AFRICOM, the U.S. military command in Stuttgart

Hello:

I'm interested in applying for a position for AFRICOM but I would like to find out more about the new command and what's in store for it in the near term. I understand that it's headquarters are temporarily located in Stuttgart but that it's looking for a permanent location on the African continent. I also read in an article that because of ll the controversy about AFRICOM, its headquarters may be located on the East Coast of the U.S. Does anyone have any facts or "somewhat reliable" rumors to respond with? Thanks

deoria

AFRICOM

I didn't realise uncle sam had any territory in Africa

I just read that they may move to England, Alconbury or somewhere like that. Africa doesn't want em!!

Why do people speak so badly of AFRICOM??

daled: The controversy over Africom


Also punch africom into google and read the first 10 or so non-dotmil links.

No-one speaks badly of AFRICOM, I doubt few, even those who work there really know what is going to happen with it. To be honest I don't really even care that much. It's merely another wing of the US military, just as CENTCOM and EUCOM are. Anyone her who claims they know are just speculating, going on what they read on the Internet or in the news. If you really knew and were putting it on this website you'd be breaching the terms of your security clearance.

Whatever the motivations, the name does not send out a good message at a time when the U.S. needs to improve its image. The name implies to me that the U.S. is wishing to command in Africa, where they have no soverign territory. That won't help win hearts and minds.

Does EUCOM imply to you that the US wants to do the same in Europe? SOUTHCOM, the same in South America? While listening to people talk about where they are working or supporting and someone says AFRICOM the response is "oh!" as if to say "I'm sorry." The same does not hold true for EUCOM. That is was what I was trying to understand, not political views.

Earth calling Daled.

There are plenty of Europeans who have differences with the way the USA uses its bases and presence in Europe.
And no doubt there are plenty other people elsewhere too.

There are dozens of threads about the issues on this site that cover some of the topics.
Maybe here is not the place for political discussion about it, but people would be ill advised to stick your head in the sand on the issues.

Monks, There are plenty of Europeans who have no problem with the US presence, if you are one who does I'm sorry. It seems that the few with problems are unaware of the reality.

My head is not in the sand on any of these issues and I understand the controversy that surrounds AFRICOM and the misinterpretation about what it represents by many that make comments about it.

My intent was to get someone to actually discuss their disgust or sympathy with someone being part of AFRICOM as opposed to EUCOM here in Stuttgart. My hope was to become more aware of those who may be misinformed about what is being created.

Yep, I'm certainly one of those ... :) .. for lots of reasons: Let's start with those who liberated Germany from the Nazis: It was the Soviets, the British and the Americans. America alone has lost more 405,399 women and men for my freedom. Think a sec or 10 about the number: Stuttgart has around 600,000 inhabitants ...

Mini-skirts (OK, they came from the UK ... :) ... Rock music: I remember the situation in the sixties last century here: we had to listen to AFN (still on air today, thank God ... :) if we wanted to avoid German Volksmusik. Other than today the usual German radio playlists went from like Classical music to Heino (German ethno musician); with just an hour or two per day with Rock music being broadcast by German radio. Or we had to tune in to Radio Luxembourg at night ... And every month or so they even had something like a one hour-long rock show on TV here ... :)

Anti-Americanism in Germany is an extremely complicated issue: One hand I remember people streaming in the rain, in hundreds, to a German-American Volksfest only a few years ago, at the baracks on Burgholzhof (Bad Cannstatt). This happening, IIRC, when Anti-Americanism was on its height, fueled by German politicians for the upcoming elections, with the more or less announced American attack on Sadam-Iraq being imminent at this time.

I doubt people voted for the Anti-American SPD government because they're very Anti-American. They probably simply were trying to avoid being targeted by a war they didn't understand.

And IIRC the German government and media at this time did much to obscure the reasons for why America went to war: And yes, I don't know how to prevent Anti-Americanism triggered like this. Perhaps the Internet will help a bit in the years coming.

I've talked to several people recently and it looks as if AFRICOM is staying put for the next 3-5 years. Yes, the mission has been scaled down. Yes, the infrastructure is all ready straining at the seams at Patch and Panzer. Yes, the command is amazingly top-heavy. Yes, it will never be based in Africa. My prediction: the military, a prodigious money-waster, will pour a huge amount of money into KB, and the command will be further scaled back or move, but not in the near future. As a purely practical logistical matter, I think they should be based in Rota as so many commands there have left in recent years. I'll leave all arguments about anti-Amercanism to others as my washing machine is broken and I am off to the laundromat. Not as exciting as Toytown, but...