May 2 (Reuters) - - The United States is withdrawing 5,000 troops from NATO ally Germany, the Pentagon announced on Friday, following a public spat over the war in Iran between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The move is the most concrete announcement made so far by the U.S. government to reduce its military presence in Europe, following months of complaints from Washington that the region wasn't doing enough to support the Americans in Iran and take care of its own security.
Here are some key details on U.S. military presence in Europe.
HOW MANY U.S. TROOPS ARE THERE IN EUROPE?
The United States had approximately 68,000 active-duty military personnel assigned permanently in its overseas bases in Europe as of December 2025, data from the U.S. Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) shows. These do not include rotational forces sent on deployment and exercise missions.
The U.S. military is spread over 31 permanent bases and a further 19 military sites to which the Department of Defense has access as of March 2024, a Congress report shows.
WHAT ARE U.S. TROOPS IN EUROPE COMPRISED OF?
U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) oversees U.S. military operations across Europe, working with NATO allies through six component commands representing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Special Operations Forces and the newly established Space Force.
These components are headquartered in Germany and Italy, and focus on crisis response and security cooperation across Europe and Africa.
WHERE IN EUROPE ARE THESE TROOPS BASED?
The U.S. troops are stationed in more than a dozen European countries. Germany, Italy and Britain have the biggest presence of personnel. This list comprises some of the largest contingents.
Germany - The largest U.S. base in Europe is the air base near the German city of Ramstein, where troops have been stationed since 1952. According to DMDC data, as of December 2025, 36,436 active service members were stationed in Germany, divided into five garrisons.
Italy – U.S. military personnel have been stationed in Italy since the end of World War Two and comprise Army, Navy and Air Force divisions. DMDC data shows that Italy hosted 12,662 active-duty soldiers at the end of 2025 across bases in Vicenza, Aviano, Naples and Sicily.
Britain – The U.S. forces in the United Kingdom comprised 10,156 service members as of December last year, garrisoned in three bases, hosting mainly Air Force personnel.
Spain – The country hosts U.S. Navy and Air Force bases near the Strait of Gibraltar. DMDC data shows that as of December 2025, 3,814 personnel were permanently assigned to Spain.
Poland – Poland hosts 369 permanently assigned active-duty service members, as well as about 10,000 personnel of rotational forces funded through the European Deterrence Initiative, DMDC and Congressional Research Service data shows. The personnel are garrisoned across four bases with temporary U.S. access.
Romania – Similarly to Poland and other ex-communist bloc countries, Romania hosts a rotational presence of U.S. forces on top of 153 permanently assigned service members, according to DMDC and the Congressional Research Service. The bases to which the U.S. has access include Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Camp Turzii, and Deveselu.
Hungary – The U.S. conducts rotational deployments and exercise missions in Hungary. DMDC said in December that the country hosted 77 permanently assigned service members stationed in two bases, Kecskemet, and Papa Air Base.
(Reporting by Mathias de Rozario and Mateusz Rabiega in GdanskEditing by Gareth Jones, Peter Graff)
