The U.S. Department of Defense on Friday announced plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, a step described by the Pentagon as the clearest action to date to shrink the American military footprint in Europe. The announcement followed a public dispute between U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the war in Iran and related allied support.
Officials in Washington have for months complained that European partners have not done enough to back U.S. efforts in Iran nor sufficiently shoulder their own security responsibilities, and the latest troop movement was framed in that context by U.S. authorities. Below is a detailed account of the U.S. military presence on the continent, based on official U.S. manpower and defense reports.
Overall force levels and basing
As of December 2025, the U.S. had roughly 68,000 active-duty service members permanently assigned to overseas installations in Europe, according to data from the U.S. Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC). That figure represents personnel assigned on a permanent basis and does not include rotational units that deploy for exercises or temporary operations.
The Department of Defense catalogs American military infrastructure in the region as 31 permanent bases plus an additional 19 sites to which the Pentagon has access, based on a congressional report dated March 2024.
Command structure and mission focus
U.S. operations across Europe fall under U.S. European Command (USEUCOM), which coordinates with NATO allies and runs six component commands corresponding to major service branches: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Special Operations Forces, and the recently established Space Force. Those component commands are headquartered in Germany and Italy and prioritize crisis response and security cooperation across both Europe and Africa.
Where U.S. troops are stationed - country-level breakdown
- Germany - Germany hosts the largest American presence in Europe. The Ramstein air base, near the German city of Ramstein, is the biggest U.S. installation on the continent and has housed U.S. personnel since 1952. DMDC figures show 36,436 active service members were stationed in Germany as of December 2025, organized across five garrisons.
- Italy - U.S. forces have been present in Italy since the end of World War Two and include Army, Navy and Air Force elements. At the close of 2025, 12,662 active-duty personnel were based in Italy, distributed across sites in Vicenza, Aviano, Naples and Sicily.
- United Kingdom - The United Kingdom hosted 10,156 U.S. service members as of December 2025, stationed at three bases and predominantly composed of Air Force personnel.
- Spain - Spain supports U.S. Navy and Air Force facilities in proximity to the Strait of Gibraltar. DMDC data lists 3,814 permanently assigned personnel in Spain at the end of 2025.
- Poland - Poland has 369 permanently assigned active-duty U.S. service members and additionally hosts roughly 10,000 rotational personnel funded through the European Deterrence Initiative, according to DMDC and the Congressional Research Service. U.S. forces operate across four bases in Poland where the U.S. has temporary access.
- Romania - Romania, like other former Eastern Bloc states, supports a combination of permanently assigned and rotational U.S. forces. DMDC and CRS data report 153 permanently assigned service members in Romania, with the U.S. accessing facilities such as Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Camp Turzii, and Deveselu.
- Hungary - The U.S. conducts rotational deployments and exercises in Hungary. As of December 2025, DMDC recorded 77 permanently assigned American service members stationed at two Hungarian sites, Kecskemet and Papa Air Base.
Context and limitations of the data
The personnel numbers reflect permanent assignments reported by DMDC at the end of 2025 and do not account for temporary troop rotations, exercises, or other short-term deployments. The Defense Department’s inventory of bases and sites is drawn from a March 2024 congressional report and indicates both full permanent installations and additional locations where the U.S. maintains access. The Pentagon’s announcement about removing 5,000 troops from Germany is presented by officials as the most tangible reduction yet in the U.S. presence in Europe but does not specify further planned adjustments.
This report compiles official U.S. defense personnel counts and Department of Defense basing information to outline the distribution, command arrangements, and country-level footprints of American forces in Europe.