DoD announces more Germany closings - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

DoD announces more Germany closings

Soldier communities at Darmstadt, Hanau, Buedingen, Gelnhausen and Mannheim, Germany, are the focus of more drawdown actions for U.S. Army Europe.

Under a plan announced three years ago by the Pentagon, USAREUR is moving toward a force of 28,000 soldiers in Germany and Italy. That is a reduction of 40,000 soldiers below the previous manning level.

The exact timing of the drawdown is not final because of budgeting delays related to the construction of new facilities in the United States, but officials expect that most of the major moves will be completed by 2010-11.

The moves announced July 10 by USAREUR headquarters in Heidelberg are in addition to other restationing plans announced early this year.

The new data shows that facilities in Darmstadt and Hanau will be returned to the German government in early fiscal 2009, and Turley Barracks in Mannheim by this October.

Also, the Army will return facilities in Buedingen and Gelnhausen to the Germans following the impending inactivation of the 1st Armored Division’s 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment.

Facilities marked for closure include Armstrong Barracks, Armstrong Village Family Housing Area, Buedingen Ammunition Area, Buedingen Army Heliport and Tiergarten Training Area in Buedingen and Coleman Family Housing Area in Gelnhausen.

Here are details of the other closures:

Darmstadt

Darmstadt sites that will close no later than first quarter 2009:

• AG Publishing and Training Aids Center

• Bensheim Maintenance and Supply Facility

• Cambrai Fritsch Kaserne

• Ernst Ludwig Kaserne

• Griesheim Airfield

• Jefferson Village Family Housing

• Kelley Barracks

• Langen Terrace Family Housing Area

• Lincoln Village Family Housing

• Messel Small Arms Range

• St. Barbara Village Family Housing

Darmstadt sites that will close on a date to be determined:

• Darmstadt Training Center, which will remain open only until new facilities are constructed for this mission in Wiesbaden.

• Nathan Hale Quartermaster Area, which will remain partially open to accommodate the Defense Threat Reduction Agency mission until replacement facilities are available elsewhere in theater.

Hanau

Hanau sites that will close no later than the first quarter of 2009:

• Argonner Kaserne

• Cardwell Village Family Housing

• Campo Pond Training Area

• Fliegerhorst Airfield Kaserne

• Grossauheim Kaserne

• Hutier Kaserne

• New Argonner Family Housing

• Pioneer Kaserne

• Pioneer Village Family Housing

• Wolfgang Kaserne

• Yorkhof Kaserne

Mannheim

Mannheim sites that will close by Sept. 30:

• Turley Barracks