Local news translated - Aug. 13, 2025

Graphic by USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs

Host Nation Update, Aug. 13, 2025

New US Commander at AFRICOM - Is Trump now putting all his bets on the US Air Force in Stuttgart?

Why US President Trump has appointed an Air Force officer as head of the US Africa Command for the first time. And what this could mean for the future of the Stuttgart headquarters. When Dagvin R.M. Anderson will receive the flag of the US Africa Command at a ceremony in Stuttgart on Friday morning, he will be the first US Air Force General to lead Africom at its Headquarters in Kelley Barracks. This has a lot of military-political significance. Since its founding in 2007, AFRICOM – responsible for 53 countries in Africa – has always been headed by an Army or Marine officer. This is viewed with concern in high circles of the US Army. All six regional commands, including the Stuttgart Headquarters of the US Armed Forces in Europe (EUCOM), are currently in the hands of Air Force or Navy Generals. In Washington, these two branches of the military are considered the most important for dealing with superpower rival China. This is “short-sighted,” says a senior US official with an Army background, referring to Ukraine. Because in Europe, Russia remains the “immediate threat.”

Anderson, who is in his mid-50s and comes from Ypsilanti in the Midwestern state of Michigan, already has experience in Africa: he commanded the Special Forces Command for Africa in Stuttgart from 2019 to 2021. In this role, at the end of President Donald Trump's first term in 2020, he had to organize the withdrawal of US troops from Somalia with virtually no warning: More than 13,000 soldiers, an amphibious landing and aircraft carrier group, and a large-scale air transport operation were involved in the relocation of more than 700 soldiers and 900 pallets of cargo. (KZBB, Aug 13 by M. Weissenborn)

Around Böblingen Panzer Kaserne - Increased traffic due to US Army exercise

There may be increased traffic congestion around Böblingen, Panzer Kaserne this week due to an exercise. According to the US Military, a protection and training exercise is taking place this week, which may also affect traffic around Böblingen Panzer Kaserne.

The U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart (USAG) has announced a “targeted protection and training exercise” in the region this week, which may affect traffic around U.S. military bases. The Böblingen Panzer Kaserne is also affected by the exercise, which began on Monday. “The purpose of this routine exercise is to assess the garrison's responsiveness to potential threats and improve its protective measures,” according to a press release issued by USAG on Monday evening. “The protective measures may delay access to the gates and affect traffic around the facilities, especially in the morning,” USAG added. The Garrison Commander speaks of a planned exercise

“This is a planned exercise, and no threat has been identified. However, we are continuously assessing the security situation and taking the necessary measures to protect our personnel,” says Colonel Edward J. Sanford, Garrison Commander of USAG Stuttgart. “Conducting such exercises on a routine basis helps us evaluate and refine our procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of our military personnel, which is my top priority,” Sanford explains. (KZBB, Aug 12)

Unexploded bomb found in Stuttgart - Aircraft bomb defused – trains running according to schedule again

An unexploded bomb was found and defused on Tuesday at a Stuttgart 21 construction site in Untertürkheim. This had an impact on rail passengers.

Rail traffic is running again after an aerial bomb was defused in Stuttgart. Trains have been running on schedule since the beginning of the day, according to a Deutsche Bahn spokesperson. Train service resumed at around 8:15 p.m. after the 250-kilogram bomb was defused. According to Deutsche Bahn, there were still restrictions on long-distance and regional travel for passengers during the night.

The World War II bomb was found on Tuesday afternoon at a construction site in the Bad Cannstatt district of Stuttgart. To avoid danger to life, limb, and health, the public order office set up a restricted zone. In addition to the tracks, a residential area and an industrial park were also located in the restricted zone. Around 1,000 people had to leave their homes in the evening. (KZBB, Aug 13)

Traffic in Sindelfingen Hofmeister intersection closed for three weeks starting Monday

Starting Monday, August 11, the intersection at Peter-Schaufler-Platz will be completely closed for approximately three weeks. During this time, the city of Sindelfingen will be carrying out the final work on the roadway. The city administration stated that they are "deliberately using the summer holidays to keep traffic disruptions to a minimum." The city has been converting the busy intersection into a two-lane "turbo roundabout" for some time, which, in addition to the ongoing construction work on the A81, is repeatedly leading to traffic disruptions in the east of Sindelfingen. The project is now entering its final stretch. The subsurface work has recently been completed, and asphalt work has been carried out in the southern section. During the upcoming full closure, the asphalt surface course will be installed, the curbs of the road divider and the central island will be relocated, pedestrian signals will be installed, and road markings will be applied. The full closure is expected to last three weeks. Once the work is completed, Peter-Schaufler-Platz will be reopened to traffic. "Only the connection via Leibnizstraße to Böblingen will remain closed to traffic until the bridge work is completed," the city administration writes. "The goal is to reopen Leibnizstraße in both directions by the end of November."

Between Böblingen and Sindelfingen Temporary bridge over the A81 reopened in both directions

The temporary bridge over the A81 near the Böblingen Motorworld has been fully reopened since Saturday. It had to be closed shortly after its commissioning on Sunday a week ago. A cover plate on the bridge, which consists of several modules, had come loose near the assembly points for the individual bridge elements. On Tuesday, the lane from Böblingen towards Sindelfingen reopened, but the opposite lane remained closed. The remaining repair work was then completed on Saturday as part of the full highway closure, according to Deges (Deutsche Einheit Fernstraßenplanungs- und -bau GmbH). Since then, motorists have been able to cross the temporary bridge in both directions. There were no restrictions for cyclists or pedestrians. The bridge is expected to serve as an interim replacement for the bridge between Wolfgang-Brumme-Allee in Böblingen and Rudolf-Diesel-Straße in Sindelfingen, which was demolished over the weekend. The bridge was the last existing structure over the motorway, which will have to be replaced by a new, longer bridge as part of the A81 widening project.

