Anyone stationed in Germany now or in the past? Need advice please

My husband is currently in the National Guard and is on his 2nd deployment over seas. He gets home in a few months and is debating whether or not he should go active the last 2 years of his contract when he gets home. If he does he'd like to go to Germany if possible. At the same time he loves his civilian job and is torn between the two. Please can you give me your view on what you think about living in Germany and if you think it is worth it? Any advice you have is appreciated!

I spent from 94 to 96 in Germany and absolutely loved it. There is so much to do over there not to mention it puts you in a area where you can travel easily to other places in Europe. The only thing you have to remember is if he goes active is he will have field time and there is a chance of another deployment. To be honest with you I would go back in a heartbeat if I could. I ended up disabled and had to leave the military, so I never got the chance for a second tour over there. Well Good Luck with which ever choice you make.

Yeah chances are he won't go active for the simple fact that he'd have to sign a new contract and he only has 2 more years with the guard.he's 26 and has had 3 deployments, 2 of which have been over seas. He really doesn't want to go through another deployment when some guys that have been in 20 years are on there first deployment now. It bothers him a little. I would love to go to Germany, but I also know how he feels and he wants to start a family soon. The fact of being away again especially since weve only been together one month of our marriage kills him. Thank you so much for your feed back!! It's greatly appreciated!!

I was stationed in Germany from 94-97, and loved it! Going and seeing a new place is a great experience! A few other things to think about are: if he did go active, he would have to make damn sure he had a German duty station on his contract, because depending on his MOS, he could go where they need him. It is not as easy as saying " I want to go here!!". Plus, unless things have changed, if you were to go with him, he would have to spend 3 years there for an accompanied tour, instead of the 2 year unaccompanied tour. Also if he got deployed while he was there, you would be alone in another country for a good 18 months. But anyway, I'm sure you would love it! Just weigh the options!
Hey Eric P, where were you stationed?? Just wondering because I saw your name in the Nijmegen forum post as well!

I served several tours in germany [between 75-94] ,loved every min. of it. It can be a great tour of duty or a very bad one. The military oversea is a lot differant than in the states. You could be there most of your tour without him. there's a lot of training and deployment exercises plus deployments lasting up to 18months. Once more I had great tours and hope you the have a great tour also if you decide to go.

I'm with that guy. ^

Thanks guys for all the help!! It's greatly appreciated. I think we're going to get through the last 2 years of this contract home, then think about getting out or signing actice. Our whole marriage has pretty much been apart, and I think we wanna feel like a married couple and have a life together. It's looking that way for now at least! Thanks again

I was in Germany from 86-89. I loved it over there. There is a lot to do. Traveling is very easy so much to see. the Germans are very friendly.

I was in germany for 3 years and loved it.

I WAS STATIONED AT RHINE MAIN AFB TWICE. 69-71, 82-86 WE LOVED IT. I HAVE BEEN BACK AT LEAST 10 TIMES SINCE. RIGHT NOW SINCE I'M RETIRED WE'RE THINKING OF MOVING BACK TO RETIRE THERE. YOU NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TIME THERE AND SEE ALL YOU CAN. IT'S A CHANCE OF A LIFE TIME.

My husband applied for active duty yesterday, and if they relieve him from the National Guard we should have his orders of where he will be stationes in April. Not sure where we will be put but its looking like somewhere in the states. It doesn't matter where we go, I would really love to try Germany though. Hope were lucky enough to get it!

Enter your Response to Anyone stationed in Germany now or in the past? Need advice please.

I was in Pirmasens,Germany from June of 1968 to November of 1970 and loved every minute. Good chance to visit not only Germany but all of Europe as well.

Germany is nice. I was stationed there and found it to be swell. If you're looking for comfort level, it's pretty high over there. It'll also amaze you how clean everything the country is when you get away from Americans. IDK if I'd go back, but it's a great place to go to if you plan on travelling a bit.

I'm stationed in Germany right now and love everything about it. I've been here for 3 years and have 3 more to go. My family also loves it also. The only thing is is that we delpoy more often being closer than the states to the AOR.

Greetings:

I was in Germany from Autumn 1968 through 1969, assigned to Company "A", 11th Air Defense Signal Battalion, 32d Army Air Defense Command, at Kleber Kaserne in Kaiserslautern.

We landed at Rhine Main Air Force Base, and processed through a replacement company in Frankfurt, which was in an old brick dungeon used by the Nazis, and you could still see the impacts from the machine gun bullets.

