Michael Slavin

Michael covers the U.S. military in Bavaria and Central Europe for Stars and Stripes. He is a Milwaukee, Wis., native and alumni of the Defense Information School.

@mikeatstripes

slavin.michael@stripes.com

Stuttgart’s Jamela Santos lays in the prone position during during the DODEA-Europe marksmanship championship at Ansbach Middle High School on Jan. 27, 2024. Santos finished at the top of the Stuttgart team, posting two 190s in the prone and kneeling.

Raiders hit target of program’s first marksmanship title

Kaiserslautern, the top scoring team during the regular season, dethrones Ansbach with a big performance in the standing position.

Visitors to the top of Flossenbuerg Castle, in Bavaria near the Czech border, can enjoy a view for miles on a clear day.

Flossenbuerg offers time for reflection at sites of former concentration camp and castle ruins

AFNORTH’s Makayla McNiel fights through Hohenfels defenders on a fast break during a game against the Tigers at Hohenfels High School on Jan. 13, 2024.

Cat fights end with an even split

Capt. Tyler Vandenberg plays for a spot in the final round of the Champions Wildcard "Jeopardy" tournament on Dec. 13, 2023. He went on to win and will have a shot at a $100,000 prize.

Marine intelligence: ‘Jeopardy’ win gains officer a shot at champions tournament

Ansbach’s Syney Mendoza finished with the team's high score and season best with her family in attendance for her performance during the DODEA-Europe marksmanship competition at Vilseck High School on Dec. 9, 2023.

Cougars think they’ve got a shot to repeat

Tiny Ansbach still on top the DODEA-Europe marksmanship world after opening two weeks of season.

The cordon bleu at Das Notstain in Amberg, Germany, can be ordered with veal or pork. It is served with french fries or potato salad. All the ingredients are sourced locally.

Locavore entrees and cozy setting are highlights at this Amberg restaurant

Das Notstain is all about making sure customers know where the menu items come from.

Tours of the Thurn und Taxis museum are available daily every 90 minutes. Visitors have an opportunity to view historical state rooms and learn how the family, a key player in the postal services of Europe for many centuries, affected the way information was spread.

This 1,000-room palace in Regensburg is still a family home

In the heart of Regensburg lies the elegant palace of the Thurn und Taxis family, and unlike many others in Germany, St. Emmeram Palace is still inhabited. Not only does this former monastery-turned-palace showcase a beautiful array of state rooms, ballrooms and more, it also comes with a small history lesson.

Stuttgart Senior Dan Myrick carries the flag and leads the Panthers on to the field for the DODEA Europe Division I championship game against the Vilseck Flacons on Oct. 28, 2023, at Stuttgart Highschool. This is the third consecutive time the two teams have met in the championship game.

Stuttgart three-peats after holding off Vilseck

Panthers have now defeated Falcons in championship game for three straight years after Vilseck can’t quite overcome rough start.

An image posted on social media of an energy drink sold at an Army and Air Force Exchange Service store had its plastic outer label removed, revealing printing from one of energy drink maker Kill Cliff's CBD products. On Oct. 7, 2023, AAFES said the drink didn't contain CBD, which is illegal for service members to use, and had been relabeled by the vendor.

Relabeled energy drink sold on bases didn’t contain cannabis compound, AAFES says

A relabeled energy drink sold at Army and Air Force Exchange stores did not contain the marijuana compound CBD, which is illegal for service members to use under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and federal law.

Planes taking off and landing at the Weiden airport are visible to patrons at Pegasus Pizzeria. The setting next to the airport provides a distinctive atmosphere for a meal at the eatery in the German state of Bavaria.

Plane-watching pleasures abound at Pegasus Pizzeria in Bavaria

The pizzeria is built next to the active runway of the Weiden Airport and Aero Club, allowing patrons to watch planes take off and land.

AFNORTH receiver and running back Nathen Goldsmith blows past defenders for a touchdown in the first half of a football game against the Hohenfels Tigers on Sept. 29, 2023 at Hohenfels Middle High School. Goldsmith finished the night with two rushing and one receiving touchdowns.

Lions win cat fight to stay in playoff hunt

AFNORTH remains a game behind unbeaten Spangdahlem after handling Hohenfels 56-6 on Friday night.

The exhibit Dachshund and the Nobility describes the relationship the German dog breed has shared with royal families throughout the years. Visitors to the museum in Regensburg, Germany, will want to have a phone handy for translations, as displays are in German.

The wonders of the wiener dog get their due at Regensburg’s dachshund museum

The Dackelmuseum, or dachshund museum, in the southeastern German city of Regensburg, is truly one of a kind.

Vilseck QB Aron Atakuzi airs out the ball on the final drive against Lakenheath on Friday, Sept. 15 in Vilseck, Germany.

Lakenheath squeaks by Vilseck to remain unbeaten

Lancers have the only score in a game that was dramatically different from last season’s playoff battle between the two teams that Falcons won.

The Defense Department's new elementary school in Grafenwoehr, Germany, has open conjoined classrooms that can be divided by a glass wall for individual instruction.

US Army base in Grafenwoehr shows off new elementary school

The community at this vast Army training center got its first look Tuesday at the long-awaited Defense Department elementary school now providing instruction to 400 students in preschool through fifth grade.

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