Regarding the March 16 letter "Close U.S. bases overseas": If you want to be a country of the world, you have to influence the world and be part of it! You can’t just turn around when it gets hard or uncomfortable.

Part of that is keeping overseas bases open, if only to make sure troops and much-needed supplies are getting to where they are needed. Closing overseas bases will not change the problems with low incomes, health benefits, bad real estate markets and homeless people, etc. within the U.S.

The writer needs to realize how his military needs to be able to respond worldwide to threats to his country or its allies. By having bases overseas, it expands its capability to respond quickly and effectively without having to resolve diplomatic issues first.

So closing the bases that are already there (where they are definitely needed) and building and opening new ones along "our southern border" will not save money; rather, it will cost even more than the writer claims to already be paying for.

Antoinette PierceU.S. Air Force spouseSpangdahlem Air Base, Germany