The Stuttgart military community
By Greg Jones
USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs Office
The Stuttgart military community is composed of five installations throughout the greater Stuttgart metropolitan area and comprises a US population of about 22,000 service members civilians and families representing all four military services and other federal agencies. The Stuttgart metropolitan area, with a population of about 5 million people, is a thriving major German population center with a wide variety of industry and tourism.
Panzer Kaserne, located in Böblingen is home to the U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart and most in-processing and out-processing needs as well as a number of customer service locations. For a full listing of services and locations see page 24. Of the over 1,300 housing units in Stuttgart, Panzer Kaserne and Kelley Barracks combined hold approximately 40 percent of the family housing units, and 50 percent of the unaccompanied housing. Panzer is also home of the Böblingen Elementary/Middle School. The future high school (currently under construction) is directly across Panzerstrasse/Route K1057 from Panzer Kaserne and is expected to be completed in time for the start of the 2015-2016 school year.
Patch Barracks is located in Stuttgart-Vaihingen and is home to the U.S. European Command. Patch and Robinson Barracks are the two main residential installations in Stuttgart with approximately 60 percent of the family housing and 50 percent of the unaccompanied housing. Patch is also the home of Stuttgart’s current American high school and Patch Elementary School.
Kelley Barracks is located in Stuttgart-Mohringen and is home to U.S. Africa Command. Facilities on Kelley Barracks include a gym, the Kelley Theatre, the Staff Judge Advocate, a commissary, the Kelley Club, Kelley Hotel for inbound and outbound personnel, and a child development center.
Robinson Barracks, located in Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt is primarily a residential installation. It is also the home of American Forces Network Stuttgart, and features a large commissary.
Finally, Stuttgart Army Airfield, in Filderstadt is the home of the aviation arms of each respective Combatant Commands as well as the primary platform for military cargo. While no services are provided from this installation, it is etched in history as one of the main locations for aircraft used during the Berlin airlift.
Stuttgart and the Surrounding Area
Stuttgart is in the state of Baden Wurttemberg in the southern part of Germany. There are 13 states in Germany and three cities that carry the same status as states. With a population of more than a half-million in the city of Stuttgart, and more than five million in the greater Stuttgart area, Stuttgart is the fourth largest metropolitan area in Germany, and the regional capital of Baden Wurttemberg. There are six counties in the Stuttgart metropolitan area; Böblingen in the southwest, Ludwigsburg and Rems-Murr-Kreis in the north, Göppingen in the southeast and Esslingen directly south of the main city of Stuttgart which is itself a county divided into smaller districts within the city.
Stuttgart is centrally located in Germany with several major European capitals within a day’s drive. The autobahn A-5, about 40 minutes west of Stuttgart, runs from Basil, Switzerland in the south, to north of Frankfurt where it connects with the A-7 which goes all the way north to Denmark. The A-6, roughly a half hour north of Stuttgart is one of the main east-west highways and goes from the French border in the west, straight across Germany to the Czech Republic in the east.