"u.s. forces" license plates are on personal vehicles

QUESTION: I followed a silver minivan up U.S. Highway 24 to Woodland Park.
It had no identifying marks on it (like the Chevy or Ford emblem) and had dark red plates that said “u.s. forces, Turkey.” Is this a military vehicle or someone’s personal vehicle?
- DL
ANSWER: In the past, personal vehicles owned by military personnel serving in Europe had American plates that said “u.s. forces, Europe” or the specific location, according to 1st Lt. Greg Dorman, Fort Carson public-affairs officer.
Then, for safety, the plates were transitioned to “NATO.”

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, they look like any other plates issued by the country they’re in. Dorman said the most plausible explanation for the vehicle you saw was that it was owned by Air Force personnel assigned to Turkey and the vehicle just got to Colorado after they were transferred.