Celia Perry / Mother Jones Magazine – 2008-09-13 22:54:13

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2008/09/pentagon-base-stats.html

SAN FRANCISCO (August 22, 2008) — Our roundup of the Pentagon’s latest basing stats—plus a few we dug up ourselves.”

What a Spread!
Land occupied by US bases: 46,566 square miles*

Land area of North Korea: 46,541 square miles

Lessons From Rome
Roman bases at empire’s peak (AD 117): 37

British bases at empire’s peak (1898): 36

US military sites overseas (2007): 761*

In Germany: 268

In Japan: 124

In South Korea: 87

Number that the Pentagon defines as “medium” or “large” (worth at least $888 million): 30

Number of foreign countries/territories that host US bases: 39**

Total US sites, foreign and domestic: 5,429

Military Architecture
Total Pentagon “facilities”: 545,714*

Percentage of total on foreign soil: 19

Number on foreign soil: 102,376

Buildings: 52,962

Roads, bridges, weapons ranges, etc.: 39,648_Overseas facilities’ “replacement cost”: $119 billion

Priorities, Priorities
Estimated worldwide defense spending: $1.2 trillion

US share of the total: 49 percent

Federal defense spending (FY ’08): $587 billion

Federal education spending (FY ’08): $62 billion

Federal Social Security spending (FY ’08): $5 billion_Bush budget request to train and equip foreign militaries (FY ’08): $4.5 billion

Overall US spending for tsunami relief: $656 million
*Figures don’t include bases in Iraq and Afghanistan; “facilities” include buildings, structures, roads, bridges, ranges, and plants; “sites” may include bases, hospitals, schools, and depots

**The Pentagon does not acknowledge all of its bases.
(See “America’s Unwelcome Advances.”)

Celia Perry is an assistant editor at Mother Jones.

This article has been made possible by the Foundation for National Progress, the Investigative Fund of Mother Jones, and gifts from generous readers like you.
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