Order Code RS20649
Updated January 30, 2007
U.S. Military Dispositions: Fact Sheet
Edward F. Bruner
Specialist in Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
The United States maintains a global military presence to support foreign policy and
military strategy. Representation ranges from one Marine in Sierra Leone to an Army
Corps in Germany, and is found in 144 nations. In some countries, presence is maintained
continuously and service members are assigned tours of one to three years. In other
countries, there may be short term deployments of units or teams in response to
emergencies or training opportunities. This report describes the worldwide distribution
of U.S. military personnel and related concerns of Congress. It will be updated quarterly.
The table below is a snapshot of active duty military distribution compiled by the
Department of Defense (DOD) for June 30, 2006. These statistics are normally published
quarterly — on any given day exact numbers differ. Rotation of replacement personnel
and units occurs regularly at traditional overseas bases, while one-time spikes can occur
anywhere the United States may be involved in a crisis situation. In 1996, for example,
there were 15,000 U.S. soldiers deployed in Bosnia — but today there are 256. On any
day, also, many military personnel are afloat on ships. On this day, there were 126,613
men and women at sea or in temporary ports, included and distributed throughout the
territorial waters of the United States and the several regions shown in the table.
Geographic Distribution of U.S. Military Personnel (AD)
a
Total Number on Active Duty 1,381,401
United States and Territories
b
1,092,586
Europe and Former Soviet Union
b
97,658
East Asia and Pacific
b
78,369
Africa, Near East, and South Asia
b
8,254
Western Hemisphere (excluding USA) 2,112
Undistributed
b
102,422
Source: DOD, Worldwide Manpower Distribution by Geographical Area, June 30, 2006
Notes:
a
Comparable data not available for Reserve Components; however, on Jan.24,
2007, there were 91,344 RC personnel called to Active Duty (OASD-RA).
b
Included are those assigned AD troops now deployed with the 203,700 AD,
Reserve, and National Guard members of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom
in Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan who are undistributed or accounted for in the
United States, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and United Kingdom.
