Germany – SHAPE didn’t travel to Bavaria looking to lose
And its performance in Saturday’s rainy soccer matchup against Vilseck backed that up
both squads tested each other’s back lines
trading swift offensive drives that ended with the keepers racking up multiple saves
Spartans sophomore and team captain Iveta Stefancinova broke the deadlock
weaving through the Falcons’ defense to score the team’s opening – and only – goal of the half
having nearly equalized in the final moments of the first half — only to have a potential tying goal called back for offside
defender Mayela Lokeni made valiant efforts to secure the team’s back lines
was able to sneak in another goal and Patricia Fernandez eventually finished the scoring
Stefancinova has stepped into a leadership role this season
She credited much of her performance to the support of her teammates and coaching staff
“The coaches are an important part of our family,” Stefancinova said
With a roster full of first-year players and underclassmen
she praised the coaching duo of Chad and Rebecca Lucy for adapting their training approach to set the team up for success
Fellow Spartan captain Georgia Green completed the scoring with an impressive long-range shot from outside the box in the closing three minutes
the Vilseck girls have spent the season dealing with similar circumstances of having a new and young squad
many of whom haven’t played much soccer,” Falcons coach John Switala said
and making positive passes are what will help the squad moving forward
Vilseck 0: The Spartans wasted no time asserting their dominance
firing shot after shot into the Falcons’ net and closing the first half with a commanding 5-0 lead
After making some substitutions at halftime
the Falcons came back with renewed focus and tightened their defense
An early corner kick gave Spartans co-captain Andrea Bosone the perfect opportunity to show why he wears the armband
the veteran defender met a well-placed ball with a powerful header
the Spartans quickly followed up with four more well-placed goals
“Having [a 5-0 lead] at the half was what we wanted,” SHAPE coach Erika Aquino said about the boys’ performance
so the speed really should not be an issue.”
The Falcons played the Spartans much more evenly in the second half
“They’re learning to work as a team much more effectively,” Vilseck coach Mary Corrigan said
She said the team has spent the season trying to find a winning formula and the second half Saturday showed the Falcons can successfully adjust during a match
Falcons senior Dominic Susil said he’s looking ahead with excitement to the upcoming European Championships later this month
“I don’t think our team is a (regular) season team
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In mid-2020, then-President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-directs-u-s-troop-reduction-in-germany-11591375651" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ordered the Pentagon to withdraw</a> roughly one-third of US forces from Germany
reportedly because of policy differences with Berlin
Given how long it would take to implement such a significant change in overseas posture
the clock ran out on his term before the Department of Defense could complete it
it’s possible he may again order DOD to dramatically reduce forward stationing of forces in Europe
Assuming the United States maintains some kind of troop presence in Europe—admittedly an open question given uncertainties surrounding the new administration’s approach to European security—relying primarily on rotational presence doesn’t make sense fiscally
Rotating US military forces overseas for continuous nine-month deployments costs more than forward stationing them in allied countries such as Germany or Poland
but recent US Army data indicate that recurring annual costs of back-to-back nine-month deployments outweigh those associated with basing units in Europe on a full-time basis
and diplomacy—of rotational deployments versus forward stationing
This latest reexamination appears to validate the 2017 findings that forward-stationed forces are less expensive
Over the course of twenty-five years, the US military reduced its forward-stationed presence in Europe steadily beginning in 1991. By 2013, the US Army had <a href="https://www.army.mil/article/100363/21st_tsc_assists_movement_of_last_main_battle_tanks_out_of_europe">sent the last of its tanks</a> from Europe back to the continental United States (or CONUS)
and the overall number of Army personnel based in Europe had dropped from 213,000 to 30,000
The drawdown was largely driven by fiscal cost—with many assuming that rotating forces from the United States was less expensive than basing them in Europe—and dramatic changes in the security threat environment following the Soviet Union’s collapse
Other rationales suggested by those who favored a US-based military included the argument that forces were more quickly and easily deployed from America
by air and ship is several days faster from Bremerhaven
which is typically used by ABCTs deploying from Ft
even the sometimes vociferous disagreement among allied governments failed to inhibit Europe-based American units from deploying to both Iraq and Afghanistan repeatedly over the last two decades
Proponents of rotational deployments also argued that US military forces greatly benefit from having to pack up all their equipment
My research indicates there are indeed significant training benefits gained in this way
brigade commanders I’ve spoken with note that because their rotationally deployed forces were away from families
the pace of training activities was significantly higher compared to training at their stateside base
allowing those units to achieve a very high level of training readiness
those same conversations revealed readiness shortcomings associated with rotational deployments in comparison to forward stationing
no US-based unit rotates overseas at full strength
limiting the training benefits gained in movement to and while on the ground in Europe
most of the troops in rotationally deployed units typically have not had prior experience operating in Europe
leading to a steep learning curve—including more traffic accidents—for many
just as rotationally deployed US troops in Europe learn the rules of the road (literally) and gain an understanding of their operating environment
