Ansbach Weekly

USPS Price Increase: Effective July 12, 2026, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will have a price increase on First-Class Mail/Forever stamps. Stamps for letters cost 78 cents but now cost 82 cents. More...

U.S. Army Health Clinic Ansbach Update: Dr. Jerardi and Dr. Klin are no longer with U.S. Army Health Clinic Ansbach. Due to these unforeseen departures, all patients and family members previously assigned to them have now been reassigned to LTC Lee as their Primary Care Manager (PCM). To help maintain access to care during this transition, the clinic will have visiting providers supporting the clinic until we are fully staffed again. More...

France imposes nicotine ban - France has criminalized the possession, importation, and use of non-medically approved nicotine pouches (such as Zyn and Velo). Personnel traveling through or operating in France must ensure they do not carry or use these products to avoid severe legal consequences. More...

Weekly IMCOM Sampler - Here’s what’s happening at U.S. Army Garrisons around the world. More…

Eye on AMC - What’s happening within the U.S. Army Materiel Command—IMCOM’s senior command. More…

Calendar and menu updates from around the garrison.

• July 18: Prague Day Trip with Outdoor Recreation. More...
• July 19: BOSS Commissary Day, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Call 0611-143-587-2165, 587-2165. More...
• July 19: BOSS Barracks Breakout, 5 - 6 p.m. Call 0611-143-587-2165, 587-2165. More...
• July 21: Financial Planning for Unexpected Events, ACS Conference Room, 10 a.m. More...
• July 22: AFN radio airs live from USAG Ansbach. 2-6 p.m. More...
• July 22: Volunteer Orientation & VMIS Training. More...
• July 22: Unaccompanied Housing (UPH) Town Hall, Sadowski Theater, 1:30 p.m.
• July 23: Biergarten at the Von Steuben. More...
• July 28: Ansbach Hospital Maternity Tour with ACS. More...
• July 30: Biergarten at the Von Steuben. More...
• Aug. 1: Berlin Trip with Outdoor Recreation. More...
• Aug. 3-7: Ansbach Clinic's School/CYS Physical Rodeo. Get your child's school/sports physicals. More...
• Aug. 11: Back to School Block Party, 4-7 p.m. Katterbach Youth Center
• Aug. 15: Skydiving with Outdoor Recreation. More...
• Aug. 20: "The Soldier's Trunk" exhibit, Von Steuben Community Center, 5-9 p.m.
• Aug. 25: Ansbach Hospital Maternity Tour with ACS. More...
• Aug. 29: Paddle the Main River with Outdoor Recreation. More...
• Sept. 3-6: Paris & Normandy trip with Outdoor rec. More...

MWR CALENDAR | ARMY COMMUNITY SERVICE CALENDAR (ACS) | DoWEA CALENDAR

• Jul. 17: The Ambassadors of Music. Bands and Choirs in Rothenburg. More...
• Jul. 17 -20: Lichtenau Kirchweih. More...
• Jul. 18: Music Concerts: American Music Abroad. More...
• Jul. 17-18: Heilsbronn Town Fest. More...
• Jul 18-19: Herrieden Altstadtfest. More..
• Jul. 20: The Ambassadors of Music. Bands and Choirs in Rothenburg. More...
• Jul. 23: The Ambassadors of Music. Bands and Choirs in Rothenburg. More...
• Jul. 25-26: Wine Fest Rothenburg. More...
• Aug. 7-9: Wine Tower Open Air in Bad WIndsheim. More...
• Aug. 8-17: Der Drachenstich Medieval Fest, Furth im Wald. More...
• Aug. 12-16: Wine Village Rothenburg. More...
• Aug. 13-16: Wine Fest Ansbach. More...
• Sept. 4-6: Imperial City Festival Rothenburg. More...
• Sept. 26: Green Night Ansbach. Ansbach's landmarks shine in green light, and numerous buildings open their doors to culture enthusiasts. The special ambiance is further enhanced by "green" activities and performances by "green" characters, transforming the balmy late summer evening into a spectacular event. Live music of various genres on different stages throughout the old town + a late-night shopping event also takes place concurrently. More...
• Oct. 31 - Nov. 8: Autumn Fair with trade show in Rothenburg. More...

Friendship Isn’t Just on Paper

The 42nd annual German-American partnership shooting competition between U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach and the city of Herrieden brought together 22 teams from local clubs, businesses, the Bundeswehr, reservists, and U.S. Army units at the Oberdachstetten training area to strengthen the longstanding friendship between the American military and the local community. The Bundeswehr Middle Franconia District Group won the competition, followed by the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade and JSSV Herrieden-Wieseth, while Michael Kräher earned top individual honors. Leaders from both communities, including USAG Ansbach Garrison Commander Col. Aaron J. Southard and Herrieden Mayor Patrick Peters, emphasized that the event’s greatest achievement is fostering enduring German-American partnerships through shared traditions and personal connections. (FLZ, July 17, 2026)

Germany to participate in Ukraine military exercise after all

Initially, government sources indicated that Germany would not take part in the first exercise of the "Coalition of the Willing"—a group formed by supporters of Ukraine. Now, there appears to have been a change of heart. "Germany will participate in this exercise," government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius told the German Press Agency (dpa). "The federal government is examining what this participation will look like." The topic is also set to be discussed on Friday during a meeting of the Franco-German Security and Defense Council, Kornelius added. As recently as Tuesday, government sources in Berlin had stated that Germany would not participate. (Deutsche Welle, July 15, 2026)

