[Raellus]

Bash raises some really good points, considering the situation in CONUS, and I tend to agree with SSC's assessment of the military. Not having served, I don't have first-hand experience, but a governmental schism seems like news that would spread quickly through the institutional rumor mill. I can't see the military hierarchy being able to contain news of that magnitude indefinitely. Not that it would be common knowledge among the lower ranks, but I imagine that the knowledge would be pretty widespread scuttlebutt in the ETO by Y2K.

IIRC, there were a couple of shiploads of troops deployed to Europe after the schism. If that was indeed the case, I don't see how as how the troops on board those ships could be prevented, in practice, from sharing the big news with the troops already deployed in the ETO. Word would eventually spread.

Oh, and I just though of WTO propaganda! Someone like a "Moscow Molly", for example, taunting U.S. troops in the ETO with news of the US government split (see the post title). Yeah, so even if the US military could keep the news from the rank and file- a premise that I find somewhat doubtful- the Soviets would loudly spill the beans to sap American and NATO morale (via radio broadcasts, fliers, released POWs, etc.).

Yeah, the more I think about it, the more likely it seems that, by 2000, the split would more or less be common knowledge anywhere in the world that significant bodies of U.S. troops are present.