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US Army to close almost all sites in two German cities
Jun 23, 2010, 15:08 GMT
Berlin - The US Army said Wednesday it would close almost all its sites in two German cities, Heidelberg and Mannheim, where it has maintained bases since 1945.
Many of the affected units are to move to another German city, Wiesbaden.
Among the units set to move is US Army Headquarters Europe, code- named USAREUR, at Campbell Barracks in Heidelberg. It will relocate to Wiesbaden in the period 2012 to 2014.
The realignment was announced in Washington by the US Defense Department, with the army adding further details in a German news release.
The barracks and other units, which are home to 6,500 US military personnel as well as their dependents, ensure jobs for many Germans, who are either directly employed by the army or work for suppliers of services.
The statement said the only Army facilities left in the Heidelberg-Mannheim region after 2015 would be a radio relay facility, an army depot and a shopping centre.
The US Army obtained many of its existing sites in south-western Germany after invading to topple the Nazis in 1945 and setting up a US zone of occupation. Later, the bases served the interests of NATO.
A spokesman said 2,000 of the personnel would move to Wiesbaden, which is west of Frankfurt and already has army installations. The army said the relocations meant a net withdrawal from Germany of 1,446 US soldiers, 1,505 US civilian staff and 4,427 dependents.
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