May 1, 2026
U.S. Military Footprint in the USSOUTHCOM AOR: WWII–Cold War Posture and Modern Sustainment Implications
The Caribbean Basin region, containing land in both Central America and Northern South America, has long been strategically important to the United States. In order to protect its interests in the region, the U.S. has historically maintained a strong military presence in the basin, sustaining this presence by building a resilient logistics network that adapted its posture to fit the current operating environment. An examination of the U.S. military's footprint in this area, from the extensive build-up during World War II to the more constrained, access-based presence of the Cold War, reveals enduring logistical and geopolitical patterns. This paper provides a consolidated historical analysis of the U.S. military's posture in the region, arguing that this history offers critical lessons for contemporary challenges in basing, access, and sustainment within the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility. By assessing the evolution from permanent bases to flexible access, this analysis seeks to inform a resilient sustainment strategy, particularly for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in its role supporting joint and interagency operations.