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Why does the US still have so many military bases in Europe? Does the average American really think their country is doing us Europeans a favour here?
Frankly, yes. The closure of a military base is devastating to the economy of the nearby towns and villages. Often, permanently (at least, "permanently" as far as anybody alive today is concerned). European leaders complain about US military presence, then quietly follow up with a phone call reassuring the US it was just a cheap publicity stunt to win votes on election day.
The US also needs European bases for recruiting purposes. When an American kid shows up at an Army or Air Force recruiting office, they don't show them pictures of soldiers clearing Afghan villages of IEDs or getting shot at in Iraq. They show lots of pictures of smiling, happy military families eating croissants at a sidewalk cafe with the Eiffel Tower in the background, visiting Stonehenge, enjoying High Tea, and drinking beer served by buxom blondes in lederhosen.