1. 68,000 Permanently Stationed Active-Duty Military Personnel
—According to data from the Defense Human Resources Data Center (DMDC), as of December 2025, the United States had approximately 68,000 active-duty military personnel permanently stationed at overseas bases in Europe. The actual number fluctuates depending on rotation deployments and exercises.
2. 31 Permanently Stationed Bases
—A July 2024 report by the Congressional Research Service indicated that as of March 2024, U.S. forces in Europe were distributed across 31 permanently stationed bases, with the U.S. Department of Defense having access to an additional 19 military facilities.
3. Organizational Structure—U.S. European Command coordinates military operations in Europe and collaborates with NATO allies through six constituent command structures: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Special Operations Forces, and the newly established Space Force.
4. Countries of Origin—Germany, Italy, and the UK have the most.
①Germany—The largest U.S. military base in Europe is located at Ramstein Air Base, where U.S. troops have been stationed since 1952. As of December 2025, Germany will host 36,436 active-duty U.S. troops.
② Italy – U.S. troops, including Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel, have been stationed there since the end of World War II. As of the end of 2025, there will be 12,662 active-duty U.S. troops.
③ United Kingdom – As of December 2025, the U.S. will have 10,156 troops stationed in the UK, primarily Air Force personnel.
④ Spain – Maintains U.S. naval and air force bases near the Strait of Gibraltar. As of December 2025, there will be 3,814 permanent personnel.
⑤ Romania – According to reports from *Foreign Policy*, *The Guardian*, CNN, and other media outlets, the U.S. will withdraw the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division to Kentucky in October 2025. The Romanian Ministry of Defense stated that approximately 1,000 U.S. troops will remain in Romania after the withdrawal.
⑥ Poland – 369 active-duty U.S. troops are permanently stationed there, with an additional 10,000 rotating troops deployed through the European Deterrence Initiative, distributed across four bases temporarily available for U.S. use.
⑦ Hungary – U.S. troops conduct rotational deployments and training exercises there, with 77 permanent personnel as of last December.
