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Jennifer H. Svan

The big band trombone section practices a song at the 2020 DODEA-Europe Jazz Festival in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Jan. 14, 2020.<br>MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES
The big band trombone section practices a song at the 2020 DODEA-Europe Jazz Festival in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Jan. 14, 2020.<br>MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES

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DODEA-Europe students immerse themselves in jazz

Students from across Europe transported their trombones, trumpets and other instruments to Kaiserslautern this week for a long-standing tradition that aims to give the military school system’s youth an appreciation for an American art form.

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Reserve sailors at Navy Operational Support Center Fort Carson, Colo. warm up before a fun run in July 2019. Walmart must pay a Navy reservist back pay and review its hiring policies as part of a lawsuit settlement with the Department of Justice, after a store in Grand Junction, Colo., denied the reservist a seasonal, part-time job when she disclosed she would need to take two weeks off during the summer for reserves training.<br>Gilbert Bolibol/U.S. Navy
Reserve sailors at Navy Operational Support Center Fort Carson, Colo. warm up before a fun run in July 2019. Walmart must pay a Navy reservist back pay and review its hiring policies as part of a lawsuit settlement with the Department of Justice, after a store in Grand Junction, Colo., denied the reservist a seasonal, part-time job when she disclosed she would need to take two weeks off during the summer for reserves training.<br>Gilbert Bolibol/U.S. Navy

Walmart to pay back wages, change policies after denying Navy reservist a job over military duties

Petty Officer 3rd Class Lindsey Hunger said the retail giant refused to hire her at a Colorado store after she mentioned she would need time off for Navy duty.

The Armed Services Blood Program Europe put out a call for specific blood types for U.S. service members deployed to Africa, asking for people to donate at a blood drive this week at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.<br>Stars and Stripes
The Armed Services Blood Program Europe put out a call for specific blood types for U.S. service members deployed to Africa, asking for people to donate at a blood drive this week at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.<br>Stars and Stripes

‘Critical’ blood drive being held for US service members in Africa, elsewhere

The Armed Services Blood Program-Europe has issued an urgent call for blood donations for U.S. service members deployed to Africa and elsewhere, days after an attack in Kenya killed three Americans.

An airman raises his head as Lt. Col. David Gregory, 9th Medical Group chief of medical staff, inspects his neck and face during a shaving waiver course at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., in March 2018. Service members will no longer need a waiver to get laser treatments for severe razor bumps at a civilian facility, Tricare announced. Colville McFee/U.S. Air Force<br>Colville McFee/U.S. Air Force
An airman raises his head as Lt. Col. David Gregory, 9th Medical Group chief of medical staff, inspects his neck and face during a shaving waiver course at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., in March 2018. Service members will no longer need a waiver to get laser treatments for severe razor bumps at a civilian facility, Tricare announced. Colville McFee/U.S. Air Force<br>Colville McFee/U.S. Air Force

Tricare will now pay for some service members to treat razor bumps with lasers

Tricare says it will foot the laser bill for active duty personnel suffering from pseudofolliculitis barbae once skin creams and other conservative treatments have failed.

Houses line a street in Weilerbach, Germany, in February 2018. A new Pentagon policy removes the housing office from its gatekeeper role of ensuring German landlords charge market value rental rates to Americans.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
Houses line a street in Weilerbach, Germany, in February 2018. A new Pentagon policy removes the housing office from its gatekeeper role of ensuring German landlords charge market value rental rates to Americans.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Higher rents, more listings expected for military families in Europe after housing rules change

Housing offices will still vet homes for safety and help mediate disputes between landlords and tenants, but landlords are free to set their own prices within the parameters of the law.

Airmen eat lunch at the Rheinland Dining Facility at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019. <br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
Airmen eat lunch at the Rheinland Dining Facility at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019. <br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Ramstein prepares airmen for dining facility closure

The 1950s-era base dining facility that serves some 1,300 airmen will close next month for up to two years to undergo major upgrades, base officials said last week.

