Currently, the United States has military personnel deployed in about 150 Countries…This covers 75% of The World’s Nations. The Total US Active Duty Troop Levels as of December 31st, 2011 was 1,414,000. So bringing home 34K troops amounts to about a 2% reduction. And ya wonder why the military spending is so high?

Taking 34K troops out of harm's way is a big deal to those 34K and to Obama's determination to get us out of all wars. It's time for Afghan's to save their own country just as Iraqi's are. If their countries become more of a mess then it's their mess. If Afghan's tolerate the Taliban running the show then they deserve what they get. We will still retain the ability to hit terrorists with drones, aircraft, special forces as necessary from aircraft carriers,other bases etc. We could be in Afghanistan for 20 more years and wouldn't make much difference if Afghan's are unwilling to take responsibility for their own country. Most of them don't want us there, let's leave.

Three questions: why does it take a state of the union speech to get troops home? Why are our troops in Afghanistan? Three, why would we be telling the Taliban when are troops are leaving?

We will still retain the ability to hit terrorists with drones ********** Will this administration still be targeting American citizens with those drones?

If Afghan's tolerate the Taliban running the show then they deserve what they get. We will still retain the ability to hit terrorists with drones, aircraft, special forces as necessary from aircraft carriers,other bases etc. We could be in Afghanistan for 20 more years and wouldn't make much difference if Afghan's are unwilling to take responsibility for their own country. Most of them don't want us there, let's leave. ********** We should have never enter there in the first place.

Terrible figures dead bovine. There are only 1.4 million active troops TOTAL. There are less than 180,000 deployed abroad. So this is almost a 20% reduction, and in the deadliest of areas. Nice try though.

I wonder if he will annouce a population growth policy for the United States or just ignore the fact that we are on track to add another 38,000,000 Million immigrants to the US over the next 10-years?

phunkhat: There are less than 180,000 deployed abroad??? --- Did you forget about the troops in Germany, Japan, Iraq, South Korea, Italy, Bahrain, United Kingdom and the 96,000 deployed on the High Seas? And don't forget about the nearly three-dozen African nations where US troops are deployed. The list just goes on and on and on and....

phunkhat: There are less than 180,000 deployed abroad??? --- Did you forget about the troops in Germany, Japan, Iraq, South Korea, Italy, Bahrain, United Kingdom and the 96,000 deployed on the High Seas? And don't forget about the nearly three-dozen African nations where US troops are deployed. The list just goes on and on and on and.... ********** Like the energizer bunny?

Great!, Now renegotiate the base deals and cancel half the new weapons systems...we're getting there. More public airing/debate/reconsideration of drone/security policies is good, too.