A few thousand soldiers and their families will move to new locations in Germany and Italy or back to the United States during the next fiscal year, according to an announcement Wednesday by U.S. Army Europe.
Most of the movement will be between Schweinfurt and Grafenwöhr in Germany. It’s long been known that USAREUR is seeking to consolidate the 172nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Grafenwöhr, and spokesman Bruce Anderson said the moves largely accomplish that.
"It’s the rest of the 172nd," he said in a phone interview. "Most of the unit has already moved."
As a result, Grafenwöhr is expected to gain about 1,130 soldiers and 1,700 family members. Schweinfurt would lose about 1,390 soldiers and 2,080 family members.
Anderson said the moves won’t all happen at once.
But they aren’t expected to take very long once they start.
"Most of it will be done by the summer of next year," he said.
The series of moves will affect a handful of other communities as well.
Wiesbaden’s active-duty population shrinks by about 320 soldiers, with Kaiserslautern and Bamberg each losing about 75 positions.
In Italy, Vicenza loses about 90 slots and Camp Darby about 20. But Aviano’s Army population should more than quadruple with about 120 soldiers coming in with the activation of the 56th Quartermaster Company. The Army recently opened a new facility for putting parachutes on heavy equipment and supplies at Aviano that’s the largest in Europe.
The new unit at Aviano is the only addition planned during the fiscal year, which begins in October. Two dental companies — one based in Grafenwöhr and the other in Landstuhl, will inactivate.
Five other units are set to move back to the States.
Who’s moving and whereU.S. Army Europe officials announced their fiscal 2010 moves for units stationed in Germany and Italy.
From Schweinfurt to Grafenwöhr
1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment; 9th Engineer Battalion; 1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment; and 172nd Forward Support Battalion
From Grafenwöhr to Schweinfurt
18th Combat Service Support Battalion; 23rd Ordnance Company; 574th Supply Company; 5th Maintenance Company; 1st Cargo Transportation Company (or potentially to Kaiserslautern); 71st Preventive Medicine Detachment; 12th Chemical Company; 503rd Chemical Detachment
From Wiesbaden to Schweinfurt
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 421st Medical Battalion; 557th Ground Ambulance Company
Returning to States
41st Transportation Company from Grafenwöhr; 497th Movement Control Team from Livorno, Italy; 486th Movement Control Team from Kaiserslautern; Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 793rd Military Police Battalion from Bamberg; 212th Military Police Company from Wiesbaden.
Units planned to inactivate are
561st Medical Company, Grafenwöhr; 464th Medical Company, Landstuhl
Units planned to activate are
56th Quartermaster Company, Aviano, Italy