Actor Mark Wahlberg signed a T-shirt during his visit to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019. <br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
Actor Mark Wahlberg signed a T-shirt during his visit to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019. <br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Actor Mark Wahlberg, chef brother wow troops, tout eatery during Ramstein visit

Actor Mark Wahlberg and brother Paul Wahlberg, a chef, thrilled thousands of service members and their families Sunday during a visit to celebrate the upcoming opening of their Wahlburgers restaurant at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

Elizabeth Chambers, an Air Force spouse at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, boxes cookies on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019, for the annual holiday cookie drive at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. <br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
Elizabeth Chambers, an Air Force spouse at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, boxes cookies on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019, for the annual holiday cookie drive at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. <br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Ramstein spouses collect 18,000 cookies for single, unaccompanied airmen over holiday season

There will be no shortage of cookies in the airmen dorms this year.

Mark Wahlberg meets with troops at the Fort Benning exchange store in May 2018. Wahlburgers, the fast-casual restaurant founded by executive chef Paul Wahlberg and brothers Mark and Donnie Wahlberg, will open its first location on a military installation at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.<br>A&E Television Network
Mark Wahlberg meets with troops at the Fort Benning exchange store in May 2018. Wahlburgers, the fast-casual restaurant founded by executive chef Paul Wahlberg and brothers Mark and Donnie Wahlberg, will open its first location on a military installation at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.<br>A&E Television Network

Two Wahlberg brothers coming to Ramstein to promote new Wahlburgers

Chef Paul Wahlberg and his famous brother, actor Mark Wahlberg, will be at Ramstein Air Base on Sunday to talk about the opening of the first Wahlburgers on a military base.

Get in the Christmas spirit in one of Germany’s oldest cities

There are more endearing German cities to see than Worms, but few are older.

Customers ordering out from fast food restaurants on overseas bases may soon be receiving months of charges dating from June through October due to a technical error, AAFES said.<br>Ann Pinson/Stars and Stripes
Customers ordering out from fast food restaurants on overseas bases may soon be receiving months of charges dating from June through October due to a technical error, AAFES said.<br>Ann Pinson/Stars and Stripes

Thousands of AAFES customers who ordered food online see late credit card charges due to glitch

Army and Air Force Exchange Service overseas customers who ordered online in recent months from exchange fast food restaurants could see batches of late charges turning up on their credit cards.

The Christmas market in Worms lasts until Dec. 23, 2019.<br>
The Christmas market in Worms lasts until Dec. 23, 2019.<br>

europe quick trips

Get in the Christmas spirit in one of Germany’s oldest cities

There are more endearing German cities to see than Worms, but few are older.

A service member at Ramstein Air Base received a box of .30-caliber bullets in the mail instead of the chocolate sauce that he had ordered.<br>Police headquarters Westpfalz
A service member at Ramstein Air Base received a box of .30-caliber bullets in the mail instead of the chocolate sauce that he had ordered.<br>Police headquarters Westpfalz

Ramstein service member gets bullets instead of chocolate sauce in the mail

A box of 250 bullets ordered through Amazon turned up in the military mail last week at Ramstein Air Base, but the U.S. service member who received them says he ordered chocolate sauce, not ammunition.

A roadside memorial of flowers and candles was created for a German teen killed in a car crash near Weilerbach, Germany, in February. A Ramstein airman involved in the crash was charged with involuntary manslaughter at a preliminary military hearing on Monday, Dec. 2, 2019.<br>Jennifer Svan/Stars and Stripes
A roadside memorial of flowers and candles was created for a German teen killed in a car crash near Weilerbach, Germany, in February. A Ramstein airman involved in the crash was charged with involuntary manslaughter at a preliminary military hearing on Monday, Dec. 2, 2019.<br>Jennifer Svan/Stars and Stripes

