Unbeknownst to many Americans, we have US troops spread out all over the globe. With many of them being stationed on small bases, outposts, or in some of the most austere locations imaginable, it’s no wonder it’s kept secret. Among them was a collection of Special Operations troops from various components stationed in Chad.

Now, thanks to the government in N’Djamena threatening to kick them from the country, the operators have been relocated to Germany as things evolve. While they warned US officials in April that the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that allowed them to be there would be ending soon, they also demanded that they leave essentially immediately. As April came to an end, more than half had already left the French base in N’Djamena they were working from. The rest had remained to oversee the completion of the withdrawal talks.

Speaking with the Daily Caller, a defense official said, “We can confirm the safe and orderly relocation of approximately 60 US forces from Chad to Germany, where they will continue their work. This temporary step is part of an ongoing review of our security cooperation, which will resume after the May 6 Presidential election.” With under 100 troops stationed there, it had been the center of the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) operations in the region. Based in Germany before 2021, in the years since Biden took office they have been in Chad, and the locals largely unhappy.

With SOCOM also losing its position in neighboring Niger, the Islamic resistance movements in the area now have more freedom to operate. With their unstable governments happy to take assistance from the US just as easily as from our adversaries Russia and China, it’s a very unpredictable time in the region. With US troops getting the boot, the situation is only likely to become worse.