Making the most of COVID-19 delays, restrictions

By Rebecca Castellano, U.S. Army Garrison StuttgartMay 8, 2020

Making the most of COVID
Melissa Stampfly, right, coordinated a gelator delivery from vendor Victoria Kern recently Robinson Barracks in Stuttgart. Like many at U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart, Stampfly is helping make the most of the COVID-19 situation. (Photo Credit: Rebecca Castellano, U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart) VIEW ORIGINAL

STUTTGART, Germany - After nearly three years at U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart, Michelle Quilon has tickets to fly stateside on June 4 – travel that may not occur due to coronavirus restrictions.

Should they Quilon and her family get to depart, they also face current physical distancing rules may keep them from face-to-face goodbye with friends, teachers and coworkers before leaving. With many reasons to be frustrated, Quilon said she chooses instead to focus on positives.

“We made Saturdays mandatory hiking day,” said Quilon. “It’s one of the things we’re going to miss the most over here, so it’s been nice to get a few more trails in, as a family, before we leave.”

U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart’s motto is “I’m glad I live here.” With a diverse community of more than 20,000 living and working within its gates and European adventures right outside, it's easy to see why.

But, after more than 45 days of restricted movement due to the global spread of COVID-19, families like Quilon’s are finding new reasons to enjoy calling USAG Stuttgart home.

Christy Jaeger’s husband is mission essential and got a waiver to move recently to Stuttgart, despite the COVID-19 restrictions. They faced several obstacles on their journey, she said.

“The waiver allowed us to fly into Germany. But, we had to go through Amsterdam to get here and they wouldn’t let us in,” said Jaeger. “By the time they cleared it up at the airport, we had missed our flight.”

After two missed flights and seven lost bags, they arrived in Stuttgart to an empty hotel and locked down under 14-days mandatory quarantine. The Jaegers used their downtime to settle in, learning German culture and mapping areas to explore. They are excited to get to know the community, once their quarantine is over.

“People here have been very helpful through every stage of our move,” Jaeger said. “Someone even brought us food and clothes for my kids because our suitcases were lost for a week. It made us feel welcome and less alone.”

Stories like this fill Stuttgart community Facebook groups – where people support one another. Since the start of COVID-19, community members at USAG Stuttgart have volunteered to lend a hand to protect and support their neighbors.

Melissa Stampfly strives to create a welcoming environment for everyone.  Known at Robinson Barracks for organizing community events, Stampfly continued her efforts during the pandemic. Food truck Fridays, gelato deliveries and even an Easter bunny visit were all events Stampfly supported.

“Being able to still have these events is important because we are transitioning into a new normal,” said Stampfly. “If we can keep some similarities from the years prior it will help ease that transition and remind our community members that they matter too.”

Kimberly Phair, a Robinson Barracks resident, believes such events bring the community together.

“At a time when one day blends into the next, it’s something everyone in the community could get excited about,” Phair said.