European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 1, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday february 1, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 3newest Cavern in Germany put on list by Ken Clauson Bremerhaven Bureau Bremerhaven Germany a the ending of operations at army facilities in Bremerhaven and Garls Tedt Means the military is ending its stay at its newest installation in Germany As it continues a pullout of troops from the Northern part of the country. The installations were included on the latest list of 83 military Sites in Europe designated to be returned or partially returned to the Host nation. Lucius d. Clay Cavern in Karlstedt was custom built for a 2nd army div brigade in the late 1970s. Before the draw Down began the brigade had about 4,400 soldiers with More than 4,200 family members. The Cavern is about 20 Miles South of Bremerhaven in a farming Region. Most family housing for the Post is located a few Miles away in the town of osterholz Schrambeck. The Cavern construction was jointly financed by the . And West German governments with the germans contributing More than 170 million Marks about $108 million at today a Exchange rates and the americans More than 98 million Marks about $62 million. Formerly a Forward deployed brigade of the 2nd army div based at fort Hood Texas the unit is now the Only remaining element of the division on Active duty. The two Texas based brigades were inactivated in october 1990 and May 1991. According to the january 1992 Issue of soldiers Magazine an official army publication the 2nd army div will be withdrawn from the . Army in Europe. Unit spokesmen however said they have no official information on the future of the unit but said Usa eur is to release unit disposition information next week. One tank battalion a the 3rd in 66th army a shipped its tanks in december to a 1st army div unit in Schweinfurt. Unit soldiers said recently that most of the battalion will be gone from the Post by february and that the unit is not being transferred to another location. Maj. Roger King a spokesman for the Karlstedt unit said two weeks ago that there arc no plans to replace those tanks. A although no final decision has been made by the department of defense this unit is a candidate for withdrawal a he said. A Susa eur will announce in its next draw Down announcement the disposition of this  soldiers from the other Armor Field artillery infantry and Engineer units said privately that most soldiers Are expected to leave the Post by june and that the Cavern will probably be turned Over to the German government by september. Gen. Crosbie e. Saint Usa eur commander visited with 2nd army div commanders last week but a unit spokeswoman described the meeting As a routine visit. An announcement thursday by the 7th medical come that the army Hospital in Bremerhaven will close by september indicates that most of the population it supports will also be gone by then. That includes about 4,400 soldiers and their families in Karlstedt and another 1,400 soldiers with nearly 1,800 family members in Bremerhaven. Carl Schurz Cavern in Bremerhaven one of the army a oldest installations in Germany is primarily a port operations facility and support base for units scattered across Northern Germany. Among the Cavern a a major units is the 543rd area support group which contains transportation maintenance administrative and finance units. The largest unit the 543rd, supports is the 2nd army divin nearby Karlstedt. The North sea Post is known to thousands of military members and civilians because it handles privately owned vehicles coming into and leaving Germany. Bremerhaven also serves As a Transfer Point for military equipment and supplies. Frank Shirar a Bremerhaven military Community spokesman said Friday that he could provide no information on when the facility will close saying that it could occur any time before 1995. Shirar said he had no information on where port operations to support the military would be transferred if Bremerhaven closes. A Likely possibility is Rotterdam Netherlands a port often used by the . Military and site of the military traffic management Conid Europe  intensifies pullout from Stuttgart area by Joseph Owen Stuttgart Bureau Stuttgart Germany the army a Retreat from greater Stuttgart accelerated sharply with the latest hit list released by the Pentagon on thursday. Nine Stuttgart area facilities appear on the new list of Sites slated for full return to the German government including one of the largest flak Cavern. The 10th facility a Bobingen maintenance Plant targeted earlier for partial return is to be returned fully. Together the 10 facilities account for 345 buildings scattered across 660 acres according to figures that Community spokesman George Huettig supplied Fri Day. That about doubles the amount of property the army is releasing locally because the 12 facilities already tagged for turnover totalled 399 buildings on 606 acres. Three other Sites Are designated for partial turnover a the kor Westheim Airfield and training area the Oster Holz storage facility and Stuttgart army Airfield. The army has not yet revealed what parts will be released Huettig said. There is no comprehensive timetable for turning Over the facilities included in thursdays announcement Huettig said but he added that two of them a the undeveloped Pulver Dingen training area and the Bobingen maintenance facility Kreuzberg not surprised to be among closing Sites a Are tentatively scheduled to be released by april and september respectively. For the rest the Only certainty is that they will be gone by 1995. The turnovers effects arc significant because a several units now quartered in the installations face either a move or inactivation. Those compelled to move include the european Headquarters of the american red Cross. A the Community has had to establish a base team to handle the turnover traffic Jam. A the military Community a North Side located mainly in ludwigs Burg and Korn installation withdrawal list Westheim will nearly vanish. The Only remaining army controlled land will be a Golf course and parts of the Airfield and the osterholz site. A Stuttgart High school ludwigs Burg Middle school and ludwigs Burg elementary school All located at the Pattonville housing area will close. A the Stuttgart military Community which already has lost nearly half its Peak population of about 31,000, will lose thousands More. A the densely settled suburb of ludwigs Burg a Garrison town of 80,000 people that once served As the kingdom of Wirt  a Royal seat May have a unique Chance to revamp much of its City Center. By Peggy Davidson Kaiserslautern Bureau we Brucken Germany a with the end to operations at Kreuzberg Cavern in Wei Brincken More than 500 military members will be moved to other locations or become part of the military a draw Down. It. Col. Thomas l. Bush Zweibruck ends base support in commander said i m not sure where units Are going i have heard rumours but i won t speculate a it. Col. Thomas l. Bush we Brucken s base support in commander end came As no Surprise in the i Brincken Community. A anyone who is the newspapers and keeps up with rent events would not be surprised said. Units that Call Kreuzberg Home in de the 200th theater army Materiel int Center the base support battalion h Ord group defense subsistence Region Europe segments of the 59th my co 517th Maint in 9th data processing unit 124th dental clinic 64th medical det 115th postal co 63rd finance unit and defense mapping Agency an air Force unit near Kreuzberg. The Cavern a a Gates will probably close to . Forces sometime in 1993, Bush said. The closure will also affect about 1,300 local National employees and a a couple thousand family members a he said. A a in a not sure where units Are going a Bush said. A i have heard rum Orsi but i wont  the air Force closed its air base in Wei Brincken last year and turned the site Over to the German government. The army a a commissary service european Headquarters which had been in Wei Brincken last year combined with the air forces commissaries to become the defense commissary Agency with Headquarters at Ramstein a. Soldiers from Kreuzberg Cavern As Well As the Pir Masens military Community Miessau army depot Lan Stuhl army regional medical Center and Ramstein a have been living in government housing controlled by the air base. Bush said that the disposition of the housing has not been decided yet. Nor has a decision been made about Wei Brincken High school he said. A amps Sharon Kilday Tarrant