The Cavalry Corner community center in Vilseck, Germany, opened its doors on January 31, 2020, offering soldiers, their families and civilians free Wi-Fi, ping-pong, pool and TV 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (Immanuel Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
The Cavalry Corner community center in Vilseck, Germany, opened its doors on January 31, 2020, offering soldiers, their families and civilians free Wi-Fi, ping-pong, pool and TV 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (Immanuel Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
Soldiers wait as the Cavalry Corner prepares to open its doors in Vilseck, Germany on January 31, 2020. The Cavalry Corner is a new place for soldiers, their families and civilians to relax and unwind. (Immanuel Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Burke, regimental sergeant major with 2d Cavalry Regiment, left, Col. Thomas Hough, commander of 2CR, center, Julian Coates, program director at the American Red Cross, second from right, and Karl-Heinz Stahl, CEO of TKS, right, cut the ribbon to offucuakkt open the Cavalry Corner at Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany. The Cavalry Center offers soldiers, their families and civilians free Wi-Fi, ping-pong, pool and TV 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (Immanuel Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
Soldiers line up for food at the grand opening of the Cavalry Corner in Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany. The new center is open 24/7 and offers soldiers, their families and civilians free high-speed Wi-Fi, recreational activities and opportunities to relax. (Immanuel Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
Soldiers have some food in the relaxation area in the Cavalry Corner, which opened Friday, January 31, 2020, in Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany. The Cavalry Center offers soldiers, their families and civilians free Wi-Fi, ping-pong, pool, TV, and comfortable furniture to relax on, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (Immanuel Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
VILSECK, Germany — Soldiers at Rose Barracks in the sleepy German town of Vilseck have a new place to chill with the opening Friday of an on-base facility offering free Wi-Fi, TVs, games and relaxation.
Housed in what used to be the Stryker dining facility, the new space, called Cavalry Corner, is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and “provides that opportunity for soldiers to just take a break from those hectic day-to-day activities, to decompress,” said Julian Coates of the American Red Cross at the grand opening.
The Red Cross sponsors Cavalry Corner, along with telecommunications provider TKS, POCO furniture stores, the USO and U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria.
The center also can be used to hold group functions.
“My soldiers say it’s a great place to hang out, especially since this unit is so isolated,” said Staff Sgt. Trevor Janak, of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment’s Iron Troop, 3rd Squadron. “It gives them another place to use their time wisely instead of getting bored or making poor choices that result in things like a DUI.”
Family members and civilians with base access can also use Cavalry Corner, located in Building 603 at Rose Barracks.
Manny covers the U.S. military in Bavaria and Central Europe for Stars and Stripes. A Seattle, Washington native, he’s an alumnus of the Defense Information School, American Public University and Liberty University.
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