DOD to Transfer 22 Bases to Germany

Department of Defense ^ | June 23, 2010 | staff

[gandalftb]

The DoD announced today that it will return 22 U.S. Army, Europe, sites in Mannheim and Heidelberg, Germany, plus the Giessen General Depot between 2010 and 2015.

These site closures consolidate remaining personnel onto other DoD main operating bases and allow excess facilities to be returned to the host nation.

U.S. Army Garrison Mannheim

U.S. Army Garrison Heidelberg

U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden

[gandalftb]

Auf Wiedersehen! Danke für die Erinnerungen (memories) und gutes Bier!

[Don Corleone]

Wanna bet that every one of those facilities has just been or is being fully refurbished, new basketball courts, movie theaters, gyms, pools etc prior to the turn over? Its SOP for us.

[SJSAMPLE]

I loved my time in Germany, but 65 years is long enough.
Germany was a FANTASTIC host country and I can’t thank them enough.

Wiesbaden
Frankfurt
Hanau
Heidelberg
Stuttgart
Augsburg
...
..
.

[glorgau]

- Heidelberg Golf Course (2015)!!!!

The horror!

[SJSAMPLE]

Probably correct.
I remember our three year fight for improved motor pools.
We finally go them, new maintenance bays, cleaning racks, etc.

Then we move out the month they were completed.
Ditto with $10 million spent on a hospital.

[SJSAMPLE]

“Attention! Will the last man out please replace the divots?”

[NonValueAdded]

I wonder how the French will react? Has enough time really passed?

[JoeFromSidney]

World War II has been over for 65 years. It's time to bring the boys home.

[pepsi_junkie]

I’m for ending our permanent funding of Europe’s self defense, especially with Germany starting to cozy up to Russia. But boy I expect the Germans to wail and howl about this! A real blow to their local economies. So while I support the concept, I especially like that it will likely be perceived as another snub from Obama, further eroding his support for his desired role of King of the World!

[ASOC]

LOL

Wait till the won closes and turns over D-M and FT Huachucha to Mexico.

[Ed Condon]

It’s a DOD release, and to get further information I’ve got to call a PR guy overseas. WTF is up with that?

[kalee]

ping

[Scythian]

Good, now let’s stop all the foreign aid too ...

[HenpeckedCon]

My former base in Ettlingen, Rheinland Kaserne closed in 1992. I had a good time in Germany off duty.

[T-Bird45]

Another stab at the heart of my youthful memories. My old base, Camp Pieri in Wiesbaden, was turned over in the 1990s and is now an apartment complex. This is just another round of what others have pointed out is necessary after 65 years of presence to offset the Russians.

[TopQuark]

"it will return 22 U.S."

"Return?" When did we take those bases from them?

Oh, it's an example of the new liberal scum's expression "giving back to the community," as if we ever took anything from them. The courage and skill of our troops and our tax dollars protected Europe from the Soviet Union of internal wars for over one half of a century. And now we are returning something.

[T-Bird45]

Some of those bases were German army facilities prior to WW2 and others were created (ex. family housing areas) to support US/NATO forces over the Cold War years. The base I mentioned in my earlier post is an example of one taken from the defeated Germans and converted for use during the occupation/Cold War days. It came complete with eagles cast into the corners of the front gate building, sans swastikas.

I do, however, fully understand your point about US tax dollars expended in defense of Europe over the years, including the construction and maintenance of these facilities.

[calex59]

Having loved it there I am guessing you weren’t stationed at Ayers kaserne :)

[TopQuark]

I didn't know the history of the bases and was under impression they had been built from scratch. Many thanks for your clarification.

[SJSAMPLE]

Nope ;)

My last post was an office in the Abrams Complex (IG Farben building) that’s now a university. Frankfurt was very nice.