Airman accused of killing German teen in vehicle crash charged with involuntary manslaughter

The Air Force announced Monday at a preliminary hearing that it has charged Airman 1st Class Roman Bahena with involuntary manslaughter, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Spangdahlem Air Base holds a memorial ceremony for Staff Sgt. Tyler Mayfield, 52nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron dedicated crew chief, at Hangar1, Nov. 24, 2019. Mayfield died following a car accident while traveling to his next duty location.<br>Jovante Johnson/U.S. Air Force
Spangdahlem Air Base holds a memorial ceremony for Staff Sgt. Tyler Mayfield, 52nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron dedicated crew chief, at Hangar1, Nov. 24, 2019. Mayfield died following a car accident while traveling to his next duty location.<br>Jovante Johnson/U.S. Air Force

Spangdahlem airmen remember maintainer killed en route to next duty station

Staff Sgt. Tyler Mayfield, 33, died 12 days after being injured in a car accident in Missouri.

Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein were at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, to visit with airmen after spending the week in the Middle East. It was Barrett's first trip overseas with Goldfein since being sworn in as the 25th Air Force Secretary. <br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein were at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, to visit with airmen after spending the week in the Middle East. It was Barrett's first trip overseas with Goldfein since being sworn in as the 25th Air Force Secretary. <br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

New Air Force secretary touts Space Force on first official trip overseas

On her first trip overseas as the new Air Force secretary, Barbara Barrett went to Ramstein Air Base with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein to visit with airmen and learn about their missions.

The parking space lines outside the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, were redrawn and repainted earlier this year. The project was one of several funded with money the base received for being named the Air Force's best installation this year.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
The parking space lines outside the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, were redrawn and repainted earlier this year. The project was one of several funded with money the base received for being named the Air Force's best installation this year.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Wi-Fi, roads and parking: How Ramstein is spending $700,000 in ‘best base’ prize money

Ramstein Air Base got $700,000 in prize money for being named the Pentagon’s best Air Force installation. Here's how it's using the money.

More than 700 students from three DODEA middle schools in Kaiserslautern will attend school starting next fall on the campus of the old Vogelweh Elementary School in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The schools' consolidation is necessary to proceed with plans to build new 21st-century schools in the area.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
More than 700 students from three DODEA middle schools in Kaiserslautern will attend school starting next fall on the campus of the old Vogelweh Elementary School in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The schools' consolidation is necessary to proceed with plans to build new 21st-century schools in the area.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Three middle schools in Kaiserslautern area will merge into one

About 750 students at small middle schools in the Kaiserslautern area will attend the same school on Vogelweh as of the next academic year, when three schools are merged into one, a top school official said.

A German man who couldn't present a valid ID when he was stopped at the entrance to Spangdahlem Air last month has been driving for 25 years without a license, German police say. German licenses used to have no expiration date but since 2013, European Union rules require drivers to renew their licenses every 15 years.<br>File photo
A German man who couldn't present a valid ID when he was stopped at the entrance to Spangdahlem Air last month has been driving for 25 years without a license, German police say. German licenses used to have no expiration date but since 2013, European Union rules require drivers to renew their licenses every 15 years.<br>File photo

25 years of driving without a license comes to a stop for German man at Spangdahlem gate

German driver’s licenses used to have no expiration date, but since 2013 European Union rules require drivers to renew their licenses every 15 years.

Worldwide equipment identification cards, released by Army Training and Doctrine Command, help soldiers recognize vehicles and weapons used by Russia, China and Iran.<br>Gary Sheftick/U.S. Army
Worldwide equipment identification cards, released by Army Training and Doctrine Command, help soldiers recognize vehicles and weapons used by Russia, China and Iran.<br>Gary Sheftick/U.S. Army

US Army’s new playing cards feature Russian tanks, Chinese missiles and Iranian weapons

An ace of spades embellished with a Russian-made SA-17 could tip a game of Texas Hold ‘em in a soldier’s favor, while also helping him identify a surface-to-air missile system on the ground.

