A soldier participates in a sleep study at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in this undated photo. An employee at a nursing home in Grafenwoehr, Germany, found a drunk U.S. soldier sleeping in an empty room of the facility on Jan. 25, 2026. (Arlen Caplan/U.S. Army)
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — A retirement home in this Army garrison town got quite a kick in the pants over the weekend: a drunk American soldier who wasn’t wearing any.
The unidentified soldier was found sleeping in an unoccupied room Sunday by an employee who had been delivering breakfast to residents, an Eschenbach police statement said.
Investigators described the soldier as “heavily intoxicated” and wearing only a sports jersey and underwear, several local media outlets reported.
The soldier couldn’t say how he ended up at the retirement home, according to authorities, who said he may have entered the facility during a shift change.
The incident drew widespread attention across the U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria community, with many members sharing the story on social media.
The garrison referred questions about the unit and identity of the soldier to the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
“We are working in close cooperation with our host nation partners to investigate the incident,” brigade spokeswoman Capt. Jennifer French said Tuesday. “The soldier is with their unit, and we await the investigation’s findings before determining next steps.”
Authorities did not report any injuries or damages from the incident.
Investigators also are examining a possible connection between the soldier and a stolen license plate reported around the same nursing home, Eschenbach police said. The suspect in that case was also seen wearing a soccer jersey.
A civilian spokeswoman for the garrison, Kayla Overton, said military police officers often patrol popular spots for soldiers in the off-base Grafenwoehr area.
The patrols are aimed at preventing crimes and helping disoriented or intoxicated soldiers return to their residence, Overton said.
As for how the soldier lost his trousers, the mystery persists.
