USAG Brussels

USAG Brussels is one of the essential military facilities operated by the United States of America in Europe. It is located in Brussels, in the capital of Belgium. It is a few minutes away from the NATO headquarters, therefore it is very important for the safety measures in the area. Its primary mission is to ensure an excellent lifestyle for the inhabitants, full support for the American operations in Belgium and premier support for the important visitors of the main city in Belgium. Brussels is also referred to as the capital of Europe due to the multitude of institutions part of the European Union hosted in there. The objectives of the military base haven’t changed too much over the history, especially since the NATO headquarters was moved to Brussels long ago, in 1967. It was relocated from Paris.

History

USAG Brussels was initially established as NSA (NATO Support Activity). When the construction was finally over, the whole place was nothing but a crowded amalgam of buildings, services and offices serving multiple purposes. At the same time, the troops hosted there had a wide variety of recreational areas, from indoor pubs, bars and clubs to outdoor sport courts. Operating this crowded base was very expensive, so many of those facilities and services are gone today. Many of them were relocated here and there, then sent back and so on. Over the years, no one knew precisely what the base is useful for. No one could even tell the precise names of the services operated from this place, since they were constantly changing. With all these, the primary missions have never changed.

Units

In order to serve all the objectives and services it was built for, USAG Brussels hosts a wide variety of troops and units. The most important one is the 39 Signal Battalion. Some other units include the Brussels American School, the Canadian Military Delegation or the Defense Contract Management Command. However, the list can successfully go on. Aside from the permanent units, there are plenty of associate tenant units as well. They are usually deployed on a temporary basis.

The base currently hosts around 2700 individuals, counting both military and civilian personnel.

Housing

Believe it or not, USAG Brussels is probably the only military base in the world that doesn’t provide on site accommodation for the troops. The workers are hosted off site, in a privatized system. There is no such thing as an application, a housing office or a family. It is up to you to find the best place to suit your necessities. At the same time, the decision to bring in your family or not is not that relevant, as well as your rank and the duration of your stay.

The privatized system is affordable and provides a multitude of options. It can satisfy every individual’s needs. The facilities are excellent too, while Brussels is known to be among the safest cities around Europe. While living there, the foreigners have a great shot at the European lifestyle, whether they opt for the cultural side or the nightlife of the European capital.