Previous work has examined how US military deployments abroad produce contact and economic benefits that can improve civilian perceptions of US actors. In this chapter, we take a deeper look at a negative interaction between service members and host-state civilians by examining how criminal victimization of civilians and members of their social network affect respondents’ views. Those that experience criminal victimization or report victimization in their social network are more likely to have an informed view of the US military presence, and they are more likely to have a negative perception of US actors. At the same time, the context under which crimes take place can influence the effect that they have on perceptions of the US military. This leads to various conclusions as to how to reduce the negative externalities of US military basing.