             Camp Sherman (ARNG)

Oklahoma

·             Camp Gruber (ARNG)

·             Fort Sill

·             McAlester Army Ammunition Plant

Oregon

·             Camp Rilea (ARNG)

·             Umatilla Chemical Depot – now closed, since its mission in chemical warfare is over.

Pennsylvania

·             Carlisle Barracks

·             Fort Indiantown Gap (ARNG)

·             Harrisburg Military Post (ARNG)

·             Letterkenny Army Depot

·             New Cumberland Army Depot

·             Tobyhanna Army Depot

Puerto Rico

·             Fort Buchanan

·             Army National Guard Aviation Support Facility (ARNG)

·             Camp Santiago (ARNG)

·             Fort Allen (ARNG)

·             Roosevelt Roads Army Reserve Base

Rhode Island

·             Camp Fogarty (East Greenwich, RI) (ARNG)

·             Fort Greene (USAR)

·             Camp Varnum (ARNG)

South Carolina

·             Fort Jackson

·             McEntire Joint National Guard Base (ARNG/ANG)

South Dakota

·             Fort Meade (ARNG)

Tennessee

·             Holston Army Ammunition Plant

·             Kingston Demolition Range

·             Milan Army Ammunition Plant

Texas

·             Camp Bowie

·             Camp Bullis

·             Camp Mabry

·             Camp Maxey

·             Camp Swift

·             Camp Stanley

·             Camp Wolters (ARNG)

·             Corpus Christi Army Depot

·             Fort Bliss

·             Fort Hood

·             Fort Sam Houston, part of Joint Base San Antonio

·             Brooke Army Medical Center

·             Martindale Army Airfield

·             Red River Army Depot

Utah

·             Camp W. G. Williams (ARNG)

·             Dugway Proving Ground

·             Fort Douglas (USAR)

·             Tooele Army Depot

Vermont

·             Camp Ethan Allen Training Site (ARNG)

Virginia

·             Camp Pendleton State Military Reservation (ARNG)

·             Fort A.P. Hill

·             Fort Belvoir

·             Fort Eustis, part of Joint Base Langley-Eustis

·             Fort Lee

·             Fort McNair (part of Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall)

·             Fort Myer (part of Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall)

·             Fort Pickett (ARNG)

·             The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School

·             Quantico Military Reservation

·             National Ground Intelligence Center

·             Radford Army Ammunition Plant

·             Warrenton Training Center

Washington

·             Camp Murray (ANG/ARNG)

·             Fort Lewis, part of Joint Base Lewis-McChord

·             Yakima Training Center

West Virginia

·             Camp Dawson West Virginia Training Area (ARNG)

Wisconsin

·             Fort McCoy

·             Camp Williams (ARNG)

Wyoming

·             Guernsey Maneuver Area (ARNG)

By the numbers: The U.S. has nearly 800 military bases around the world, and U.S. Central Command says there are between 60,000 and 70,000 U.S. troops in the Middle East.

·             Afghanistan: 14,000 U.S. troops in the country, plus 8,000 NATO soldiers.

·             Bahrain: The small Gulf island-nation is home to more than 7,000 American troops, mostly Navy. Bahrain is “pivotal to maintaining Persian Gulf security” given its location @ Naval Support-Bahrain, Shaykh Isa Air Base and Khalifa Ibn Salman Port

·             Iraq: About 5,200 U.S. troops are in Iraq as of January, per a spokesperson from the Department of Defense. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said American troops are presently deployed in Iraq to help combat ISIS.

·             Jordan: Approximately 2,795 U.S. troops support operations to defeat ISIS and promote regional stability.

