America in the World's Briefings

American military spending supports a string of regional alliances that provide security and keep the peace, including NATO in Europe and Americas alliances in Asia with Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines and Australia. This American military role helps prevents war on the Korean peninsula between North and South Korea and across the Taiwan Strait between China and Taiwan. As 2008 began, over 85,000 American troops were stationed in Europe and over 70,000 in East Asia and the Pacific.[3]

It supports American and Coalition military and stabilisation operations in Iraq and Afghanistan
More than 168,000 American service members (as of July 2008) play a role in combating extremism and rebuilding both countries.[4]

The American military developed African Command (Africom)
Africom will support and train armed forces in African states so that they can appropriately respond to possible crises or disasters on that continent. In addition, the American military stations 2,500 of its servicemen and women in Sub-Saharan Africa.[5]

America supports the more than 100,000 troops of the United Nations global peacekeeping operations
The US military providing not only soldiers, but logistics, strategic lift and intelligence support. Separately from the US military budget, 22% of the UNs annual budget is also paid by the United States.[6]

The US military allows US defence intelligence assets, especially satellites, to provide early warning of crises and ongoing support during emergencies or hostilities
America supports humanitarian aid across the globe through individual operations and the services of the medical ship, USNS Mercy, and other emergency relief operations such as 2004 Tsunami relief in Southeast Asia.

The US Navy patrols and ensures freedom of the seas
This provides general protection against sea banditry and piracy, growing problems particularly in Southeast Asia and off the Horn of Africa. The US Navy keeps open strategic waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, the passageway for between one-fifth[7] and two-fifths[8] of the worlds oil.

US military spending funds counterterrorism and counter-insurgency operations, training, cooperation and intelligence-sharing around the world, from South America to Africa to the Middle East and beyond. By way of example, Colombia relied on US support in the June 2008 rescue of former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and others: "The U.S. provided aid during the operation in the form of surveillance aircraft that have the ability to eavesdrop on guerrilla communications. The planes' ability to electronically jam radios used by the rebels was pivotal once the operation was under way."[9]

It provides funding for counter-narcotics operations
This is most important in Latin America, where cocaine finds its way to Central America, the Caribbean, United States, Africa and Europe.

America puts teeth in the Proliferation Security Initiative
This multilateral organization of 90-plus nations uses national laws and joint military forces to fight the spread of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. America also provides for the development of missile defence, the first protection against the use of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction, using sea, land and air platforms.

The US military supports the development of new technologies
These technologies include computers, communications, aviation, satellite, medicine, aviation, clean water, nuclear and alternative fuels, which begin as military innovations and find their way into the civilian world and the private sector.