It continues to deploy thousands of German soldiers to protect those bases, freeing American troops for other uses.

It would have freed numerous troops from guard and patrol work.

In order to save the position in the south, the Germans decided to abandon the Rzhev salient in February, freeing enough troops to make a successful riposte in eastern Ukraine.

The army is to take part in coming weeks in door-to-door searches of hundreds of villages along the Indian-Pakistani border, where militant groups have networks, presumably freeing paramilitary troops so that they can concentrate on election security.

It is relieved that the most the Americans now want (apart from money, naturally, of which the Koreans are putting up $220m) is for Korea to take over more of the job of defending itself, thus freeing American troops and equipment based in Korea for duty in the Gulf.

Shipped to the Eastern Theater, they were designed to be placed into "safe" rear area duty to protect the railroads and supply points thereby freeing regular troops for Grant's push on the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.

It will free troops to be used elsewhere, and free more labor, locomotives.

Modifying this policy, they argued, would allow the Pentagon to ease training requirements on the active force, freeing troops for missions the Army is conducting - and requiring less use of the Guard and Reserve.