zlacker

It's not just where we have troops stationed. It's also the places where the US either owns/leases the place or else has an access agreement with the host country in a crisis. Beyond the speed of deployment you mentioned, it also matters how many countries in theater have given us permission to either use their soil to flow troops and supplies through or even attack from.

The more restrictive the access agreements are, the less options military planners and operations officers have and the more predictable we are to the enemy, who knows that he only has to defend against the evil Yankees coming from country X, not country Y or Z. And that because Country X is so far away, we need to burn additional logistical assets to support the shooters.