Since I love railroad trains, I'm particularly pleased that I rode on a troop train from Frankfurt to Kaiserslautern.

When I first arrived in Kaiserslautern, I was cold, wet, and pretty miserable, and the food in the mess hall was nothing but swill.

(I later learned the mess sergeant was arrested and court-martialed for stealing our rations and selling them.)

But, I got sent TDY (i.e., temporary duty assignment - - - and the word, "temporary" is totally meaningless) to Spangdahlem Air Force Base.

Boy, oh boy, when you're a Private First Class in the United States Army and you get stationed on an Air Force base, it is unbelievable!

It's like a permanent vacation, or dying and going to Heaven!

Of course, it wasn't all perfect.

At one of the missile installations guarding Spangdahlem Air Force Base, a couple of soldiers on guard duty got bored, and started shooting at each other.

Yes, one was killed.

Soldiers in the United States Army were far more prone to violence than any of the other services, and there were numerous accidental deaths from drinking too much German beer, which is far more potent than what Americans are used to.

Remember, though, this was while a a very unpopular and controversial war was going on in the Republic of Viet Nam, so that affected how troops thought and acted, even in Germany.

There was an increasingly serious illegal drug problem, mainly marijuana and hashish, which also resulted in extreme violence.

Blacks and Whites did not like each other, and wo betide anyone foolish enough to wander into the wrong off duty establishment if they were the wrong race.

Anyway, by the time I left Germany, I had grown to love it, and hated to leave.

I particularly loved eating the bratwurst und brochen, with that special mustard they had which I can't find anywhere in the United States.

I went to an Oktoberfest in Kaiserslautern.

There I was, a lonely soldier, with no money, unable to speak German, and I didn't drink alcohol.

Well, let me tell you, those Germans went overboard to be nice to me!

They loaded me up with free gifts of their pastries and candies, and I drank soda pop while they enjoyed their beer, and we all swayed back and forth, singing, as the band oom pah pahed.

I was an assistant scoutmaster for the Boy Scout troop at Bitburg Air Force Base (a few miles from Spangdahlem), where I attended church services.

We had our summer camp, "Camp Edelweiss", at Bad Tolz, where Special Forces troopers entertained us with demonstrations and instructions on wilderness survival.

Then, we went to Munich, where we attended church, and toured the Deutches Museum, the German equivalent to our Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

We were scheduled to visit Dachau Concentration Camp, and Salzburg, Austria, but our trip was cut short because the scoutmaster, an Air Force technical sergeant, was hospitalized with pneumonia.

My one regret was that I never took the time to visit any other countries, even though I was right next to Luxembourg and France.

(I didn't realize I was so close to the Border.)

Thank you.

Greetings:

I was in Germany from Autumn 1968 through 1969, assigned to Company "A", 11th Air Defense Signal Battalion, 32d Army Air Defense Command, at Kleber Kaserne in Kaiserslautern.

We landed at Rhine Main Air Force Base, and processed through a replacement company in Frankfurt, which was in an old brick dungeon used by the Nazis, and you could still see the impacts from the machine gun bullets.

Since I love railroad trains, I'm particularly pleased that I rode on a troop train from Frankfurt to Kaiserslautern.

When I first arrived in Kaiserslautern, I was cold, wet, and pretty miserable, and the food in the mess hall was nothing but swill.

(I later learned the mess sergeant was arrested and court-martialed for stealing our rations and selling them.)

But, I got sent TDY (i.e., temporary duty assignment - - - and the word, "temporary" is totally meaningless) to Spangdahlem Air Force Base.

Boy, oh boy, when you're a Private First Class in the United States Army and you get stationed on an Air Force base, it is unbelievable!

It's like a permanent vacation, or dying and going to Heaven!

Of course, it wasn't all perfect.

At one of the missile installations guarding Spangdahlem Air Force Base, a couple of soldiers on guard duty got bored, and started shooting at each other.

Yes, one was killed.

Soldiers in the United States Army were far more prone to violence than any of the other services, and there were numerous accidental deaths from drinking too much German beer, which is far more potent than what Americans are used to.

Remember, though, this was while a a very unpopular and controversial war was going on in the Republic of Viet Nam, so that affected how troops thought and acted, even in Germany.

There was an increasingly serious illegal drug problem, mainly marijuana and hashish, which also resulted in extreme violence.

