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Jennifer H. Svan

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.

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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

video, gallery

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.

John Krasinski and Michael Kelly, from the Amazon series ''Jack Ryan,'' answer audience questions before a premiere of season two shown at the Ramstein Air Base Theater, Germany, Oct. 15, 2019.<br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes
John Krasinski and Michael Kelly, from the Amazon series ''Jack Ryan,'' answer audience questions before a premiere of season two shown at the Ramstein Air Base Theater, Germany, Oct. 15, 2019.<br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes

GALLERY

Hundreds at Ramstein Air Base greet stars and watch early screening of ‘Jack Ryan’

The USO-sponsored event brought actors John Krasinski and Michael Kelly to a special screening of the hit show "Jack Ryan" for servicemembers and their families ahead of the show's new season, slated for a Nov. 1 release.

U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons, assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron, taxi on the flightline at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, Oct. 1, 2019. Flying operations at Spangdahlem were briefly halted after the crash of an F-16 on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019, but are expected to resume next week, .<br>Valerie Seelye/U.S. Air Force
U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons, assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron, taxi on the flightline at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, Oct. 1, 2019. Flying operations at Spangdahlem were briefly halted after the crash of an F-16 on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019, but are expected to resume next week, .<br>Valerie Seelye/U.S. Air Force

Flying operations likely to resume next week at Spangdahlem following F-16 crash

Flight operations were temporarily halted “to give the base and community time and space to respond to the incident,” said an Air Force spokeswoman.

U.S. Air Force 52nd Fighter Wing F-16 Fighting Falcons line up in formation on the runway at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, Oct. 1, 2019. The Wing has temporarily grounded F-16 flying operations following Tuesday's crash of one of the wing's F-16s.<br>Joshua R.M. Dewberry/U.S. Air Force
U.S. Air Force 52nd Fighter Wing F-16 Fighting Falcons line up in formation on the runway at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, Oct. 1, 2019. The Wing has temporarily grounded F-16 flying operations following Tuesday's crash of one of the wing's F-16s.<br>Joshua R.M. Dewberry/U.S. Air Force

Spangdahlem grounds F-16s, cancels exercise after crash

The Air Force is investigating after a F-16 Fighting Falcon out of Spangdahlem crashed Tuesday afternoon in an isolated, wooded area near the German town of Zemmer-Rodt, a few miles south of the base and north of the city of Trier, officials said.

Patricia Hannon, left, a reading specialist at Hohenfels Elementary School in Germany, is pictured with Dell McMullen, the DODEA-Europe director, on Sept. 25, 2019, in Hohenfels, Germany. Hannon is one of five recipients of the NEA Foundation's 2020 Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence.<br>DODEA Europe
Patricia Hannon, left, a reading specialist at Hohenfels Elementary School in Germany, is pictured with Dell McMullen, the DODEA-Europe director, on Sept. 25, 2019, in Hohenfels, Germany. Hannon is one of five recipients of the NEA Foundation's 2020 Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence.<br>DODEA Europe

Hohenfels reading specialist is first DODEA teacher to win $10,000 education prize

Patricia Hannon, a reading specialist at Hohenfels Elementary School, uses her her music background to help kids in kindergarten through third grade overcome reading difficulties.

Bradley Reese Haile and Jacob Blackburn died in a car crash on Spangdahlem Air Base. <br>Facebook
Bradley Reese Haile and Jacob Blackburn died in a car crash on Spangdahlem Air Base. <br>Facebook

Air Force identifies airmen killed in Spangdahlem car crash

Bradley Reese Haile, 19, and Jacob Blackburn, 20, were airmen first class assigned to the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron. They were killed Monday morning when the car they were in hit a stationary object before bursting into flames.

Students at Vicenza High School in Vicenza, Italy, are pictured in class in the spring of 2019. The school was one of three Department of Defense Education Activity schools to be named National Blue Ribbon schools.<br>Facebook/Vicenza High School
Students at Vicenza High School in Vicenza, Italy, are pictured in class in the spring of 2019. The school was one of three Department of Defense Education Activity schools to be named National Blue Ribbon schools.<br>Facebook/Vicenza High School

Three DODEA schools earn coveted ‘Blue Ribbon’ for high achievement

Three Department of Defense Education Activity schools, including two in Europe, have been ranked among the highest-performing U.S. schools, DODEA announced this week.

