U.S. forces in Europe: Where do we go from here?

One of the key post‐cold‐war challenges facing the United States is determining the future role of U.S. forces in Europe. This article looks at enduring U.S. interests in Europe, emerging challenges, strategic choices, and criteria the United States should use if the security environment allows, or requires, U.S. forward‐basing in Europe to drop below the administration's proposed level of 150,000. The recommendations are a dramatic break from the past. How successful the United States is in achieving its goals will depend largely on how well the United States meets its own domestic and foreign policy needs, and, perhaps equally importantly, by how well other nations perceive the United States will meet their future expectations and requirements.