Police were called when an airman was found sleeping in a parked car on Am Berg in Landstuhl, Germany, Nov. 9, 2019. The airman, who was inebriated and erroneously thought the car was his, was detained by German law enforcement officers and handed over to U.S. military police.<br>Erik Slavin/Stars and Stripes
Police were called when an airman was found sleeping in a parked car on Am Berg in Landstuhl, Germany, Nov. 9, 2019. The airman, who was inebriated and erroneously thought the car was his, was detained by German law enforcement officers and handed over to U.S. military police.<br>Erik Slavin/Stars and Stripes

Ramstein airman detained after punching out the wrong car window

The incident is just one of a number of recent cases of young U.S. service members in Germany getting in trouble after drinking too much.

The Burgschaenke in Hohenecken, Germany, offers a variety of German, vegetarian and specialty dishes. In warm months, it has outside seating. It's a good place to stop for a German beer or hearty meal after hiking to the nearby Hohenecken castle.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
The Burgschaenke in Hohenecken, Germany, offers a variety of German, vegetarian and specialty dishes. In warm months, it has outside seating. It's a good place to stop for a German beer or hearty meal after hiking to the nearby Hohenecken castle.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Even if they’re out of something, all of the German-style dishes are delicious at Burgschaenke

Dining recently at Burgschaenke, a German-style restaurant in a small village south of Kaiserslautern, I was disappointed to hear they were out of pumpkin soup.

Dr. Jeffrey Tiede, director of the Interdisciplinary Pain Management Center at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, injects a local anesthetic into Master Sgt. Randall Kimble's neck during a stellate ganglion block procedure at LRMC in 2016. A Pentagon-funded clinical trial found that PTSD symptoms of service members who received the procedure showed significant improvement, according to the results announced Wednesday.<br>Stacy Sanning/U.S. Army
Dr. Jeffrey Tiede, director of the Interdisciplinary Pain Management Center at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, injects a local anesthetic into Master Sgt. Randall Kimble's neck during a stellate ganglion block procedure at LRMC in 2016. A Pentagon-funded clinical trial found that PTSD symptoms of service members who received the procedure showed significant improvement, according to the results announced Wednesday.<br>Stacy Sanning/U.S. Army

Injection shows promise for PTSD treatment in clinical trial

Injecting a local anesthetic next to a bundle of nerves in the neck can significantly reduce post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in service members, based on the results of a two-year clinical trial published Wednesday.

Spangdahlem's Jolie Haar screams as Rota's Helen Quast, left, and Bahrain's Jasmine Osman put her down, saying she has stage fright, as they act out a piece in the drama workshop at Creative Connections.<br>MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES
Spangdahlem's Jolie Haar screams as Rota's Helen Quast, left, and Bahrain's Jasmine Osman put her down, saying she has stage fright, as they act out a piece in the drama workshop at Creative Connections.<br>MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES

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From Capri Sun dresses to modern love stories, DODEA students go avant-garde at selective arts workshop

Instructors and students from Defense Department schools across Europe are participating in the military school system’s annual visual and performing arts workshop.

A U.S. Air Force airman pushes a cart of parcels at Ramstein Air Base, Germany's North Side Post Office in 2017. Space-available mail coming from the U.S. to Air Force postal offices in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands will take around 30 to 45 days to arrive during the upcoming holiday season.<br>Elizabeth Baker/U.S. Air Force
A U.S. Air Force airman pushes a cart of parcels at Ramstein Air Base, Germany's North Side Post Office in 2017. Space-available mail coming from the U.S. to Air Force postal offices in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands will take around 30 to 45 days to arrive during the upcoming holiday season.<br>Elizabeth Baker/U.S. Air Force

Air Force space-available mail will take longer to get to Europe over the holidays

Mom will have to knit that sweater a little earlier if she wants to send it by space-available mail from the States to an Air Force post office in Europe in time for the end-of-year holidays.

