An F-16 taking off from Aviano Air Base in Italy. (Photo: Senior Airman Thomas Spangler, U.S. Air Force)
The U.S. President has threatened to pull U.S. troops out of Italy and Spain in his disagreements with European leaders.[i][ii] This would greatly diminish U.S. airpower throughout the western hemisphere of the world, and would gain nothing for the taxpayers of the United States.
U.S. Military bases in Italy are provided by mutual agreement. The United States does not pay rent to Italy for the use of military bases, but are part of bilateral agreements. U.S. bases in Italy are supported by Italian taxpayers through infrastructure contributions. The total cost of all our bases in Italy, is about a quarter of what we spend on bases in Germany or a third of what we spend on Japan.[iii] The U.S. taxpayers have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in constructing and expanding these facilities, turning Italy into a major U.S. Military hub that supports our airpower capabilities on that side of the world.
Aviano Air Base is the primary U.S. air power hub in Italy, hosting the 31st Fighter Wing and F-16s for NATO and Mediterranean operations. Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella in Sicily serves as a critical “Hub of the Med” for maritime patrol and aerial logistics. Vicenza supports 173rd Airborne Brigade rapid deployment needs. These bases offer rapid response and surveillance, crucial for US interests in Europe and Africa.[iv]
As of late April 2026, the U.S. Military has deployed three carrier strike groups to the Middle East—a historic concentration of force, with the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) in the Arabian Sea, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) in the Red Sea, and USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) operating in the region. These groups are supporting ongoing operations against Iran.[v]
U.S. aircraft carriers are not permanently based in Italy but frequently make port visits, primarily to Naples, Trieste, and occasionally Gaeta (home of the Sixth Fleet flagship). While Naples serves as the regional hub for the U.S. Sixth Fleet, carriers primarily leverage Italian ports for replenishment and crew liberty.[vi] The Port of Livorno, while not for aircraft carriers, the adjacent Camp Darby base is a major logistics hub supplying U.S. jet aviation and carrier-related munitions, utilizing its proximity to the port.[vii]
No less important are our two bases in Spain; Naval Station Rota, near the Strait of Gibraltar, is a joint Spanish-American base that hosts U.S. Navy destroyers equipped with ballistic missile defense systems, as well as aircraft, logistics support, and personnel from the Navy and Marine Corps. It is an important refueling stop for aircraft transiting to-and-from the United States and the middle east. The other is Morón Air Base, situated near Seville, it is primarily used by the U.S. Air Force and hosts the U.S. Africa Command’s Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force. It serves as a vital rapid-response staging ground.[viii]
Not to diminish the strategic importance of Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, but [the U.S.] pays $63M each year to be able to use 500 acres of land, and that does not include the cost of construction, maintenance, and operation.[ix] Not since the dismantling of American airpower in the 1920s and lack of preparation in the 1930s has there been a greater need for The American Legion to use its voice in maintaining our National Defense interests.
The charter of the Aerospace Commission is to advise the “National Security Commission of the National American Legion on matters of federal aerospace policy.” If there was ever a time to do so, it is now.
REFERENCES:
[i] Ventura, T., “Trump Threatens to Withdraw U.S. Troops From Italy and Spain as Europe Rift Widens,” Time Magazine, 1 May 2026, URL: https://time.com/article/2026/05/01/trump-threatens-to-withdraw-us-troops-italy-spain-europe-iran-war, accessed 1 May 2026.
[ii] VanDiver, J., “US troop cuts in Italy and Spain probable, Trump says on heels of Germany rhetoric,” Stars and Stripes, I May 2026, URL: https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe/2026-05-01/trump-italy-spain-military-cuts-21544329.html, accessed 1 May 2026.
Source – Stars and Stripes
[iii] Chief Financial Officer, “Operation And Maintenance Overview Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Estimates,” Office Of The Under Secretary Of Defense – Comptroller, March 2018, pages 200-203, URL: https://comptroller.war.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2019/fy2019_OM_Overview.pdf, accessed 1 May 2026.
[iv] Swiggum, G., “US Military Bases in Italy: Overview of Strategic Locations,” MyBaseGuide, A Military Brands Company, 9 October 2025, URL: https://mybaseguide.com/military-bases-in-italy, accessed 1 May 2026.
[v] Panella, C., “The command overseeing US forces in the Middle East just got a third aircraft carrier — and a lot more firepower,” Business Insider, 23 April 2026, URL: https://www.businessinsider.com/third-us-aircraft-carrier-arrives-in-centcom-2026-4, accessed 1 May 2026.
[vi] U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa Public Affairs, “The World’s Largest Aircraft Carrier Arrives in Trieste, Italy,” U.S. Fleet Forces Command, 19 September 2023, URL: https://www.usff.navy.mil/Press-Room/News-Stories/Article/3530694/the-worlds-largest-aircraft-carrier-arrives-in-trieste-italy, accessed 1 May 2026.
[vii] Tomasi, A., “Aircraft Carrier in the Heart of the Mediterranean,” Plǔralia, 19 April 2026, URL: https://pluralia.com/en/a/welcome-to-base-italia-the-natural-aircraft-carrier-in-the-heart-of-the-mediterranean, accessed 1 May 2026.
[viii] Bath, A., “Bases in Spain provide US leverage for conflicts in Middle East and Indo-Pacific,” Stars and Stripes, 2 April 2026, URL: https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe/2026-04-02/spain-nato-rota-moron-trump-rubio-21259212.html, accessed 1 May 2026.
[ix] Goldfarb, Z., “U.S., Djibouti Reach Agreement to Keep Counterterrorism Base in Horn of Africa,” Washington Post, 5 May 2014, URL: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/us-djibouti-reach-agreement-to-keep-counterterrorism-base-in-horn-of-africa-nation/2014/05/05/0965412c-d488-11e3-aae8-c2d44bd79778_story.html, accessed 1 May 2026.
Author: Kevin Burns
Kevin is the current Technical Advisor for The American Legion Department of California Aerospace Commission. He has also previously been Area 5 Commissioner and Chairman.
