Pentagon Announces Base Closures in Germany

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today that the United States will cease operations at 15 U.S. Army, Europe, sites in Idar-Oberstein, Dexheim and other locations in Germany.

Due to U.S. European Command force structure realignment and transformation, and the attendant reduction in installation and personnel support requirements that have occurred during the past several years, the Department of Defense has determined the following facilities are excess to its needs:

The sites and timeframes for return are as follows. Closure of sites noted with a return date to be determined (TBD) are contingent upon the availability of facilities for relocating tenant activities.

• U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder
  
  • Strassburg Kaserne (Idar-Oberstein) NLT Summer 2009
    
  • Idar-Oberstein Family Housing (Idar-Oberstein) NLT Summer 2009
    
  • Birkenfeld Family Housing Area (Baumholder area) NLT Summer 2008
    
  • Neubruecke Hospital Kaserne (Baumholder area) NLT Summer 2009

• U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden
  
  • American Arms Hotel Return - Date TBD
    
  • Dexheim Family Housing NLT 1st Quarter 2009
    
  • Dexheim Missile Facility NLT 1st Quarter 2009
    
  • Anderson Barracks NLT 1st Quarter 2009
    
  • Camp Oppenheim NLT Summer 2008

• U.S. Army Garrison Mannheim
  
  • Friedrichsfeld Quartermaster Service Center - Return Date TBD
    
  • Friedrichsfeld Storage Area - Return Date TBD
    
  • Dannenfels Communications Station - Return Date TBD

• U.S. Army Heidelberg
  
  • Stem Kaserne - Return Date TBD

• U.S. Army Giessen
  
  • Dautphe Boy Scout Camp NLT 1st Quarter 2009
    
  • Hommertshausen Girl Scout Camp NLT 1st Quarter 2009

In addition to previously announced force structure changes, closure of these sites will affect 49 military, 350 U.S. civilians, and 140 local national employees with agencies such as the Installation Management Command-Europe (IMCOM-E), Europe Regional Medical Command, and Department of Defense Dependents Schools.

IMCOM-E will begin the process of returning facilities affected by this decision to the host nation. Current annual operating costs for these sites are approximately $15 million.

The United States coordinated this action with host nation officials before announcement.

(From a U.S. Defense Department news release.)

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