Overseas Bases and Status of Forces Agreements SOFA

The United States built a global network of bases during and after World War II and the Cold War. At the end of 2025 about 177,000 active-duty service members were stationed abroad, more than 237,000 counting reservists and civilians, with the largest numbers in Japan, at more than 54,000, Germany, at more than 36,000, and South Korea, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Estimates of the number of overseas bases and sites range from about 500 to 750 in roughly 80 countries, from large air bases to small radar stations.

Status of forces agreements, or SOFAs, set the legal terms for U.S. troops in a host country, including who can prosecute service members accused of crimes, tax and customs rules, use of land, and entry and exit. The United States has such agreements with more than 100 countries, including the NATO SOFA of 1951 and agreements with Japan in 1960 and South Korea in 1966. Usually the host country can prosecute off-duty crimes, while the United States handles crimes on duty, an arrangement that has caused protests after crimes by U.S. troops, especially on Okinawa.

Host countries often pay part of the cost, and Presidents have pressed allies such as Japan, South Korea, and Germany to pay more. In 2026 the Pentagon announced it would withdraw at least 5,000 troops from Germany. Supporters say forward bases deter aggression, reassure allies, and let the military respond quickly worldwide. Critics say the network is costly, entangles the United States in distant conflicts, and that allies should defend themselves, while some host communities object to noise, accidents, and crime.