Outlook for Baden-Württemberg Up to 38 degrees: Where it will be particularly hot this week

Hot days are ahead for people in Baden-Württemberg. According to the forecast from the German Weather Service (DWD), temperatures are expected to climb to up to 38 degrees this week on Wednesday and Thursday. It will be particularly hot on Wednesday in lower elevations and in inner-city areas with lots of roads and concrete, said DWD meteorologist Marco Puckert. It will probably be hottest between Pforzheim and Karlsruhe, up to Mannheim, and along the Upper Rhine. But: "It will be hot everywhere," said Puckert. For Monday, the DWD predicted sunshine with mostly deep blue skies and highs of 26 degrees in the Alb region and up to 32 degrees along the Rhine. On Tuesday, the DWD expects plenty of sunshine in the southwest, with frequent temperatures reaching 36 degrees in the Upper Rhine Valley. Cooling down in sight? Is a cooling down already in sight? According to the German Weather Service (DWD), temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius are expected again in parts of northern Baden on Thursday. Even then, no sudden cooling is in sight, said Puckert, cautiously looking at the DWD models. Towards the weekend, it could at least get a little less hot, and perhaps even some local thunderstorms or rain showers, the expert said.

Local news translated – Aug. 13, 2025

Local Baden-Württemberg news translated and summarized as a courtesy by USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs staff. Read More

Kelley and Robinson Barracks APO customers must use Patch and Panzer for outgoing mail

Effective Aug. 18, 2025, the Kelley Barracks Army Post Office and the Robinson Barracks Army Post Office will no longer offer postal finance services (outgoing mail).Read More

USAG Stuttgart conducting protection exercise

USAG Stuttgart will soon conduct a force protection exercise that may impact services and cause delays at installation gates. Follow garrison platforms, including the Citizen, for updates, and observe strict operations security.Read More

Photo by U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs

Parking restrictions and noise advisory for upcoming AFRICOM Change of Command ceremony

By USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs U.S. Africa Command will host a Change of Command ceremony on Kelley Barracks next week. During this time, parking may be extremely limited. Additionally, areas around Kelley Barracks may experience loud noise but there is no need to be alarmed. See the following announcement forRead More

USAG Stuttgart's Independence Day celebration, organized by Stuttgart Family & MWR, is a marquee special event for the Stuttgart military community. Photo by Stuttgart Family & MWR

Share your opinion on when to host next year’s Independence Day Celebration

Stuttgart Family & MWR is requesting your help in planning next year’s Fourth of July festivities. Take this quick survey.Read More

Places available for Capital City Visitation Program Dec. 8

Sign up now to attend the Capital City Visitation Tour. The CCVP is a special no-cost tour which provides community members the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Stuttgart, the host nation political system, and the development of the postwar relationship between the U.S. and Germany.Read More

Local news translated – Aug. 5, 2025

Local Baden-Württemberg news translated and summarized as a courtesy by USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs staff. Read More

Hundestrand Epplesee in Rheinstetten is 10 out 10 recommended by our furry family member. Photo by Dayna E. Rowden, USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs

End of summer day trips you can take in under 90 minutes from Stuttgart

There’s still some time left to squeeze in at least one more summer adventure. These close-to-home spots are the perfect place to make memories that will carry you and your family happily into the fall. Read More

Limited package drop-off available on Kelley Barracks starting July 30

Limited package drop-off service will be available at the Kelley Barracks Army Post Office beginning July 30.Read More

ICE system down until further notice

The Interactive Customer Evaluation System (ICE) is experiencing a system wide outage. At this time, there is no estimate on when the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) will have it available again.Read More

Main line S-bahn tunnel closed in Stuttgart from July 26 to Sept. 6

The Stuttgart S-Bahn’s central trunk route and tunnel will be closed from July 26 through September 6. Replacement bus services and an alternate route network will be in effect during the closure. Use mobile apps for routing public transit journeys to find the most current connections available.Read More

Vehicle Registration Office unable to process credit card payments

The Vehicle Registration Office credit card system will be offline this week due to repairs.Read More

The new My Army Post App (MAPA) is now available for download in the Apple App or Google Play stores. Photo by Bardia Khajenoori, USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs.

New Army app brings all the garrison info you need to your fingertips

Whether you’re moving into Stuttgart or out of it, the new My Army Post App (MAPA) is there for you. Download the free app now in the Apple App or Google Play stores.Read More

Back-to-School Q-and-A Guide

Whether you’re returning to U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart or arriving for the first time, we want to provide all the information you need at your fingertips. This quick Q-and-A guide should help your family feel confident and ready to dive into the new school year.Read More

Do you know how to handle a medical emergency?

It’s 2 a.m. and you have a medical emergency. Do you know what to do?

Time is an important factor when emergency care is required, so who do
you call first? Where do you go? How do you get to the hospital? Read More

Gas Prices

26 July 2025

Germany
Fuel Type	Per Gallon	Per Liter	+/-
Super E10	$3.551	$.0938	-
Super	$4.117	$1.1088	-
Super Plus	$4.466	$1.180	-
Diesel	$4.242	$1.121	+

Currency Exchange Rates

28 July 2025

One Dollar buys:

Euro: € 0.8308

Pound: £ 0.7246

Other currency rates, not available at the Community Bank:

Czech Krone:	Kč 20.95
Egyptian Pound:	E£ 49.01
Hungarian Forint:	Hf 338.67
Israeli Shekel:	₪ 3.35
Polish Zloty:	zł 3.63
Turkish Lira:	₵ 40.5527

Rates provided courtesy Community Bank

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Local news translated - Aug. 13, 2025

Host Nation Update, Aug. 13, 2025