with most of the knowledge gained and the networks developed lost
Finally, advocates of a largely US-based force argued cutting overseas stationing would strengthen family and troop morale by <a href="https://www.govexec.com/defense/2005/10/concerns-linger-about-plan-to-bring-overseas-based-troops-home/20495/">reducing the number of moves</a>—known within the military as permanent changes of station (PCSs)—in a soldier’s career
the reality of rotational deployments is that
when training and other preparatory activities are also considered
soldiers are away from home for eleven to twelve months without combat pay
or the opportunity to earn a combat patch—things that help make those months away from home working twelve- to fifteen-hour days
More recently, other indicators point to the negative toll that a high deployment tempo is having on ABCTs. Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2024/03/11/broken-track-suicides-suffering-in-armys-exhausted-armor-community/">an Army Times report</a> revealed a strikingly higher rate of suicides among troops in ABCTs
compared to troops in other kinds of units
The report tied these higher rates to the exceptionally high operational tempo (OPTEMPO) of ABCTs and the numerous deployments—to Europe and elsewhere—they have maintained over the last decade
some cited additional challenges such as increased domestic violence and increased divorce rates in the months following redeployment from overseas rotations
It’s unclear whether reducing the number of back-to-back rotational deployments while increasing the number of forward-stationed troops in places like Germany or Poland would lower the incidence of divorce or suicide among troops in tank brigades—though given the human toll of those incidents
experimenting with ways to ease the burden on servicemembers and their families is worthwhile—but it would undoubtedly cost the US taxpayer less
Based on data from the last several fiscal years
it appears the annual recurring costs of a continuous
rotational ABCT presence in Europe are nearly $70 million more per year than the annual recurring costs of a forward-stationed ABCT in Germany or Poland
The chart below lays out the data as well as their sources
What’s not mentioned in the spreadsheet above of course is the infrastructure—in the United States and in Europe—necessary to support an ABCT
but depending on the arrangement made with the host nation
often on terms very favorable to the United States
the Polish government has borne nearly all costs associated with building facilities in Zagan
The cost of this investment is roughly $3.6 billion
the Poles even agreed to handle much of the annual sustainment costs
further widening the annual recurring cost difference between rotating an ABCT to Zagan and forward stationing it
forward stationing an ABCT in Europe means transferring an existing one from somewhere in the United States
Politicians are loathe to see their district or state lose a military unit and the jobs and economic development that usually accompany it
if favorable deals can be negotiated on onetime infrastructure costs
the time may be ripe to reconsider reliance on rotational deployments
Cost data from the last several years certainly would support reduced reliance on rotations
How can NATO improve its ability to fight as a multination coalition
These seven initiatives for NATO to take over the next five years can help
If Russia were to attempt to overrun a Baltic nation
does NATO have the forces ready to react immediately
An air-transportable force NATO fielded a generation ago provides a good model for this generation&#8217;s crises
NATO’s warfighting edge will not be sufficient for the transatlantic community to weather today’s military and geopolitical realities
The <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/programs/scowcroft-center-for-strategy-and-security/transatlantic-security-initiative/">Transatlantic Security Initiative</a>
in the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security
shapes and influences the debate on the greatest security challenges facing the North Atlantic Alliance and its key partners
Image: Soldiers with the US Army’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment fire upon the opposing force during Exercise Saber Junction 23 in Hohenfels
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Germany — Seniors led the way as Vilseck and Stuttgart basketball teams battled it out in northern Bavaria to see which teams would have the momentum heading into next week’s European Championships
Stuttgart point guard Tyler Jackson provided 22 points and a steady hand to help the defending champion Panther boys edge out a scrappy Vilseck team
Fortunes were reversed on the other side as the Vilseck girls overcame a first-quarter deficit to stun girls defending champ Stuttgart 38-33 behind the senior leadership of Maria Bella Smith and Jayslin Santellano
“I love my team and I know all of them wanted to support us on senior night,” Smith said after the game
Stuttgart arrived at Rose Barracks on Friday night to find a packed fieldhouse
Horns and drums rang out from the crowd as the Falcons warmed up
jumping out to a 7-6 lead at the end of a first quarter marred by turnovers for both teams
and took the lead behind spirited play from freshman and sophomore guards Willa Greenwood and Lyla Ingram
A crucial three-pointer from sophomore guard Giselle Villarreal with just under four minutes to play in the half put Vilseck up 14-9 as they began to pull away
Villarreal picked up right where she left off to start the second half
The Panthers mounted a comeback in the third quarter behind a solid effort from Hannah Holmes and Mia Snyder but ended the period down 27-16
Villarreal once again knocked down a three to start the fourth quarter and it seemed Vilseck would coast to victory
the Panthers clawed their way back to within five when Jedaiah Quinland hit a layup with 22 seconds left
Vilseck heads into next week’s tournament brimming with confidence despite losses to Kaiserslautern and Wiesbaden earlier in the season
The Falcons square off with the Panthers again Saturday to end the regular season
“This is a great team,” Neville said of her girls
“They have grit; they have fire… I think we’re going to do well (in the tournament).”