What’s changing for air travelers IN GERMANY

New rules for EU states: Passengers are set to find it easier to obtain compensation in the future if a plane arrives at its destination significantly late or fails to take off altogether. Beginning in mid-2027, new European Union air passenger rights will require airlines to provide faster communication, process compensation claims within set deadlines, and eliminate certain extra fees while strengthening protections for families and travelers with disabilities. Passengers will continue to be eligible for compensation of €250–€600 for qualifying delays of three hours or more or eligible cancellations caused by the airline, while carriers must clearly explain passengers’ rights, provide meals, hotel accommodations, internet access, and alternative transportation during major disruptions. The reforms also guarantee free family seating for children under 14, free name corrections and printed boarding passes, automatic refunds for downgrades, and protection for return flights after a missed outbound leg. However, the new rules also cap reimbursement for self-booked alternative travel at four times the original ticket price, which consumer advocates view as a reduction in passenger protections. (Nuernberger Nachrichten, July 14, 2026)

Why the EU’s new social media roadmap is tougher than it looks

Europe is playing the long game on holding Big Tech platforms to account. A new EU expert report recommends a phased approach to protecting children online rather than imposing a blanket social media ban, proposing a bloc-wide minimum age of 13 with parental supervision and allowing individual countries to adopt stricter limits if they choose. The report shifts responsibility to technology companies by requiring them to demonstrate their platforms are safe for minors before granting access, expands the focus beyond social media to include AI chatbots, video games, and addictive features such as infinite scrolling and recommendation algorithms, and emphasizes that meaningful online safety will require long-term cultural and regulatory change. The recommendations are expected to influence future EU rules governing social media and other digital services. (politico.eu, July 14, 2026)

Poland Forms Negotiating Team for Possible Permanent US Base

Poland is preparing for negotiations with Washington regarding a possible permanent US military presence. A team is to be formed within days – but the process is likely to take years, says Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk. Poland plans to form a negotiating team in the coming days for talks with the US about a possible permanent stationing of American troops. This was announced by Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk in an interview with RMF24. At the same time, he emphasized that establishing a permanent US presence would not be a short-term project. "Let's remember: when it comes to the process of establishing an American stationing in such a permanent manner, it will be a process that takes years," said Tomczyk. (polskieradio.pl, July 13, 2026)

New US Garrison Commander at USAG Ansbach

The US Army garrison in Ansbach will henceforth be commanded by Colonel Michael D. Cookey. His predecessor, Colonel Aaron J. Southard, handed over command during a traditional ceremony at Bismarck Kaserne in the Katterbach district of Ansbach. Germany is not an unfamiliar environment for the incoming commander. The event was attended by representatives of the US military and the Bundeswehr, as well as guests from local and state government and the police force. Colleagues and family members of both officers also attended the festivities. Southard was bid farewell by the US Army after 30 years of service. (Fraenkische Landeszeitung, July 13, 2026)

Wildfires: Fire departments respond to incidents near Oberdachstetten and Burgbernheim

A hay baler caught fire Saturday near Anfelden, likely due to a mechanical malfunction, igniting a nearby field and ultimately burning about four hectares (40,000 square meters) while causing an estimated €100,000 in damage. The 29-year-old farmer attempted to extinguish the blaze before multiple German fire departments, assisted by local farmers, brought the fire under control using firebreaks and extensive firefighting efforts. During the response, firefighters were dispatched to a second field fire near Burgbernheim, where additional fire departments, farmers, and the U.S. Army from Illesheim—including an airfield tanker truck—helped quickly contain the blaze. (Fraenkische Landeszeitung, July 12, 2026)

How Germans and Americans got to know each other in 1945

In the aftermath of World War II, the 1.6 million American soldiers occupying Germany were initially subject to a strict fraternization ban that forbade even kindness toward German children, but this policy proved unenforceable and was progressively relaxed—Eisenhower lifting the child-contact ban in June 1945, permitting public conversation with adults a month later, and dropping the fraternization ban entirely by October, though marriage to German women remained forbidden until December 1946 except in cases of pregnancy. Despite resentment from both Germans (who disparaged the women as "Ami-Liebchen") and Americans (who saw the soldiers as "victims of German Fräuleins"), some 20,000 German-American marriages occurred by 1949, aided by the near-absence of German men.

To war-weary Germans, the glamorous, casual GIs seemed like beings from another world, and American "soft power"—jazz, Coca-Cola, blue jeans, films, and youth programs like the GYA—along with shame over Nazi crimes helped foster rapprochement, even as surveys showed lingering Nazi sympathies. This groundwork, reinforced by the Marshall Plan, the Berlin Airlift, and Byrnes's 1946 Stuttgart speech welcoming Germany back among free nations, transformed occupier and defeated into allies, culminating emotionally in Kennedy's iconic 1963 "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech—a friendship that began, symbolically, with the first occupation-era German-American marriage of Charlotte Werr and Sergeant David Charles Petty in December 1945. (Nuernberger Nachrichten, July 8, 2026)

U.S. Army is celebrating 250 year anniversary

VIDEO: For the USA's 250th Independence Day, the "Freedom Fest" in Katterbach (Ansbach district) remained largely reserved for the military community. Security is a huge issue, including here in Katterbach in Middle Franconia. Only those who work here at the US Army base are allowed in – and of course their family members. The big Freedom Fest, at which the USA celebrates its independence 250 years ago, had been planned for 10,000 people.(BR TV, July 7, 2026)

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