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Be thankful the Army and Air Force Exchange Service shut down a perfectly good (and likely very profitable) quality-of-life facility nearer the center of the Kaiserslautern military community for a billion-dollar mall catering to whom ("Don’t complain, be thankful," letter, Sept. 28)?

Bravo to AAFES and the American taxpayer for a beautiful Ramstein mall, the biggest in the world, while exercising the nuclear option on Vogelweh! What QOL enhancement has AAFES given by stomping out a big footprint used by thousands of people? Sorry, was used.

The mall does not replace the one-stop shopping that was Vogelweh, nor does it enhance the quality of life for a large portion of Americans. Does any normal person believe one facility, on the far west end of a large city, is sufficient for not only the (approximately) 50,000 Americans in the city but also those who regularly visit from other areas?

This is not about the Ramstein mall; it’s about the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army closing facilities providing goods and services to a large family housing community right there.

This is disserving the Best Customers in the World. How about we shut down all medical functions on Ramstein and be thankful we’ll have one-stop shopping at Landstuhl? Let’s expand Vogelweh’s [commissary] and shut down that old one on Ramstein; then we’ll have our one-stop commissary shopping and be thankful.

The only issue I’d be thankful for is if the person who gave the final approval to this insensitive decision identified himself and gave us the reasons why. What has just been taken from the people serving our nation is shameful, is not to be celebrated and is not cause for thanks.

Mike GoffKaiserslautern, Germany

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