Status of Forces Agreements (Taken Question)

Question: Do any existing Status of Forces Agreements (or have any previous SOFAs) contain any provisions regarding how long U.S. troops will stay in a given country? Is a specific date set for U.S. troops to withdraw? Or is U.S. troop presence indefinite?

Answer: A status of forces agreement is the legal framework that governs the presence of United States military personnel, Department of Defense civilians and, in certain circumstances, their dependents and U.S. contractors while overseas. They are always based on mutually agreed activities and do not normally specify the duration of the presence in the country. In some cases the agreement itself may be limited in duration or for a specific activity, for example in the case of an exercise or humanitarian relief mission. However, even “enduring” SOFAs, of which we have about 80 worldwide, have a clause that permits either party to terminate the agreement upon written notification.