Greenwood led all scorers with 12 for Vilseck and Villarreal and Jayslin Santellano added 10 each
Stuttgart’s Holmes had nine in a losing effort
with Quinland and Isabella Farias each scoring seven
going on an 8-0 run to start its game against the Falcons (0-11
back-to-back blocks from Rohail Jan and Kyle Sullivan put Stuttgart on notice it would be no walk in the park
The Panthers finished the first quarter up 10-5 and the second up 27-20 in a physical contest of wills that saw both teams cautioned by the referees multiple times
Just when it seemed like Vilseck might mount a comeback
leading the younger players on his squad with poise under pressure
Stuttgart opened up a 41-32 lead to finish the third quarter
Vilseck’s Khyleel Grimes finished with 12 points in the loss
“Tonight was very physical,” Jackson said after the game
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Germany – The Stuttgart and Vilseck girls basketball teams have seen a lot of each other in the past two weeks
So much so that Stuttgart coach Nathan Garrett wanted to give the Falcons a bit of a surprise Saturday in the title game of the DODEA-Europe Division I championship game
the experience the Panthers carried from winning the championship a year ago or some combination of factors
the result was yet another title for the most successful D-I girls program in Europe the past decade
Hannah Holmes scored 15 points – all in the first half – and the Panthers held off the upstart Falcons 43-35
It was the fourth meeting between the two teams in two weeks
“They are a great team,” Garrett said of Vilseck
which hadn’t made a finals appearance in more than a decade
He thought so highly of them that as the coach of the top seed
he elected to have Vilseck in the same pool as his Panthers “so we wouldn’t have to play them in the semifinals.”
That just meant the Panthers were going to ratchet up their defense even more Saturday
a junior who was on last year’s title team – the swan song of longtime coach Robin Hess
Garrett served as a junior varsity coach under Hess before COVID and spent the last several years on the boys staff
He said he picked up strategies from both programs and has tried to introduce them to the team
One of those made its debut Saturday night
A trap designed to shift the flow of the Falcons’ offense a bit
Vilseck coach Darci Neville said nerves also might have played a role in her team’s slow start as Stuttgart raced out to a 11-3 lead with 2 minutes
24 seconds to play in the opening quarter on a three-point shot from Holmes
“It was their first time on this stage,” Neville said
but an 8-2 Vilseck run in the third quarter closed the gap to eight points before freshman Eve Henry stole the ball
laid it in the basket and converted a free throw to give the Panthers a larger cushion
That momentum carried over to the final quarter
when Stuttgart’s Addison Jennings scored two quick baskets and the Falcons managed only one basket over the first six minutes of the period
Vilseck clawed back again but couldn’t get closer than a handful of points before the buzzer sounded
Holmes probably could have scored more points after catching the ball numerous times close to the basket while moving down from the high post
But she dished the ball off to teammates several times instead
“I think passing up a good shot for a better shot is something I should just do every time,” she said with a shrug
Serenity Sampson and Jennings added eight points each for the Panthers
Giselle Villarreal led Vilseck with 16 points
Neville told her team after the game they had done all she had asked of them
“Nobody expected Vilseck to come out this year and do this
And all the credit goes to their effort and hard work.”