·             Kuwait: Over 13,000 American troops are stationed in Kuwait, which also includes the U.S. Army Central’s forward headquarters. The Kuwaiti government often supports the U.S. to counter Iran, and is part of the Saudi-led coalition to combat Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The only other countries that host more U.S. troops are Germany, Japan and South Korea @ Camp Buehring, Ali al-Salem Air Base, Camp Arifjan, Camp Patriot and Shaykh Ahmad al-Jabir Air Base

·             Oman: A few hundred U.S. soldiers are in Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz. The country has hosted U.S. operations since 1980, and has assisted the U.S. in combating ISIS @ Port of Salalah and Port of Duqm

·             Qatar: There are as many as 13,000 American troops in Qatar, with future plans to expand the base. The Gulf nation supports U.S. efforts to combat regional terrorism @ Al Udeid Air Base and Camp As Sayliyah

·             Saudi Arabia: The U.S. pulled most of its soldiers out following the Sept. 11 attacks. However, there were plans to send more than 500 troops there as of early September following increasing tensions with Iran and to provide Saudi forces with assistance in Yemen, per AP. The Trump administration announced plans to send hundred more following attacks on Saudi oil facilities on Sept. 14.

·             Syria: Approximately 2,000 U.S. service members are in Syria, according to a spokesperson from the DOD. Syria is still in the midst of a civil war that’s seen multiple countries get involved — including the U.S., Russia and Turkey.

·             Turkey: The number of American troops in Turkey isn’t clear, but the country's strategic location makes it valuable for transporting arms and people @ Izmir and Incirlik Air Bases

·             United Arab Emirates: 5,000 U.S. troops are stationed in the UAE, the tiny nation situated near to the Strait of Hormuz @ Al Dhafra Air Base, Port of Jebel Ali and Fujairah Naval Base

Yes, but: There are other U.S. bases in the region, but the locations aren’t disclosed for “security purposes”.

As of 2013, there are approximately 50,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in Japan, along with approximately 40,000 dependents of military personnel and another 5,500 American civilians employed there by the United States Department of Defense.

With 23,468 American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in South Korea, U.S. forces in South Korea are a major presence in the region and a key manifestation of the U.S. government’s aim to rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific.

At the time of German Reunification in 1990, there were still about 200,000 US soldiers in Germany. By 2014, the number had been steadily reduced to 42,450 stationed in 38 facilities.

A generation after WWII there is still nearly 10,000 US military personnel stationed in Britain, based in dozens of secretive facilities.

Understand after WWII the whole globe was full of guys carrying guns. While the divided the spoils, not all the troops came back home. Instead our servicemen and women were stationed in the conquered lands so everyone would play nice.

Unfortunately the Soviet Union kept stretching the borders and we invented the “Cold War”. Atomic bombs and threats of annihilation reinforced the troops to stay in every country (except Switzerland because they are neutral) and just to keep doing research and design for weapons we have the Korean War. If that wasn’t good enough, we join in to Vietnam Police Action (after the French left).

After that we try to battle little countries only to get barracks bombed and hostages taken.

Then the towers came down in New York and there was another invisible enemy to attack. Bombing mountains and driving heavily fortified armor into tribal areas not knowing the culture or the terrain. If that wasn’t good enough, we decided to invade next door to rid the world of weapons of mass destruction that weren’t there.

Backed by fewer and fewer partners, our boys and girls were ordered to be the ‘police’ of the world. At Dover, Delaware the flag draped boxes kept arriving.

So why have not our troops come home? Are we presenting a defensive deterrent to an unknown enemy?

If the next war (there will always be a next war) will be fought with drones and cyber attacks, why have our boys and girls got in the way?

The question is how many ‘foreign’ troops are on our soil?

If we can have so many military bases all over the world, why can’t they have bases here? How about an English battalion in North Dakota? What about a Romanian brigade in downtown Harrisburg? Would we tolerate an Algerian base in Alabama or a Tasmanian troop in Toledo?

Then again, if all the troops were to come home and stand down, like after WWII, what would we do with them all? Where can we park all those tanks and trucks and planes?

It is the day to celebrate our military might with ceremony and speeches. We will lay wreathes to the fallen while trying to remember the dismembered and mentally overwhelmed.

We can then go back to shopping for the Thanksgiving family dinner and Christmas presents while your sons and daughters are stationed around the world protecting us from the boggy man.

Don’t to forget to put some coins in the red buckets.