Originally Posted by
FlyingHoustonian
Of course there are US military members in Belgium, we have bases there and in the Netherlands and all over Germany (Both US and NATO).
What does Belgium have to do with the OP? Maybe I missed it.
As for Austria, there are no NATO troops "assigned" to Austria. The only current US members, outside the Embassy are on exchange or less than 180 rotation so no short term tour credit is given. The majority were pulled by 1990.
Ciao,
FH
FlyingHoustonian Please re-read my reply / post. I
NEVER mentioned anything about
"troops" being
"assigned" anywhere.
I specifically stated that there (was then, as there is currently) a
specific team of U.S. military members in Austria as well as Belgium.
I also stated that we were / they are NOT attached to the U.S. embassy or consular offices.
I specifically did NOT state the specialization of the military members or identify to what organization they were / and are ATTACHED to, and for WHAT specific PURPOSE they are so tasked.
I understand several FTers are USG, but as you well know, day to day activities within
certain federal organizations are highly
compartmentalized for reasons that need not be, and should not, be discussed.
Back to Topic: it could be, as a previous poster noted, that the young 'Spotnik' could have been referring to his father being stationed in Germany, giving the latitude that Austria was once an occupied country of the Nazis during World War II, or that his dad served during the Berlin Airlift of the 1960's.
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1918 - America's first transatlantic radio intercept station was built on Gillin Farm in Houlton, Maine, just before the end of WWI .