Interactive map: location and number of U.S. military facilities worldwide. © 2023 Tiffany Chung
Map data: David Vine, "Lists of U.S. Military Bases Abroad, 1776-2021," American University Digital Research Archive, 2021
[Note: The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply endorsement or acceptance by the website’s author.]

According to David Vine, professor at the Department of Anthropology, American University, there are currently about 750 U.S. military base sites outside of the 50 states and Washington DC, in around 80 countries and colonies worldwide. Vine has created and maintained a spreadsheet called Lists of U.S. Military Bases Abroad, 1776-2021, in which he tracks the number and location of the U.S. military bases and installations worldwide since 1776. The interactive map above is largely based on the data from David Vine’s 2021 List of U.S. Military Bases Abroad, including the unconfirmed and recently-closed facilities, which was crosschecked with other sources such as the 2018 Base Structure Report published by the U.S. Department of Defense. The below sources include some of the articles investigating U.S. military facilities in Africa, while a comprehensive list of research materials on U.S. military activities in Africa and several ongoing conflicts in the continent is filed under In Focus - AFRICA. Materials on complex issues in relation to U.S. military bases and the environment in Okinawa (Japan) are comprised from Tiffany Chung’s fieldwork in the archipelago and archived under In Focus - ASIA PACIFIC. The research data compiled for In Focus–Southwest & Central Asia is selected from Chung’s ongoing research and tracking of the war and humanitarian crisis in Syria since 2012, with additional materials on Iraq and Afghanistan.

SOURCES:
Lists of U.S. Military Bases Abroad, 1776-2021, (David Vine), American University Digital Research Archive, 2021, https://doi.org/10.17606/7em4-hb13.

BASE STRUCTURE REPORT – FISCAL YEAR 2018 BASELINE, (US Department of Defense)
2018, 204 pages, PDF report of all sites owned/managed by the DoD and their assets; Base Structure report is published yearly by the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, presenting a snapshot of real property data belonging to the U.S. Department of Defense.

United States Military Bases, infographic map, Civilian Medical Resources Network

Some Notes About the U.S. Military Bases and Personnel Abroad, (Rémy Herrera, Joëlle Cicchini), Journal of Innovation Economics & Management
2013, article examining how the network of U.S. military bases and strengths has evolved over the period of 1991-2011 with statistical data, and a brief introduction of history of the U.S. expanding military bases to overseas.

Base-related Data, Okinawa Prefectural Government, Washington D.C. office
Page introducing history of U.S. military bases in Okinawa, facilities and areas, issues stemming from bases, and Okinawa’s economy.

US-Japan Military Base Issues: Maps of US Military Bases in Okinawa, George Washington University Library
Library guide on locating both electronic and print resources related to the latest US military base issues in Okinawa.

United States Forces Japan, wikiwand
Wikipedia page on the U.S. military command stationed in Japan detailing its history, issues, Status of Force Agreement, and a list of current facilities.

Pentagon Map Shows Network of 29 U.S. Bases in Africa, (Nick Turse), The Intercept
27 February 2020, article about secret U.S. military bases in African countries including Djibouti, Uganda, Kenya, Gabon, Ascension Island, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Niger, Chad, Tunisia, Mali, Cameroon, Libya, Somalia.

2020 East Africa and North and West Africa Counterterrorism Operations - Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress, (Lead Inspector General), DoD, DoS, USAID
A quarterly report about U.S. counterterrorism programs in Africa (01 July - 30 September 2020). The Offices of Inspector General of the Department of Defense, Department of State, and U.S. Agency for International Development produce a quarterly report describes the activities of the U.S. government in support of the East Africa Counterterrorism Operation and the North and West Africa Counterterrorism Operation and to promote U.S. government policy goals in Africa.

U.S. Military in Africa, Google Maps
2019 Google Maps charting the U.S. military posture in Africa, including bases under AFRICOM, SOCAFRICA, JSOC, USAF, and USN.

A Guide To The Pentagon’s Shadowy Network Of Bases In Africa, (Joseph Trevithick), The Warzone
16 July 2019, article on the various secret military bases in Africa.

Documents Show Vast Network of U.S. Military Bases in Africa, (Nick Turse), The Intercept
01 December 2018, article revealing undisclosed/unconfirmed U.S. military bases in Africa by detailing the sprawling network of U.S. military bases in Africa, especially in Niger, Somalia, Kenya, Libya, Tunisia, Djibouti, Cameroon, Mali, and Chad.

Tracing the US Military’s Presence in Africa, (Adam Moore, James Walker), Geopolitics
20 April 2016, journal article by geographers Adam Moore and James Walker exploring AFRICOM as a geopolitical assemblage with three case studies involving aerial surveillance, logistics infrastructure, and counterterrorism entanglements.