United States military presence in Central Asia implications of United States basing for Central Asian stability

This thesis examines the United States policy for establishing overseas military bases particularly in Central Asia. The major transformational trends in improving United States military capabilities over the past two decades, and the changing international security environment, have shaped the way American leaders focus on their global military posture strategy. Immediately following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, the United States moved quickly to establish a presence in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, and after the defeat of the Taliban, several bases became available in Afghanistan. Soviet military influence in Central Asia will be examined and compared to current United States policies and procedures. While military bases still maintain several strategic advantages in terms of response times and maneuver, there needs to be an equally sized effort to explore how these bases can provide stability. Achieving stability in Central Asia will require the United States to move away from the conventional ideology of basing, which it has used for many years, and to embrace policies and procedures that can meet the military mission and gain the trust of the host country.