{"id":11100,"date":"2026-05-08T06:28:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T06:28:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/11100\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T06:28:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T06:28:24","slug":"a-small-town-in-germany-braces-for-end-to-decades-of-life-with-us-troops-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/11100\/","title":{"rendered":"A small town in Germany braces for end to decades of life with US troops"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vilseck, Germany \u2014 The picturesque Bavarian town of Vilseck has hosted U.S. forces since the end of World War Two and could bear the brunt of President Donald Trump\u2019s decision to withdraw at least 5,000 troops<\/a> from Germany.<\/p>\n

Although details of the units affected by the order have not been confirmed, the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment \u2014 the only permanent brigade combat team in Germany \u2014 based at Rose Barracks in Vilseck is expected to go.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe consequences would be dramatic,\u201d said the town\u2019s new mayor, Thorsten Graedler, who took office this week facing the prospect of thousands of job losses in a rural area where the base is one of the biggest employers for miles around.<\/p>\n

Over the years, he said, the presence of the base, with its thousands of well\u2011paying jobs for local people and steady stream of customers for local businesses, had produced a situation of dependence whose risks were now being felt.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur entire town of Vilseck relies largely on the military training area for its livelihood \u2014 pubs, restaurants, garages, supermarkets,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

U.S. wants Europe to spend more on defense <\/p>\n

The decision to withdraw troops came amid increasing pressure from Washington on European countries to raise defense spending, and accusations that reliance on U.S. forces had allowed them to neglect their own militaries.<\/p>\n

During Trump\u2019s first term there was already talk of withdrawing the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, a brigade\u2011sized combat formation built around Stryker wheeled armored vehicles, but the plans were reversed under former President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to say that it hasn\u2019t been officially confirmed yet that the Strykers will actually be withdrawn. So I haven\u2019t given up hope yet,\u201d Graedler said.<\/p>\n

The government in Berlin, which has sharply increased spending to rebuild the German military after years of underinvestment, said the announcement of a troop withdrawal came as little surprise.<\/p>\n

\"\"Fatmir Fazliji, 40, owner of Friends Pizza, looks out the window of his diner in Vilseck, Germany, on May 4, 2026. (Lisi Niesner\/Reuters)<\/p>\n

But beyond the economic effects, the cultural shock from the news would be profound for a town whose 6,500 inhabitants are outnumbered by U.S. personnel and their families.<\/p>\n

Although numbers have declined since the height of the Cold War \u2014 when as many as 250,000 U.S. troops, as well as tens of thousands of civilian staff, were deployed to face off against the Soviet Union \u2014 their presence was an enduring reality for generations of West Germans.<\/p>\n

By the time the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, 60% of all U.S. overseas bases were in Germany, with hundreds of other sites, most in southwestern towns like Vilseck. Many were \u2018little Americas\u2019 with their own on\u2011base housing, stores and facilities, but their presence left a deep mark on local communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never known Vilseck any other way than living side by side with the Americans,\u201d Graedler said. <\/p>\n

Many U.S. soldiers enjoy life in Germany <\/p>\n

Only around 35,000 American troops<\/a> now remain in Germany, the largest U.S. contingent in Europe. But even today, soldiers and their families leave a visible mark on Vilseck and nearby areas, eating at steak restaurants, shopping in local supermarkets and joining local sports and car clubs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been here since 2022, so about four years now. And there\u2019s nothing to dislike about Germany,\u201d said 31\u2011year\u2011old culinary sergeant Robert Moore, who lives about 20km north of Vilseck. He said people were friendly and respectful and \u201cit\u2019s very, very safe\u201d.<\/p>\n

Many in Vilseck said there would be an emotional sense of loss if the Americans left.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the Strykers arrived, we were worried they\u2019d be a bunch of roughnecks, but they\u2019re actually really nice,\u201d said 66\u2011year\u2011old Albin Merkl, a pensioner who rents apartments to U.S. personnel.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve always done good business with the Americans,\u201d he said, adding that trains to nearby Nuremberg were filled in the evenings with younger soldiers heading out for off\u2011duty entertainment.<\/p>\n

\"\"U.S. Army soldiers share an evening dinner at the Casa do Brasil steakhouse, after they returned from a field exercise in Schlicht near Vilseck, Germany, on May 5, 2026. (Lisi Niesner\/Reuters)<\/p>\n

Vilseck resident Judith Georgiadis, 63, who worked in base administration for 17 years, said life grew quieter following the drawdown of U.S. forces after the Cold War.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack in the eighties, life here was brilliant. There was a lively nightlife, with bars and pubs,\u201d she said. With the latest news, many were apprehensive. \u201cPeople who work for the Americans are afraid. There is a lot of worry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe city government should have taken action long ago to address our dependence on the Americans. When you\u2019re young, you either work for the Americans or leave,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Local businesses that provide services to the base are also exposed.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of us here \u2014 business people, I mean \u2014 built our businesses around 100% American clients,\u201d said 64\u2011year\u2011old Robert Grassick, whose company, Vilseck Military Auto Sales, sells cars to troops and their families.<\/p>\n

For some older residents, however, the worry that the U.S. presence would eventually end is nothing new.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving grown up here, I can say it\u2019s always been a talking point: \u2018They\u2019re leaving and closing down,\u2019\u201d said 61\u2011year\u2011old Brenda Hutchinson, whose parents were among the many mixed couples produced by decades of close contact.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was already a talking point back when my father was in the army,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Vilseck, Germany \u2014 The picturesque Bavarian town of Vilseck has hosted U.S. forces since the end of World…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11101,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[10040,6644,1326,6640,479,5,6688,10041,9231,16],"class_list":{"0":"post-11100","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-germany","8":"tag-2nd-stryker-cavalry-regiment","9":"tag-circulated-army-times","10":"tag-circulated-defense-news","11":"tag-circulated-military-times","12":"tag-donald-trump","13":"tag-germany","14":"tag-military-times","15":"tag-u-s-troop-withdrawal","16":"tag-vilseck","17":"tag-wwii"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11100"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11100\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}