August 26, 2004: The reduction of U.S. military
presence in Europe, primarily Germany, will impact a number of
communities. Baumholder, Germany, is a good example, where
American soldiers and their civilian dependents outnumber the
local German population. There are 13,000 Americans compared to
11,000 Germans in Baumholder and the nearby communities that
are within Baumholder's jurisdiction.
When 5,000 American soldiers returned to their base in
Baumholder following a tour of duty in Iraq, they were greeted
by banners reading "Welcome home!" in English that were
sponsored by the local brewery. Americans contribute about 20
million dollars to the local economy, and at least 600 German
citizens are employed by the U.S. military. All will be lost
once the realignment of U.S. forces is implemented, since
Baumholder is one of the areas to be affected.
Baumholder's mayor Volkmar Pees, who has been in office 24
years, is understandably concerned: "It would be a catastrophe
for us if the Americans leave and there is no replacement. You
can just imagine – there are residences for nearly 5,000
families and also the barracks." Baumholder's director of
economic development, Hans Schnabel, worries what will happen
with the empty barracks and training facilities used by the
Americans: "The U.S. troops utilize 250 acres of land within
the city limits. We have no idea what will happen with that
land." The barracks that present the biggest problem for the
transition are the ones located right in the middle of town.
Schnabel added that it will take some time to find tenants for
the approximately 2500 private apartments currently being
rented by American military families.
The economic impact is easily visible on Baumholder's main
street, the "Kennedy-Allee", where one sees American tax
consulting offices alongside German drugstores and bakeries.
Most of the 70 pubs in Baumholder are bilingual and cater to
the American community.
Baumholder has gotten used to its American visitors.
American troops entered the town in 1945, and six years later
they took over the military training range built in 1936 for
Hitler's army. Baumholder has become the largest American
military community outside the United States, but all that will
change dramatically when U.S. troops levels in Europe are
reduced in the coming years.
