2003年波灣戰後,美國至今仍深陷於伊拉克,此一沈重壓力加上二次波灣戰爭的教訓,均加速了美國自911事件以來全球戰略的調整,尤其呈現於近二年來美國尋求對其全球駐軍進行調整的企圖上,這當然也影響到美國的亞太駐軍。2004年年初以來,美國採取的眾多舉措,例如1月份美國和南韓達成協定,將在3年內把駐韓美軍龍山基地從漢城整體遷往漢江以南;以及2月份大約6架B-52H型重型轟炸機被部署到關島,這些可說均是美國企圖對其亞太駐軍進行戰略調整的明顯傾向。而後美國總統布希8月16日宣佈了全球部署調整的總體計畫,標誌著美軍部署調整進入新的實質性階段。這是繼1992年美軍編制體制大規模調整後,美軍規模最大、範園最廣的一次海外軍事部署調整。這對國際及亞太安全局勢造成不小街擊,而在美國仍扮演演重要關鍵角色的臺海安全上,其未來發展的可能影響實不容忽視。
US are performing the most thorough restructuring of US military forces overseas since the major elements of the US Cold War posture were set in 1953 when the Korean War ended. The withdrawals and redeployments of American troops in Asia-Pacific are not a sign that the US is retreating into an isolationist. They are, on the contrary, part of a plan to reconfigure US armed forces in this region to enable them to intervene more quickly in crisis spots. The concept is framed to position US forces optimally to inf1uence the threats we now face and create presence and capacity through a network of joint forward operating bases and locations. Japan and South Korea will see large reductions in the numbers of American troops on their territory. It will improve the US capability to contribute to international efforts to defeat global threats such as terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and enable the US to engage more effectively in regional contingencies.