European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 20, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday april 202007 stars and stripes pages War Effort keeps numbers up in Europe latest debasing announcement Calls for leaving Hanau most of Darmstadt by Kevin Dougherty stars and stripes Heidelberg Germany us army Europe announced thursday that it intends to vacate Hanau and All but one of its facilities in Darmstadt by next summer As part of its fiscal 2008 transformation and debasing plan additionally us Arbur said it would use the coming fiscal year which starts oct 1 to Complete the closure of the Wurzburg military Community Headquarters of the 1st infantry division up until last year its Flag now flies above fort Riley Kan while the number of actions As they Are called is comparable to those in the 2007 restructuring plan far fewer soldiers will be departing Europe instead of the 13800 due to come off the Rolls this fiscal year Only 1700 will leave in 2008 after the fiscal 2008 moves Are Complete there will be about 43000 us soldiers left in Europe still Well shy of the end state goal of 28000 the next big drop in Force size comes when those two 1st armoured division brigades and that division Headquarters returns to the states maj Gen Mark herding the us a eur operations chief and Deputy chief of staff said in an interview last week but he added the Overall timeline has slipped by at a year because of the War Effort in Iraq and Afghanistan the original plan envisioned relocating 1st and to the states around 2009 the two brigades herding was referring to Are the 2nd brigade 1st and in Baum older and die 2nd brigade 1st infantry division in Schweinfurt the latter will become the 3rd Bri Gade 1st and after it returns from Iraq later Titis year the 1st brigade in Friedberg and Giessen is nettling in die process of relocating to fort Bliss Texas where die 1st and is suppose to go Down die Road news of die 2008 actions primarily inactivation relocation and conversions reached fed eral German officials tuesday regional and local leaders wednesday morning and affected military units and communities wednesday afternoon in Hanau for example hundreds of soldiers and civilian employees packed into the movie theater on Pioneer Cavern on wednesday after noon to get die official word similar Gatier Ings Large and Small were slated in Osiier communities wit ii Hanau and Darmstadt drawing Large crowds because both Are inactivating there is an allhands meeting and As i understand it die discussion is going to be on die transformation of Hanau Paul Sanders a Community Volunteer and army Retiree said an hour before die Assembly the latest transformation announcement die Tii ird major one since 2005 primarily involves units and communities in Germany one exception is die Transfer of the 13di military police company in Vicenza Italy to the United states odier moves Range from die inactivation of die 1st personnel command in Schwet Zingen to actions on die medical Side affecting people and pets to die relocation of die european stars and stripes Headquarters from Darms Tad Griesheim to Kaiserslautern the relocation tend to involve Eitnier stateside bases or so called enduring communities in Europe such As Grafe Wohr and Wiesbaden herding expects die near future to be less tumultuous on the transformation front that s be cause 1st and Headquarters and its two Bri Gades wont be leaving Europe anytime soon due to combat deployments and military construction delays in die United states herding who will take command of 1st and next Mont ii indicated die next year or so will consist of fiddling around die edges of transformation we Are setting die conditions for key trans formation moves in die future he said refer ring to die 1st and email Kevin Dougherty at army might House swelling troop numbers in Germany by Kevin Dougherty stars and stripes Heidelberg Germany soldiers based in Baum older and Schweinfurt probably will take yet Nodier turn in Iraq or Afghanistan be fore Timeir division die 1st armoured relocates to die United states furthermore As die us army adds 65000 soldiers to its ranks Over die next five years Tieres a Strong Chance Itiat Trio Sands of diem May end up in Europe Germany in particular that could negate or offset die need for deeper cuts no matter if 1st and stays or goes the big army1 is looking everywhere be cause they literally have to said maj Gen Mark herding the operations chief and Deputy chief of staff for us army Europe army faculties Are crowded right now in die United states based on moving folks Back her Ding continued now Diey Are going to add about six More so army officials Are looking for what Are die options for Dies weve talked about Europe As an option a lot ree Endy since August 2005 herding has been at die forefront of die most sweeping changes to hit Usa Keur in a generation the 1st infantry division has left Wurzburg for Kansas and except for Wiesbaden every major army base in die German state of Hessen is closing or will close additionally troop Levels by autumn will have dropped from 62000 just a few years ago to about 45000 herding who is scheduled to take command of die 1st and in two weeks ree Endy sat Down to discuss us Reurs 2008 transformation and debasing plan As Well As die current operations Tempo he was joined by his successor Brig Gen David Perkins look for die 2nd brigade 1st and to return to Iraq for a Tii ird tour sometime in fiscal 2008 herding said the unit returned from Iraq in no vember after spending a year Diere see moving Page 3 Ramstein change of commander above col Earl Matthews the newly appointed commander of the 435th air base Wing accepts the Guideon from it Gen Robert Bishop the commander of 3rd air Force during a change of commander ceremony at Ramstein air base Germany on wednesday co Matthews replaces outgoing commander col Kurtis Lohide who was responsible for overseeing the transition of a number of operations from the now closed Rhein main air base Ramstein the new Gateway to Europe relies extensively on the 435th air base Wing for support As Well As for Quality life matters throughout the Kaiserslautern military Community left Inge Durk a member of the Hunter Horn blowers plays a furst Pless Horn during the ceremony the Al German group was invited to Honor Lohide who was an avid Hunter during his time in Germany Ben and stripes Wolf Paek inactivated As the Delta Battery passes into history soldiers to be redirected to various brigade combat teams by John Vandiver stars and stripes Baum older Germany after die colors were cased and Timeir history together eulogized soldiers readied for Timeir final March As members of Delta Battery 1st battalion 94th Field artillery on thursday die Delta Battery Wolf pack was inactivated As part of die army unfolding plan for transformation but before die soldiers marched off Tivey listened As Mieir commander gushed with Praise it is die Soldier who takes my Lousy ideas and turns diem into great action said maj Jeffrey Schmidt die batters commander for me last 30 Mont is nearly twice As Long As die Typ ical stint in die position it was Schmidt who trained die Battery for its deployment to Iraq in november 2005 and stuck around to Lead diem through a year in die desert using radar to track Down enemy rocket and mortar fire the unit which operates out of die Small Strassburg Kaseane near Baum Holder will be broken up and its Mem Bers redistributed to Omer enduring units As part of die Effort to establish a More decentralized fast moving army instead of operating at die division level Delta Battery is being redirected around brigade combat teams doing so will strength Lien those teams As Tivey deploy said it col Thomas Matsel commander of die 1st Battal Ion 94th Field artillery they Bri Gade combat teams need to come in self sufficient Matsel said the final destinations for Delta Bat Tery members Are still being planned but in die weeks ahead soldiers will be Busy turning in equipment Transfer ring to other units and preparing for pcs moves if s a bittersweet Day for die Battal Ion Matsel said during die ceremony held at die Strassburg Kaseane from a personal standpoint its a sad Day theres a piece of history Mats being retired but its still a part of history said Matsel reflecting on die Battery shortly before die ceremony after reminiscing about Timeir history casing die colors and playing die Iron Soldier March and army song die Wolf packs inactivation was final moments later die sound of die soar ing old Road song radar love burst from die speakers As die soldiers marched off to die Rhet him die voice from die speaker Sang die line of one More radar Lover gone email John Vandiver at