Two U.S. soldiers were treated at Eschenbach hospital after this ice cream shop window in Grafenwohr was broken last weekend. (Seth Robson / Stars and Stripes)
GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — German police have boosted their presence in the Grafenwöhr community as the first of thousands of new soldiers and family members from the 172nd Infantry Brigade arrive here from Schweinfurt.
Eschenbach police chief Reiner Striegel said he increased his force from 35 to 41 police officers in anticipation of the new arrivals. Hundreds of 172nd — formerly 1st “Dagger” Brigade — personnel, mostly single soldiers, are already at Grafenwöhr with more arriving each week.
Townspeople have reported large crowds of soldiers congregating in the street outside the training area’s Gate 1 on weekend nights because there are more patrons than can be accommodated by the town’s three nightclubs. Striegel said the bars are just able to cope with the demand, but expects problems as more soldiers arrive.
“There are only a certain amount of places to go with hundreds more people,” he said.
Grafenwöhr’s provost marshal, Maj. Robert Ray, added that the recent ban on smoking in bars, restaurants and nightclubs in Bavaria, which was introduced on New Year’s Day, has led to more people outside bars on smoking breaks.
On a typical weekend night, German police respond to five or six incidents involving soldiers and/or Germans, Striegel said.
“Normally it is pushing and aggressive behavior,” he said. “The women are just as bad as the men, and almost all the people are intoxicated.”
Last weekend, U.S. soldiers were involved in an incident in which a large ice cream shop window was broken in Grafenwöhr’s bar district. Two soldiers were treated at Eschenbach hospital but no charges were filed, he said.
Meanwhile in Vilseck, local residents reported that soldiers and Germans fought Thursday night at the Cheers bar, in the same building as the Independence Club, which closed last year after a series of brawls involving soldiers.
Cheers owner Henri Erez confirmed there was a fight but said it was an isolated case of bad behavior during the Easter holiday.
Striegel said three German police cars, including dog units, and three U.S. military police vehicles patrol Grafenwöhr after 1 a.m. from Friday to Sunday. German police and the MPs have an excellent relationship and if the patrols were not there, problems would escalate, he said.
Police tactics in Grafenwöhr will depend on the behavior of incoming troops, he said.
“The soldiers have the control,” Striegel said. “If they act civilized, there are no problems, but if there are fights, we will have to think about what to do.”
Options for dealing with problems could include limiting the number of soldiers allowed into Grafenwöhr or early closing of bars in the town. The Army might also consider building an on-post disco at Grafenwöhr, Striegel said. Last year the Army opened The Zone sports bar at Vilseck as an on-post drinking venue for soldiers there.
Ray said MPs have not noticed an increase in incidents with the arrival of the Schweinfurt personnel and that Vilseck has been quiet since the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment deployed to Iraq last year.
Two U.S. soldiers were treated at Eschenbach hospital after this ice cream shop window in Grafenwohr was broken last weekend. (Seth Robson / Stars and Stripes)
Henri Erez said a fight in his Cheers bar in Vilseck, Germany, last Thursday was an isolated incident. Erez, who has worked with U.S. soldiers for 30 years, previously operated a Cheers bar across from the U.S. Army base and housing area at Babenhausen. (Seth Robson / Stars and Stripes)
