The Department of Defense announced today it will return three recreational facilities and portions of two housing areas to Germany, and determined that it needs to retain part of a depot previously slated for return.

This realignment of U.S. military facilties in Germany has been under consideration for some time. It is not related to the U.S. Global Posture Review, but part of a constant evaluation of what facilties are required to support U.S. forces.

The recreation facilities are the Patton and Von Steuben Hotels in Garmisch Partenkirchen and the facility formerly operated at Lake Chiemsee. All were operated by the Armed Forces Recreation Centers in Europe, which replaced them with the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort in Garmisch.

The family housing areas are in Baumholder and Bad Kissingen, and are no longer required to meet the housing needs of U.S. forces.

Dates for the closure and follow-on use of the identified recreation facilties and housing areas have not been determined, and will be determined through continuing consultation with German officials.

Also, a previously identified partial closure of a depot in Germersheim has been changed. Once slated for partial return to the host nation, it is now needed to support on going operations.

As with all stationing actions, the United States has coordinated with host nation officials at all levels prior to this public announcement.

For more information regarding this facility realignment, please contact the U.S. Army Europe public affairs office at (49)-6221-57-8694.