In my opinion, there are many facets to this issue and various parties involved whose opinions need to be considered. To simplify, this webpage will look at the opinions on US Military use of bases Rota and Morón  from two parties:  the US/the US military’s opinions on why these bases are important, and the Spanish government as well as Spanish public opinion.

    I believe that these bases are of prime strategic location to any force trying to enter Europe through Spain. Air base Morón is roughly halfway between the US’s east coast and the Middle East. This base is crucial to refueling and maintaining US aircraft. Docking desroyers equipped with the Aegis missile defense system at Naval Station Rota is strategically important, because this base acts as an entry point to the Mediterranean.  This is important because it allows quick access, through international waters, to the Middle East. If conflicts or threats such as the nuclearization of armies, with implications of threats to either the US or Europe, these Destroyers would already be based in a coastal location in Spain, giving them quick access to defend any party being threatened. Sending these destroyers with missile defense systems to Spain adds to the collective security of the United States and the European Union. The collective security of the EU and US is becoming increasingly important, as threats of nuclear missiles come in from North Korea.

    I have mixed views on the economic impacts of the bases on Spanish society. The American soldiers stimulate the economies of Morón and Rota because they have their paychecks to spend locally. However, the base is a “tax haven”, because the Americans on base do not pay any local taxes. This means the population and infrastructure of these base towns has to hold the population on the military base, but the individuals who live there don’t put tax money into local infrastructure spending.

    Also, the US government’s employment of Spanish military and locals has created stable paychecks, retirement funds, and paid for a lot of college educations for local residents. The incoming Aegis destroyers are expected to create jobs both on base and through contracts made with Spanish industries for maintenance and development of the ships. On the other hand, the bases as economic stimuli have developed the feeling by some of the Spanish public that their towns are dependent on the bases for survival.

    The main aspect that drives Spanish sentiment towards these bases is the population’s proximity to the bases. From my research, I have concluded that those who are very close to the base form their opinion of it based on how their town is impacted economically and socially by the bases. For example, those who live in Rota or Morón have higher acceptance of US military use of the base and presence in their town, because they see the direct effect of American spending (as well as job/pension/college fund security by working for the US government) and social influence that the Americans bring to the area. Those throughout the rest of Spain, who are farther away from the bases’ direct effects, tend to form their opinions on the issue in terms of their general view of the US military, foreign policy, and US involvement in international conflict. For example, Spaniards who were strongly opposed to the Iraq War in 2003 protested US use of the bases because they don’t believe the US military should be using Spanish bases for conflicts, about which the Spanish general public doesn’t have the same opinions as the US.