Ramstein's Isabella Coddington hits the ball back across the net as Stuttgart's Rebekah Johnson defends in the Division I final at the DODEA-Europe volleyball championships in Kaiserslautern, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019. Ramstein beat Stuttgart 21-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23, 20-18.<br>MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES
Ramstein's Isabella Coddington hits the ball back across the net as Stuttgart's Rebekah Johnson defends in the Division I final at the DODEA-Europe volleyball championships in Kaiserslautern, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019. Ramstein beat Stuttgart 21-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23, 20-18.<br>MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES

D-I volleyball final

Royals ruin Panthers' drive for perfection with tight win

Ramstein knocks off previously unbeaten Stuttgart in five-set marathon.

The Spangdahlem Sentinels celebrate their DODEA-Europe Division III title after defeating Sigonella 22-25, 25-12, 25-20, 26-24, in Kaiserslautern, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019.<br>MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES
The Spangdahlem Sentinels celebrate their DODEA-Europe Division III title after defeating Sigonella 22-25, 25-12, 25-20, 26-24, in Kaiserslautern, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019.<br>MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES

D-III volleyball final

Sentinels de-throne Jaguars in four sets

After dropping the first set, the Sentinels found their groove, and rode a wave of momentum past the Jaguars 22-25, 25-12, 25-20, 26-24.

In a 2016 photo, 2nd Lt. Joshua Gonzalez of 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division explains basic concepts of physics to Murray Elementary School fourth-grade students at Fort Stewart, Ga., during the school's second annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Day.<br>Nicholas Holmes/U.S. Army
In a 2016 photo, 2nd Lt. Joshua Gonzalez of 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division explains basic concepts of physics to Murray Elementary School fourth-grade students at Fort Stewart, Ga., during the school's second annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Day.<br>Nicholas Holmes/U.S. Army

Military base students outperform peers in national reading and math test

U.S. military base students in fourth and eighth grades earned the highest percentage of reading proficiency in the nation and outpaced civilian schools in math, the latest national test results show.

Autobahn A6 near the Einsiedlerhof exit, west of Kaiserslautern, Germany. Police will close a portion of the A6 in both directions while a nearby World War II-era bomb is removed on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019.<br>MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES
Autobahn A6 near the Einsiedlerhof exit, west of Kaiserslautern, Germany. Police will close a portion of the A6 in both directions while a nearby World War II-era bomb is removed on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019.<br>MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES

Part of autobahn near US bases in Kaiserslautern area to close while WWII bomb disarmed

The bomb was found about six to 10 feet underground Tuesday by construction crews near the former Opel automobile factory next to U.S. Army’s Rhine Ordnance Barracks, a Kaiserslautern city spokesman said Wednesday.

The Air Force's new Remote Combat Effects Campaign Medal is intended to recognize drone pilots and other airmen who make contributions to combat from a remote location.<br>Sahara Fales/U.S. Air Force
The Air Force's new Remote Combat Effects Campaign Medal is intended to recognize drone pilots and other airmen who make contributions to combat from a remote location.<br>Sahara Fales/U.S. Air Force

Air Force recognizes drone pilots with new medal

The Remote Combat Effects Campaign medal is part of an effort to better recognize the combat contributions of airmen who are not deployed, the Air Force said in a statement announcing the award’s criteria Monday.

Wiesbaden's Jordan Bennett, left, and Hope Goodwin celebrate their 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 win over Ramstein's Isabella Guzaldo and Dougie Allison in the girls doubles final at the DODEA-Europe tennis championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 26. 2019. <br>MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES
Wiesbaden's Jordan Bennett, left, and Hope Goodwin celebrate their 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 win over Ramstein's Isabella Guzaldo and Dougie Allison in the girls doubles final at the DODEA-Europe tennis championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 26. 2019. <br>MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES

Sophomore standouts both defend singles titles

Stuttgart's Amar Tahirovic and Kaiserslautern's Avia Schmidt go unbeaten in tourney to retain titles they won as freshmen.

