Like most service members in Stuttgart, I was very happy to learn I
would have the opportunity to serve here. Stuttgart has an outstanding
reputation as a center of innovation, engineering and culture. It’s also
known as one of the cleanest and safest cities in the world. With
critical Department of Defense activities here, there is no doubt that
it’s a great place to live and work.Read More

Every Halloween there is an assortment of ghosts, pirates, super heroes
and ballerinas running about with one of two things in mind — getting
candy or going to parties.
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As part of an Army-wide initiative, service members and civilian
employees from across the Stuttgart military community participated in a
Suicide Prevention Stand-Down Day Sept. 20, while U.S. Africa Command
held its stand down Sept. 27.
Read More

Thirty-four competitors flexed with poise during the fifth annual U.S.
Army Garrison Stuttgart European Bodybuilding and Figure Championship
Aug. 25, persuasively engaging one glistening deltoid at a time for an
appreciative sold-out audience. “A lot of people really admire the
hard work, dedication and discipline these performers put in the gym and
toward their bodies,” said Marie Smith, a dedicated crossfit athlete
who brought her young sons to watch the evening show at the Patch
Fitness Center. Read More

If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, know that you are not alone.
Experiencing
a traumatic event is common among service members who deploy to hostile
environments around the globe. Everyone reacts to traumatic experiences
differently, and some service members may face emotional or
psychological challenges such as feelings of anger, isolation, anxiety
or guilt following the event or when they return home. These reactions,
among others, can be common responses to extraordinary events.Read More

Summer campers learned how to “Go Green” during Child, Youth and School
Services’ Camp Adventure program. Children grew and harvested their own
vegetables, went on nature walks and learned to recycle, at camps held
from June 16 to Aug. 25 at the school age and youth centers on Robinson,
Kelley and Patch Barracks, and Panzer Kaserne.  Read More

The Patch Library concluded its summer reading program with reading
awards, participation prizes and an ice cream social on Aug. 7. With a
theme of “Reading is So Delicious,” the program was designed to spark
the literary appetites of young readers at 250 military installations
across the globe.
Read More

The Department of Defense Education Activity is adopting the Common Core
State Standards into its curriculum, instruction, and assessment
programs. The CCSS initiative began more than two years ago as a collaboration
between state governors and education leaders to introduce consistency
in education systems across the nation. This initiative has garnered the
support of 46 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia to
date. All participants in the CCSS initiative are working together to
implement high quality standards in English Language Arts, Mathematics,
and Science for kindergarten through 12th grade. These curriculum
standards are research based, rigorous, relevant to the real world, and
reflect the knowledge and skills America’s students need for success in
college and careers. Read More

The Black Stallion has run long and fast for more than 40 years, but the
race is coming to an end. The Black Stallion Inn Dining Facility on
Patch Barracks is scheduled to close permanently on July 31. After June
30, only active duty service members will be served.  Read More

Passau, located in the Niederbayern area next to Austria’s border, is
known as the “City of Three Rivers.” Situated between the Danube, Inn
and Ilz rivers, Passau offers visitors a picturesque and historic
weekend getaway.Read More

If you’re in search of snow this winter, you may have to travel beyond Germany.

The winter has been one of the warmest since 1881, according to the
German Weather Service. Your best bet for snow is probably Austria or
Switzerland.

A recent trip to Schoppernau, Austria, proved just that. Schoppernau is
located in the Vorarlberg region in the Bregenzerwald (Bregenzer
Forest).Read More