The Pentagon will build new infrastructure, mostly in central and eastern Europe

Pentagon to close 15 European bases

BY CHARLES HOSKINSON

The Pentagon said Thursday it will close 15 bases in Europe to save an expected $500 million a year by the early 2020s after a two-year review of infrastructure requirements on the continent.

The European Infrastructure Consolidation process will better position the 67,000 U.S. troops in Europe to meet challenges that have emerged in the year since Russia seized Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and menaced NATO allies in Eastern Europe, said Derek Chollet, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs.

"The savings that we will be gaining in this process will allow us to maintain a strong force structure into the future," he said.

Defense officials also hope the consolidation will ease concerns in Congress, which has rejected the Pentagon's efforts to close more U.S. bases, partly because some lawmakers believe the U.S. infrastructure in Europe is too large.

.................

Read more: www.washingtonexaminer.com