Ok cool thanks very much! As a follow up if you don't mind me asking, how did you enjoy your time in Germany? And how important do you think it for the United States to have such power projection?

Ah, the first thing to consider when asking this question is to think about how hungry people were in Germany and in Japan. Many people were on the brink of starvation. The American Generals and leaders were aware that feeding people was a major priority. Consider that in Germany, even the military wanted to be captured by Americans. Our reputation for being fair was well known and, even more importantly, our reputation for being the "bread basket of the world" was even more impressive. In particular, you may want to read more about the GARIOA program (Government Aid and Relief in Occupied Areas). This initial relief was very important to preparing the ground work for the de-Nazification/occupation of Germany and the occupation of Japan. It is quite possible that this program literally saved Germany, Japan, and Austria from massive die-offs.

So, by the time we began building bases in Germany and Japan, America was considered fairly benevolent by the populace (with exceptions, of course). Today, the situtation is much more complex. The locals around bases understand that much of their economic prosperity is directly connected to those bases. For instance, I was stationed in Baumholder, Germany. This town in out in a section called the Hansruck. There is little other economic activity in the area. It is agricultural, but also quite hilly and mountainous. So, for the town and the area around the town, the base is seen as a very positive force because it supplies jobs and income. In other parts of Germany there are people who would be happy to not have US bases around. But the popularity or dislike of our bases is often tied to local and regional news cycles. So, with greater threats for Europe from Russia, we are seen more positively as an ally by Germans and with threats from North Korea, the same can be said about Japan. But should American solders commit crimes against the people, it harms our welcome.