Posted on 04/30/2003 7:13:34 AM PDT by Hipixs
No. 290-03
(703)697-5131(media)
| IMMEDIATE RELEASE | April 30, 2003 | (703)428-0711(public/industry) |
DOD ANNOUNCES U.S. ARMY EUROPE FACILITIES RETURNED TO GERMANYThe Department of Defense today announced that U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) will partially close the Giessen General Depot, Germany, and return its other facilities in Giessen, Friedberg, Butzbach, Wetzlar and Bad Nauheim in fiscal 2006-2008 as part of the U.S. Army's Efficient-Basing East project. The closures will be completed incrementally during that timeframe as brigade combat team assets are consolidated at one location. The concentration of assets at one site will enhance both traning and deployment readiness by putting six battalion-sized units adjacent to their major training area. Termed "Efficient-Basing East," the project is in keeping with the Army's goal to station a brigade combat team on a single installation and deploy a brigade combat team anywhere in the world. As such, the facilities in and around Giessen were identified as excess to the needs of the U.S. Army in Europe for military operational reasons. In fiscal 2006, the MacArthur Family Housing Area in Friedberg, the George Gershwin Family Housing Area in Wetzlar and the Alvin York Village Familiy Housing Area in Bad Nauheim will be returned to Germany. In fiscal 2007, operations at the Ray Barracks in Friedberg, the Friedberg Training and Storage Area, Schloss Kaserne in Butzbach and the Roman Way Village family housing area will end. In fiscal 2008, facilities in Giessen, including Pendleton Barracks, the John F. Dulles Village Housing Area, the George C. Marshall Village Family Housing Area and the Giessen Military Community Facilities will be closed. Operations at the Butzbach training area and range will terminate in 2008 as well. Also in fiscal 2008, the partial closure of the Giessen Depot will occur. As a result of these closures, USAREUR will inactivate the 284th Base Support Battalion and local elements of the 104th Area Support Group after completion of the move in fiscal 2007 and 2008. Overall, the closures will impact approximately 3,400 soldiers and some 5,000 family members. A total of approximately 270 U.S. appropriated fund civilians, 140 U.S. nonappropriated fund personnel, and 230 local national civilians will be affected. U.S. military operations at the retained portion of the Giessen Depot will be the Army and Air Force Exchange System (AAFES) distribution center and engineer support center. The AAFES distribution center currently employs about 26 U.S. civilians and some 500 local nationals. The Engineer Support Center employs about 12 U.S. civilians and 45 local nationals. Military officials determined the depot remains the most efficient site for these operations in terms of its location and extensive warehouses. The engineer support center, an element of Installation Management Agency, Europe Region, is the central administration and distribution point for both issued family housing furniture and unaccompanied personnel housing furnishings throughout the command. |
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Who's gonna do it?
Nobody's gonna do it as long as it is not possible. As soon as it is possible, somebody will certainly do it.
That said, I think it is a good move, provided it is part of an overall strategy to pull out of Germany and let the EU provide for it's own defense. We could relocate all this capacity to Iraq. We're going to need support over there, anyway.
Try opening your eyes.
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