Quote:
Originally Posted by stormlion1
Just how do you 'intern' a base full of military personnel without killing all of them? I don't just see the troops laying down there arms just because a host nation tells them to. If the place has a airstrip I could see the fenceline being manned and personnel being flown out and any equipment that couldn't be transported out being destroyed in place or if not disabled as much as possible. It might be possible with a small post but most military bases are pretty big and it wouldn't be easily done, or done quietly.
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Right, so the host nation would be taking a fairly large calculated risk in using force to "reduce" a non-compliant facility. But, those U.S. personnel on base have got to know that fighting back would likely be making a last stand. Supplying/evacuating the base by air would be creating a Berlin Airlift-like standoff and a country willing to shoot down the transport aircraft could likely do so fairly easily. Even a handful of AAA and MANPADs could effectively deny access if employed prudently. And most bases in friendly nations have fairly large, soft perimeters that rely on local security forces just about as much as it does on U.S. military personnel. If a host country has the will to use deadly force to shut bring a recalcitrant American base commander to heel, there wouldn't be too much he/she could do about it that wouldn't result in a massacre (of U.S. forces). What I see as the more likely outcome would be a lengthy standoff, followed by the Americans destroying as much of their equipment as possible, before surrendering and heading into internment. A siege with significant combat would make a good premise for Hollywood action movie, though, but not a particularly realistic one I'm afraid.
Really, it all depends on timing. If the U.S. caught wind of such a thing early and diplomacy couldn't resolve the situation, I'm sure most of the base could be evacuated and heavy equipment destroyed. If it were a sudden coup-de-main type operation, I'm sure U.S. forces would attempt to fight back but the local forces, having taken the initiative (and presumably applying overwhelming force) would likely prevail. A "we're staying so take your best shot" type scenario could lead to all kinds of messy, ugly outcomes.