Drouin brings experience on NATO’s eastern flank to post atop vast Army garrison in Germany

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — One New Englander with multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan replaced another on Tuesday as commander of the expansive Bavaria garrison that hosts the Army’s largest training area in Europe.

Col. Derek Drouin, a New Hampshire native, took command of U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria from Col. Stephen Flanagan during a ceremony on the Tower Barracks parade field.

The garrison is home to the 7th Army Training Command and is spread among locations in Grafenwoehr, Vilseck, Hohenfels and Garmisch.

U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria includes the Grafenwoehr Training Area, which hosts multinational exercises and the training of Ukrainian troops fighting Russia.

Flanagan, a Massachusetts native and seasoned Special Forces commander, shepherded the garrison through government shutdowns, which brought food insecurity and manning issues.

Also during his tenure, Russia waged a campaign of drone surveillance clustered around sensitive U.S. military sites in Europe, especially those where Ukrainian soldiers are trained on platforms like the M1 Abrams tank, according to a report released earlier this month by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

The garrison has been specifically cited as a place where such training takes place, and in late 2024, it posted warnings on Facebook about the illegality of drone usage over U.S. Army property in Germany.

Additionally, three dual German-Russian nationals were convicted last year of plotting attacks against U.S. troops stationed at the base.

Drouin said he had a clear vision of how to keep moving the installation forward despite its high operational tempo.

“We’ll provide exceptional support to our units, our families, our soldiers and our retirees to increase readiness, lethality and quality of life,” he told attendees in brief remarks.

A recipient of three Bronze Stars and a pair of Purple Hearts, he also vowed to build and maintain relationships with the local community.

Col. Derek Drouin, the new commander of U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, center, stands in front of the color guard during his change of command ceremony in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on July 14, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Col. Stephen Flanagan, outgoing commander of U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, talks to his team after receiving a Legion of Merit and a going-away gift in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on July 14, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Col. Derek Drouin, the new commander of U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, is shown ahead of remarks to attendees at his change of command ceremony in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on July 14, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

The changeover takes place as uncertainty looms over the NATO alliance and the posture of U.S. troops in the region.

The Pentagon in May announced plans to cut 5,000 troops in Germany but has yet to fully detail how it intends to accomplish that objective.

One possibility could involve shifting some troops in Germany to Poland, where President Donald Trump has ordered the Defense Department to increase force levels.

Col. Derek Drouin, commander of U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, gives a speech during a change of command ceremony in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on July 14, 2026. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Drouin arrives in Bavaria after a stint as the G3 officer responsible for operations and training for the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga., his Army biography states. 

A Norwich University graduate, he holds three master’s degrees from the University of New Hampshire and the School of Advanced Military Studies.

The engineer-turned-armor-officer has deployed to Poland twice since 2022, his biography says.

Flanagan is headed to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., where he will serve as director of the Combating Terrorism Center, garrison spokeswoman Kayla Overton said Tuesday.