USAG Wiesbaden

As one of the almost 50 American bases located in Germany, USAG Wiesbaden hosts almost 15000 individuals. Almost 3000 of them are actual military troops. Although the amount of inhabitants would easily place this base among the highest populated ones in the United States of America, in Germany it is seen as a regular sized base. Most bases here are huge and established for decades. Besides, Germany is a European territory, which means deploying troops in and out of the base is not such an easy task. In other words, many of the initial communities established here are still around and keep growing.

The general objectives and mission for this base are similar to other military bases in the area. The base is in a stand-by mode, but always ready to step in and provide full support whenever the situation arises and usually in long term conflicts. Meanwhile, the main objective is to provide a healthy and enjoyable life for the inhabitants, whether they are soldiers or their families.

History

The history of the area is old. The place hosted festivals, dog races, horse races and a wide variety of entertaining activities. As for the USAG Wiesbaden, the first use as a fortified airfield was in the spring of 1913, when the Prussian prince Heinrich landed here, representing the first such action in the area. In 1917, the aerial demonstrations also joined the show, since the races were slowly losing popularity. In 1926, the idea to actually built an airfield was not really accepted by the natives. At the same time, the authorities were convinced that such a facility would attract more people and investors, so they started the construction and opened the place in 1929. After the Third Reich took over the power in Germany, the base became the testing place for Luftwaffe pilots.

Between 1936 and 1938, the base saw a wave of incoming improvements and upgrades. New facilities were built and the runways were improved. The first unit hosted here was the famous group “Ace of Spades”. At the peak of the base, there were not less than 40 bombing planes lifting at every 3 hours with various missions. This makes 320 bombers leaving the base for operations everyday.

In 1945, as Germany was falling, the troops abandoned USAG Wiesbaden and allowed the American troops to invade and take it over. Over the last decade, the base suffered new improvements to adapt to the so called War on Terrorism.

Units

Some of the most important units inhabiting the base include the 5-th Signal Command, the 66-th Military Intelligence Brigade, the 1-st Air Support Operations Squadron or the 485-th Intelligence Squadron, but the list can easily go on with dozens of other units and commands.

Housing

The housing system at USAG Wiesbaden is dealt with by the Housing Division. Whether you are a superior, a single soldier or a soldier getting there with the family, this is what you have to call first. Ideally, do it before relocating, since finding a home from time is easier, especially if the space is limited.