HEIDELBERG -- As announced today by the Department of Defense, U.S. Army, Europe sites in Darmstadt and Hanau will be closed and returned to host nation officials in first quarter 2009 and Turley Barracks in Mannheim by the end of September 2007.

By the fall of 2007, units comprising more than two-thirds of all military personnel in the Darmstadt and Hanau communities will have either inactivated, relocated or returned to the United States. USAREUR anticipates both communities will be vacated by fall 2008, and facilities should be returned to the host nation in early 2009. In addition, USAREUR has relocated or inactivated all tenants of Turley Barracks.

The personnel numbers for units assigned at these locations were included in USAREUR's FY08 force structure announcement. The announcement also included Installation Management Command-Europe personnel assigned to the Darmstadt and Hessen garrisons, as well as other activities like European Stars and Stripes. Soldier and civilian personnel numbers at the locations in this base closure announcement which are in addition to the FY08 numbers include some 15 Soldiers, 9 Air Force personnel, 291 U.S. civilian and 133 local national employees with agencies such as DODDS-E, DECA, AAFES and other support units in the area.

The sites are identified as:

Darmstadt sites that will close not later than first quarter 2009:

AG Publishing and Training Aids Center

Bensheim Maintenance & Supply Facility

Cambrai Fritsch Kaserne

Ernst Ludwig Kaserne

Griesheim Airfield

Jefferson Village Family Housing

Kelley Barracks

Langen Terrace Family Housing Area

Lincoln Village Family Housing

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Base Closures in Darmstadt and Hanau

2-2-2-2

Messel Small Arms Range

St. Barbara Village Family Housing

Darmstadt sites that will close, but at a date to be determined:

Darmstadt Training Center -- will remain open as a work site only until new facilities are constructed for this mission in Wiesbaden.

Nathan Hale Quartermaster Area -- will remain partially open to accommodate the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) mission until replacement facilities are available elsewhere in theater.

Hanau sites that will close not later than first quarter 2009:

Argonner Kaserne

Cardwell Village Family Housing

Campo Pond Training Area

Fliegerhorst Airfield Kaserne

Grossauheim Kaserne

Hutier Kaserne

New Argonner Family Housing

Pioneer Kaserne

Pioneer Village Family Housing

Wolfgang Kaserne

Yorkhof Kaserne

Mannheim site that will close by the end of September 2007:

Turley Barracks

The return of these installations is in keeping with the August 2004 Presidential announcement to return forces in Europe to the United States and U.S. European Command's Strategic Theater Transformation plan. Every effort will be made to retain civilian personnel in continuing positions. Coordination with German officials was conducted prior to this announcement.