The Bavarian winter has kept the sun hidden for much of the winter season
making even a bundled-up walk through its vast wilderness a challenge to enjoy
But unseasonably warm March weather and clear skies inspired me to hit the trails again recently
and I had begun searching for a long-distance route that offers both low difficulty and rewarding scenery
I wanted suitable preparation for the summertime Nijmegen March
a popular 100-mile trek in the Netherlands
Such endurance marches are a common challenge for service members stationed in Germany
A friend who trains for long-distance running told me about a 16-mile trail connecting Vilseck and Amberg called Amberger Way
It begins at historic landmarks on both ends
winds through breathtaking nature and features small pit stops along the way
If you choose Amberg as your starting point
the trail begins at the Ziegeltor monument
and wraps around stone walls before leaving the populous area behind
The two of us explored the church exterior
not minding the early stop to appreciate the architecture
Dagestein Castle and Vilseck Castle also can be explored before even beginning the trek
After descending to the street on a set of stone stairs
we passed by a park and cemetery before continuing to the outskirts of town
where our path became a dirt-and-gravel trail
The forks in the path offered many possibilities
eager to see where the main route would lead
I found myself captivated by the landscape
interrupted only by towering beech and spruce trees and the occasional stream weaving through the forest
and while the distance might earn it a medium to difficult rating
The Amberger Way is challenging enough to keep things interesting but not so intense that a family with children couldn’t enjoy it
My friend and I settled into an easy rhythm
ticking off the miles until we stumbled upon what would become the highlight of our day: an empty park in the quiet town of Adlholz
we decided it was absolutely necessary to test the structural integrity of a wooden seesaw and swing
They passed the test — and provided a much-needed dose of childish joy
snack and rehydrate before we set off again
refreshed and ready for whatever the trail had in store
we relished every opportunity to pause and take in the sun and greenery
clusters of mushrooms and the quiet hum of life awakening around us
we took it as a sign when we stumbled upon a towering windmill just over 5 miles in
An even 10 miles of hiking felt like a nice number
hikers encounter several small towns with restaurants
offering plenty of choices for refreshment
But I’ll definitely return to this trail soon
possibly starting from the Amberg side next time
but best visited during the spring and summer
Germany – The cross country season has just kicked off and hundreds of distance runners have already gathered for their biggest in-season race of the year
More than 200 runners from thirteen schools across Belgium
and slick hills Saturday as they powered through a challenging 5,000-meter course at Rose Barracks
With many of last season’s individual top contenders absent
as well as the formidable Stuttgart Panthers team
the race felt like anyone’s for the taking
Helene Orstavik from Zurich International won the girls race
securing victories with impressive leads at the finish line
“I was excited to race against Luke again and try and get some good times with him
I wasn’t really ready to be running alone,” Leishman said
the three-time defending DODEA-Europe boys champion who decided to not compete his senior season
Leishman finished fifth at the championship site in Baumholder last year
with Saturday’s race marking the start of his final cross country season
Leishman is confident this is just the beginning of a great year
“Last year I started with a PR and didn’t break that the entire season
I think it’s good to start a bit higher and have somewhere to work from,” he said
encouraged her to begin competing this season after recognizing her potential and enjoyment for running in his physical education class
but she had another gear she could have dug down for if she needed,” Mullens said
she raced in the Norwegian junior championships in the 800 meters and the 2,000 meters
Only in the last year has she picked up running.”
trailed the leader for second and third place
The two are determined to fight their way back into the top 10 for this year’s individual crown
The sisters revealed that their strategy for success in their final season is entirely mental
“Having the mentality that even though there’s so many people there
it’s all about running our own race and not getting distracted by other people and trying to run their race,” Malea Jobity said
it’s just about blocking everything out and focusing on yourself and what you can control,” Jalissa Jobity added
Although they don’t plan to continue their running careers in college
the sisters emphasized that running will always hold a special place in their lives
they’re determined to set new personal records
They’ll have five more weeks in which to do so as the season concludes Oct
soldier who admitted to distributing child pornography and attempting to arrange the rape of a young girl was sentenced to nine years in prison during a two-day hearing at Rose Barracks that ended Thursday
pleaded guilty to more than two dozen related counts and also received a reduction in pay grade to E-1
who was a weapons maintainer at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels
solicited a woman so that he could molest her 8-year-old daughter
Roof sought to start a family with the woman so he could molest their children
and he asked her to rape her daughter in preparation for his own abuse
evidence was recovered of additional crimes going back to 2021
“He asked a mother to violate a child,” Ray said before sentencing
the longer he will be prevented from taking the next step.”
