The Defense Department wants to reduce its footprint in Europe, to correspond with the reduction in troop strength there. Following up on a review ordered in January by former Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, the Pentagon is preparing a review of all installations and training areas in Europe, and will present Congress with a result of its findings by the end of 2013. Ultimately, the review will identify which locations should be closed. U.S. European Command now consists of 64,000 joint forces – down from 450,000 at the height of the Cold War.