Two airmen were killed and one was injured Monday, Sept. 30, 2019, in a car accident on Spangdahlem Air Base?s perimeter road.<br>Stars and Stripes
Two airmen were killed and one was injured Monday, Sept. 30, 2019, in a car accident on Spangdahlem Air Base?s perimeter road.<br>Stars and Stripes

Spangdahlem airman recovering after fiery crash that killed two other servicemembers

Two airmen were killed and a third was injured in the crash near Spangdalem Air Base’s passenger terminal on Monday morning.

The law center at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. An Air Force staff sergeant will spend five years in jail for secretly recording seven women, including several airmen whom he worked with or befriended, while they visited or stayed in his home.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
The law center at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. An Air Force staff sergeant will spend five years in jail for secretly recording seven women, including several airmen whom he worked with or befriended, while they visited or stayed in his home.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Airman jailed for secretly filming women as they undressed, showered in his house

Staff Sgt. Andrew P. Rogers admitted he used cameras hidden around his off-base house to film more than half a dozen women who stayed with him or house-sat for him while he was away.

Students work in class last spring at Kaiserslautern High School, Germany. A year after it opened, black mold was found in one of the wings of the state-of-the-art school, forcing it to be closed.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
Students work in class last spring at Kaiserslautern High School, Germany. A year after it opened, black mold was found in one of the wings of the state-of-the-art school, forcing it to be closed.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Mold and water force partial closures at two new schools on bases in Germany

Black mold was discovered in one of the walls at Kaiserslautern High School last spring, while a water leak was detected last week under the floor in the Vogelweh Elementary School’s first-grade “neighborhood."

Staff Sgts. Antonio Gallegos, left, and Andrew T. Kraft, are pictured with their Belgian Malinois military working dogs, Diesel and Sky, respectively, on Friday, Sept. 20, 2019, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.<br>Crystal Pyle
Staff Sgts. Antonio Gallegos, left, and Andrew T. Kraft, are pictured with their Belgian Malinois military working dogs, Diesel and Sky, respectively, on Friday, Sept. 20, 2019, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.<br>Crystal Pyle

Military working dogs are given a final send-off at Ramstein

Hundreds of personnel lined the streets of Ramstein Air Base Friday to give a salute to two military working dogs as they left base, secure in their kennels in the back of a van, for their last ride.

Senior Airman Chris Barrier from the 124th Security Forces Squadron gets his waist measured during his annual fitness assessment in Apr. 2015. The Air Force is considering administering the abdominal circumference test at a separate time from the rest of the physical fitness assessment.<br>Cassie Morlock/U.S. Air Force
Senior Airman Chris Barrier from the 124th Security Forces Squadron gets his waist measured during his annual fitness assessment in Apr. 2015. The Air Force is considering administering the abdominal circumference test at a separate time from the rest of the physical fitness assessment.<br>Cassie Morlock/U.S. Air Force

Air Force mulls fitness assessment changes to reduce risks from rapid weight loss

The Air Force is currently looking at implementing a fitness test policy like the Army’s, which encourages commanders and supervisors to allow a minimum of seven days between the two components of the test.

Daniela Therre-Ost, left, and Andre Jank, center, paramedics with the German Red Cross Emergency Medical Services, were presented with Certificates of Appreciation by Col. Jason Edwards, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz commander, in Baumholder, Sept. 9, 2019. Therre-Ost and Jank helped save a baby's life on the base in August.<br>U.S. Army
Daniela Therre-Ost, left, and Andre Jank, center, paramedics with the German Red Cross Emergency Medical Services, were presented with Certificates of Appreciation by Col. Jason Edwards, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz commander, in Baumholder, Sept. 9, 2019. Therre-Ost and Jank helped save a baby's life on the base in August.<br>U.S. Army

German paramedics who saved American baby’s life honored by US Army

A Baumholder soldier's baby was unconscious when paramedics came to help.