Hikers traverse the rocks atop the ancient Celtic ring wall in Otzenhausen, Germany. The so-called "Ring of the Huns" is one of the largest Celtic fortresses in Europe and dates back to about 400 B.C.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
Hikers traverse the rocks atop the ancient Celtic ring wall in Otzenhausen, Germany. The so-called "Ring of the Huns" is one of the largest Celtic fortresses in Europe and dates back to about 400 B.C.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

europe quick trips

See remains of an ancient Celtic rampart, visit a village, hike trails near Kaiserslautern

In the hills of Saarland about 40 miles west of Kaiserslautern is an ancient wall that has ringed the forest for more than 2,000 years.

Senior Airman Walter Boze, holding program, embraces Tech. Sgt. Robert Davis after the memorial service on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, for Airmen 1st Class Jacob A. Blackburn and Bradley Reese Haile at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Blackburn and Haile were killed last month in car crash on base.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
Senior Airman Walter Boze, holding program, embraces Tech. Sgt. Robert Davis after the memorial service on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, for Airmen 1st Class Jacob A. Blackburn and Bradley Reese Haile at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Blackburn and Haile were killed last month in car crash on base.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Spangdahlem remembers young airmen killed in car crash

Airmen 1st Class Jacob Blackburn, 20, and Bradley Reese Haile, 19, died on the scene Sept. 30 when the car they were in left the road near the Spangdahlem Air Base passenger terminal and hit a stationary object.

Room rates for on-base lodging facilities at Ramstein, Germany, will more than double starting next month as the Air Force adjusts its rates to meet a new Pentagon directive that directs taxpayer dollars away from military lodging facilities. Rates are highest in Europe, where visiting quarters will jump from $70 a night to $149 a night, including at Ramstein Air Base. <br>U.S. Air Force photo
Room rates for on-base lodging facilities at Ramstein, Germany, will more than double starting next month as the Air Force adjusts its rates to meet a new Pentagon directive that directs taxpayer dollars away from military lodging facilities. Rates are highest in Europe, where visiting quarters will jump from $70 a night to $149 a night, including at Ramstein Air Base. <br>U.S. Air Force photo

Hikes are coming to Air Force lodging rates worldwide; some in Europe will be doubling

The nightly rates for rooms at the Air Force’s European inns will more than double starting next month as the services begin to foot the bill for most of their operating expenses.

Stuttgart junior McKinley Fielding heads for the finish line in first place at the DODEA-Europe cross country championships in Baumholder, Germany, on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019. Fielding set a new course record of 18:40.47 and led the Panthers to a Division I team title. <br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
Stuttgart junior McKinley Fielding heads for the finish line in first place at the DODEA-Europe cross country championships in Baumholder, Germany, on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019. Fielding set a new course record of 18:40.47 and led the Panthers to a Division I team title. <br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Europe cross country finals

Stuttgart's Fielding, Kaiserslautern's Parsells race to wins

Stuttgart junior McKinley Fielding took control of the girls race from the gun, running alone and finishing the course almost five seconds better than any other girls runner had before.

Vice President Mike Pence visits with servicemembers at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, early Friday morning, Oct. 18, 2019. Pence stopped at Ramstein on his return flight to the U.S. from Turkey.<br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes
Vice President Mike Pence visits with servicemembers at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, early Friday morning, Oct. 18, 2019. Pence stopped at Ramstein on his return flight to the U.S. from Turkey.<br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes

Pence visits servicemembers at Ramstein after negotiating Turkey agreement

The vice president’s trip was aimed at getting Turkey to stop its military offensive in northeastern Syria, a campaign it began more than a week ago to rid the border of Kurdish fighters controlling the area.