Blacks and Whites did not like each other, and wo betide anyone foolish enough to wander into the wrong off duty establishment if they were the wrong race.

Anyway, by the time I left Germany, I had grown to love it, and hated to leave.

I particularly loved eating the bratwurst und brochen, with that special mustard they had which I can't find anywhere in the United States.

I went to an Oktoberfest in Kaiserslautern.

There I was, a lonely soldier, with no money, unable to speak German, and I didn't drink alcohol.

Well, let me tell you, those Germans went overboard to be nice to me!

They loaded me up with free gifts of their pastries and candies, and I drank soda pop while they enjoyed their beer, and we all swayed back and forth, singing, as the band oom pah pahed.

I was an assistant scoutmaster for the Boy Scout troop at Bitburg Air Force Base (a few miles from Spangdahlem), where I attended church services.

We had our summer camp, "Camp Edelweiss", at Bad Tolz, where Special Forces troopers entertained us with demonstrations and instructions on wilderness survival.

Then, we went to Munich, where we attended church, and toured the Deutches Museum, the German equivalent to our Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

We were scheduled to visit Dachau Concentration Camp, and Salzburg, Austria, but our trip was cut short because the scoutmaster, an Air Force technical sergeant, was hospitalized with pneumonia.

My one regret was that I never took the time to visit any other countries, even though I was right next to Luxembourg and France.

(I didn't realize I was so close to the Border.)

I really enjoyed watching Armed Forces Television, and in the electronics repair shop where I worked, I remember each afternoon, hearing the Country music show, "FIFTEEN OH FIVE TO NASHVILLE", on the Armed Forces Radio Network.

One of the sergeants said the khaki uniform worn by the Air Force was called "Fifteen Oh Fives".

In the Army, our khaki uniform was called a "Class B Uniform".

The dress greens were "Class A", and the olive drab fatigues were "Class D".

We would get our daily laughs reading the "DEAR ABBY" column in the "STARS AND STRIPES" newspaper.

I had it pretty good where I was.

During "Red" alert field exercises, other soldiers had to go out in the cold and snow and mud to play soldier.

But, my repair team which was TDY at Spangdahlem Air Force Base was, in our unit's T.O. & E., already listed as "deployed in the field".

(In the United States Army, the initials, "T.O. & E.", stand for "Table of Organization and Equipment", which indicates each unit's mission, how many personnel, and what equipment that unit is authorized.)

So, we just strolled over to our nice warm repair shop, and went to work doing the same thing we did on any other day.

Of course, after my TDY was done, and I returned to the company in Kaiserslautern, I once again picked up my M-14 rifle and soldiered out in the field.

Cool, huh?

It was a very good life.

Then, I reenlisted, and went to Viet Nam.

Thank you.

NOTE TO MODERATOR:

Could you please remove that first post, the one that didn't come out right?

I didn't realize I wasn't properly signed in, so the message was posted, but I can't edit it, or clear it.

The second posted message was done correctly, and should remain in place.

Then, if you would also remove this one, everything will be hunky dory.

Thank you.

I was an Air Force brat at Wiesbaden, West Germany (ca. 1965-1967), and then stationed at Ramstein AB, Germany from 1990-1992. While going to Germany is NOT a "one chance in a lifetime" opportunity, it is a great assignment (or retirement location) for our troops.

One key to being stationed there is to avoid the Americans as much as possible off base. Reason: So many put up a facade saying how much they like it yet criticize many aspects of German life. Make some German friends and they will show you the parts of Germany that many, and most, foreigners never see.

Another key is to visit as many countries as you can while you're there. If you drive or use the rails, you will see Germany more clearly than you could have imagined in your head. I used the rails as much as possible since I didn't drive at that time and used the city buses as well; I was able to function quite well without a POV.

Also, visit your Tickets & Tours office for the calendar of events and you'll be able to map out the festivals and other points of interest to suit your tastes. I hit Bad Durkheim Wine Festival within two hours of landing at Rhein Main AB, and the next day was in Amsterdam eating lunch in Dam Square. Try to avoid being "stuck" on base, otherwise you will have missed a fine country during your tour.

While in Germany, "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow, who knows?" (unknown)

Terry

You will love Germany!It is right in the middle of so many other countries that are only a day's drive or less to get to.I was only in for 2 years and went back many times on vacation, but no idea how it is to live there military-wise today.Good luck!