The rationale behind the large number of closures is that the strategic functions of the bases, designed to serve as forward posts in any war against the USSR, are no longer relevant since the end of the Cold War era.
WIKIPEDIA has a list of United States military locations in Germany, both closed and still existing. To preserve originality, place names follow US Forces nomenclature as far as is reasonable. As the amount of data grew, it became necessary to list each garrison on two separate pages: List of American Military Sites in Southern Germany, List of American Military Sites in Northern Germany.
The associations were subordinate to the following supreme commands:
The US armed forces were initially organized as USFET (United States Forces European Theater) from August 01, 1945 to February 28, 1946 in Berlin and Frankfurt am Main, IG Farben Building.
On March 15, 1947 they were reassigned to EUCOM (European Command) in Frankfurt, 1948 moved from Frankfurt to Heidelberg, Campbell Barracks. On January 01, 1950 reorganized as USAREUR (United States Army Europe). USAREUR was subordinate to USEUCOM (United States European Command), since 1967 in Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Patch Barracks.
The US Air Force was reorganized on August 16, 1945 from USSAF (US Strategic Air Forces) to USAFE (US Air Forces, Europe) in Wiesbaden, Lindsey Air Station, while still part of the US Army.
Subordination to EUCOM was lifted in 1950 and1972 Transfer to Ramstein Air Base.
USAFE was subordinate to USEUCOM (United States European Command), since 1967 in Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Patch Barracks.
The US nuclear weapons on German soil formed the backbone of the North Atlantic Alliance. They were the crucial military element of the Cold War.
The ability to use the nuclear arsenal and the will to ultimately use these weapons, conveyed to the opponent in a credible manner, formed the core element in the global bipolar conflict.
The 59th Ordnance Brigade in Pirmasens was responsible for the nuclear operational capability of the USA. Nuclear custody according to the principle of the two keys was the responsibility of the United States Army Field Artillery Detachments (USAFAD) - in the Nike associations United States Army Artillery Detachments (USAAD), which were subordinate to the United States Army Artillery Groups (USAAG) at corps level.
The detachments were with all nuclear-capable NATO allies on German soil from 1958 (Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada (until 1984) and also France until 1966 stationed.
The "Regency Net" system with the control center in Pirmasens was set up from 1976 to 1982 as the command and control network.
In an emergency, Regency Net would have served to transmit "Emergency Action Messages" from CINCEUR (also SACEUR in personal union) for the release of nuclear weapons for the national partners.
For the Air Force there was a similar organization with Munitions Support Squadrons (MUNSS) and a Munitions Maintenance Group in Ramstein.
