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Where are the Legions? [SPQR]
Global Deployments of US Forces

The forces of the United States military are located in nearly 130 countries around the world performing a variety of duties from combat operations, to peacekeeping, to training with foreign militaries. Some of these deployments have existed for nearly 50 years, as in Japan, Germany, and South Korea, while other deployments have more recent origins such as the current occupation of Iraq.

Soldiers have been receiving many incentives for reenlisting like job reclassification and new duty assignments to Europe on top of reenlistment bonus averaging $10,000 dollars. Soldiers have also been reenlisting for the one semester of college, which allows the soldier to further their career and increase opportunities for promotion and advancement.

As of January 2005, there are some 250,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen deployed in support of combat, peacekeeping, and deterrence operations. This figure does not include those forces normally present in Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom or Japan unless bases at those locations are actively supporting a combat operation. Furthermore, tours of duty in these locations are routine and not considered hardship tours. If one were to include these forces the number of deployed troops worldwide would be around 350,000.

However, forces deployed to South Korea are included as those units are part of a UN command and deterrence operation.

Of the 37 combat brigades and Armored Cavalry Regiments in the US Army's active component, some 12 are currently deployed (including one from the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea). Another 10 have recently returned from deployment, including both of the two Armored Cavalry Regiments (it should be noted that press and Army officials tend to lump the ACR's in with the Brigades when counting total combat brigades). A total of 9 Brgiades are slated for deployment over the course of 2005.

Deployment of Army forces is on a schedule that deploys units for 12 months, with 12 months at home. Should hostilities erupt, the Army can send returning troops back out on deployment in as little as four months, enough time to "reset" - rest the troops and fix, overhaul and replace equipment and platforms.

Two brigades, one from the 25th Infantry Division, and the 172nd Infantry Brigade are currently undergoing a transition to the Stryker vehicle and is unavailable for operational deployments. The operational status of the 172nd is open to question, however, as significant elements of the unit are deploying in support of Enduring Freedom.

Soldiers from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve have been mobilized to support operations both in the United States for homeland security duties and for operations globally, including Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Joint Guardian and in the Sinai with the Multinational Force and Observers. As of 26 May 2004 roughly 145,400 soldiers from the Guard and Reserves were on active duty, a decrease of roughly 3,000 soldiers since the previous week.

The Army intends to increase the number of Active Component brigades from 33 to 43 by fiscal year 2007; at that time, the Army will decide whether to continue the process to achieve 48 brigades. During the same time period, Army National Guard Brigades will reorganize into 34 brigade-size units using the same modular design as the Active Component.

Of the Army National Guards 37 combat brigades 4 are currently deployed with 4 more slated to deploy in the near future. The National Guard has one Armored Cavalry Regiment, it is not deployed but it has been alerted for a possible deployment. The current plan is for Guard units to be away from home 18 months [6 in training, and 12 deployed], but to have a five-year gap between deployments.

The United States Navy has 33,888 sailors deployed, by May 26, 2004, in support of various operations and training exercises throughout the world. Of the 12 aircraft carrier strike groups that are in the fleet the Navy has 2 currently deployed, 5 in pre-deployment training, and 5 receiving extensive yard periods that would make the strike group unavailable for deployment within 60 days. Of the 295 ships and submarines in the Fleet roughly 99 are currently on deployments.