An American military “stronghold” is the Greece… “Little Greece,” which otherwise lacks “Turkey’s size and strategic position,” is currently an extremely useful “stronghold” for U.S. forces deployed in Alexandroupoli, in Larissa but also elsewhere. The problem is that Those in power, as well as the rest of the political system, refuse to recognize the value of what we give to the U.S. without receiving anything of value in return! On the contrary, we have spent many billions on military equipment made in the U.S., and by all accounts, we are preparing to spend even more!
Some people are trying to imply that the strong U.S. military presence has something to do with Turkey! This claim does not stand up to scrutiny, and It is well known why the Americans have flooded Greece with military forces: Russia and the “Ukrainian crisis” are the cause.
Greece has already given everything it can to the U.S., and it would be best for it to keep a low profile and not make a big fuss about the American presence on its soil. There is no reason for it to suffer another “setback,” further exacerbating the already strained climate in Greek-Russian relations. The insatiable desire of some to have their picture taken with American diplomats and officials is not necessarily in the country’s best interests. Obviously, as NATO allies, we have obligations, but we can fulfill them without making a fuss that can be heard all the way to Moscow. There is no reason for tensions in Greek-Russian relations to escalate further.
In addition to the port of Alexandroupolis, where U.S. forces have landed, the Hellenic National Defense General Staff announced that “as part of the bilateral military cooperation between Greece and the U.S., following actions and coordination between EUCOM and the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, the redeployment of 12 F –15 fighter jets and their support personnel to the 110th Combat Wing in Larissa. This redeployment is being carried out for the purpose of joint training between the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) and USAFE under the name «EARLY BIRD,» and will continue through Friday, May 21, 2021, in parallel with their joint participation in the «ASTRAL KNIGHT 21» exercise, which is part of the multinational, joint-service exercise «DEFENDER EUROPE 21» and is being conducted under the auspices of the U.S. in Europe.”.
In «EARLY BIRD,» the Hellenic Air Force will participate with F–16 fighter jets,
M–2000, F–4, and Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft, and during the exercise, missions involving complex air operations as well as the protection and engagement of targets on land and at sea are scheduled to be carried out.
That's all very nice and useful, but At some point, Greece’s contribution to U.S. plans will have to be costed and priced realistically.
