As millions of Americans gather with their loved ones to celebrate Christmas vacation Come the New Year, hundreds of thousands of American men and women in uniform will celebrate the holidays away from their families in less festive corners of the world.
As of June, there were 165,830 U.S. service members deployed across the United States The Middle EastThe Indo-Pacific and Europe regions. That number is likely to rise amid recent unrest across the Middle East, and does not include service members who work at U.S. bases during vacations and civilian employees on overseas contracts.
Here's a look at where service members will spend the holidays when deployed around the world:
The Middle East
About 43,000 troops are stationed across the Middle East as of October, an increase from the usual 34,000 troops amid recent unrest and the outbreak of war between Israel and Iranian-affiliated forces such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
The Pentagon announced in October that it would transfer its forces to Cyprus in preparation for escalating unrest in Lebanon. Last week, the Pentagon revealed that there are about 2,100 troops in Syria, not the 900 they have long requested. There are another 1,000 soldiers in Iraq carrying out missions to thwart ISIS.
Map showing the locations of US Navy assets in the Middle East. (Fox News)
Europe
American forces are stationed All over Europe To support NATO forces and deter any potential Russian aggression.
Main distribution areas include Germany (34,894), Italy (12,319) and the United Kingdom (10,180).
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Deputy Commander of the Indonesian Army Training Center, Air Marshal Widiarjo Ekuputra and Major General Joseph R. Harris II, Commander of the Hawaii Air National Guard, inspect military personnel from Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Britain and the United States during the center opening ceremony for the Garuda Super Armor joint military exercises at the Indonesian Naval Aviation Center in Sidoarjo, East Java, on August 26, 2024. (JUNI KRISWANTO/AFP PHOTO/AFP)
Asia
US forces are cooperating with their allies in Asia to conduct joint exercises and coordinate on confronting the threat posed by China
Areas of spread include South Korea (23,732), Japan (52,852), and Guam (6,453).
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South Korean and American soldiers take photos after their joint live-fire exercise at a military training range in Bucheon on March 14, 2024 as part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States. (Jung Eun-ji/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin thanked U.S. troops for their service during the holiday season in a Christmas message.
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“We know firsthand that the holidays can be especially difficult if you're away from your loved ones. So for our troops stationed around the world, we deeply appreciate your sacrifices,” he said. “We know that your families serve, too, and that our military families are the foundation of America’s strength.”
