🇺🇸 There Are Nearly 170K U.S. Troops Stationed Overseas

What We’re Showing

This graphic shows the overseas territories where U.S. active duty military personnel are stationed, according to March 2024 figures from the Defense Manpower Data Center.

Key Takeaways

• Japan and Germany host the highest number of American troops stationed overseas—a holdover from World War II after the Axis powers surrendered
• Today, the presence is more about maintaining regional security and honoring alliance agreements. Germany is home to the US European Command headquarters in Stuttgart, from where the military coordinates American forces in 51 (mostly European) countries
• Meanwhile, the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty revised in 1960 allowed America to establish military bases in the country in exchange for defending Japan in the event of an attack