Roof pleaded guilty to 32 counts of viewing child pornography
and solicitation of rape and sexual assault of a child
One count was dropped under the plea agreement
began in May 2023 when he started chatting with someone posing as a 28-year-old named Anna
Tom Hynes said Wednesday while discussing the plea agreement
Roof used the app to chat with others about incest
He admitted to watching pornography involving children as young as 3 years old and shared the content with others
said during the hearing that alcohol and the isolation of Hohenfels had led him to break the law
“I knew it was wrong but I continued,” Roof told the court Thursday
Roof had been in pretrial detention since Nov
16 and was credited with 54 days of time served
he will be required to register as a sex offender
Roof said during sentencing that he plans to seek behavioral health treatment while incarcerated
Germany — President-elect Donald Trump’s imminent return to the Oval Office is reviving concerns about a Vilseck-based Army brigade’s future in Germany
Army leaders have called the regiment the “go-to brigade for quick response” within U.S
and its role on the Continent has been magnified by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine
The regiment also leads NATO’s multinational battle group in Poland
Trump hasn’t said anything publicly about moving troops out of Germany since winning the November election
he has called on allies to spend a lot more on defense
And Vice President-elect JD Vance in November singled out Germany for needing to contribute more to military matters
The question with no immediate answer is whether Trump would revive his first-term plan to move U.S
which is constitutionally prevented from most deficit spending
The uncertainty has been a source of anxiety for residents who live around the U.S
Army’s sprawling training ranges in northern Bavaria
a federal lawmaker representing Amberg and a member of the pro-business Free Democratic Party
A pullout of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment would be a “catastrophe for the entire region,” Gruender said in a statement
The bases in Bavaria are surrounded primarily by small towns and forests
The American troops here represent a major economic force
noting that the soldiers based at the Grafenwoehr Training Area pump $739 million into the economy annually
While there are groups with pro-Russian views and small leftist political parties that shun most defense spending
more domestic investment in the military is popular among many in the area
whether out of self-interest or conviction in the aftermath of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine
a businessman in neighboring Weiden who rents homes and apartments to American military personnel
said Germany should contribute its fair share
The possibility that Trump might reintroduce a withdrawal plan during his second term is worrisome in Vilseck and surrounding towns
if you see (Americans) at the Christmas markets
if you have American tenants … (the impact of losing them) will be huge,” Rippl said
which is connected by a series of secure roads to Tower Barracks and the grounds at Grafenwoehr
the Army’s largest and most advanced permanent training area in Europe
would be hard-pressed to quickly replicate the facilities and infrastructure it already has in Bavaria
whether in Poland or in other central and Eastern European countries
Some analysts nominated for key roles in the Trump administration have argued that America’s concerns on the Continent are detracting from the higher priority of deterring China
director of the European Values Center for Security Policy in Prague
said that although reducing the American military presence in Europe wouldn’t kill NATO’s deterrence capabilities
“It would be a very bad signal if we want to negotiate with Russia from a position of strength,” Janda said
troops from Europe in any way would be obviously not very smart during this situation.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin would likely see a withdrawal as a lack of commitment to European security and try to exploit the move
Such a move also could harm American bargaining power during negotiations to end the Ukraine war
American personnel number about 33,000 in Germany and 90,000 in Europe
EUCOM spokesman Charles Prichard said in November
Those figures have fluctuated in recent years as U.S.-based units rotate through the country
But moving permanently based service members in Germany elsewhere — whether within Europe
or another continent — would send a far stronger signal to allies and adversaries alike
“It’s pretty much a game of numbers,” Janda said
“How many and what kind of troops would various allies and the U.S
have ready in close proximity of a potential conflict?”
Stars and Stripes reporter Marcus Kloeckner contributed to this report
Germany – Vilseck’s Lyla Ingram isn’t the type to finish her drives to the bucket
her first instinct is to dish it off to a teammate
Yet with seconds remaining and her team trailing by one point against Kaiserslautern in Friday’s Division I semifinal of the 2025 DODEA European basketball championships at the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center
the 5-foot-7 sophomore did something out of the norm: She went to the basket
Her shot fell through the hoop with 8.1 seconds left to help the Falcons to a 28-27 victory
‘I need to get this shot for my seniors so they can win something,’” Ingram said
“I saw my teammate moved to the side of the key
The Vilseck leader said she wants her players not to harp on mistakes and instead recover quickly
Ingram turned the ball over as the Falcons were nursing a one-point advantage
The Raiders retook the lead 10 seconds later when Shayla King sunk a pair of free throws
“I didn’t think she was going to go all the way
but she took it all the way and laid it in
Ingram’s layup completed what seemed like an improbable comeback midway through the third period
The Falcons (11-7) trailed 19-8 before Ingram drove at the 4:15 mark
Five consecutive points by freshman Willa Greenwood
capped off by a three-pointer at the 4:13 mark
and Greenwood again connected on a jumper to give the Falcons’ their first lead of the game with 2:23 remaining in the game
The rally didn’t shock both Neville and Ingram
and just working together has been amazing for me.”
Even more amazing for the Falcons were the sources of the offensive output
Sophomore Giselle Villareal has been the team’s main offensive threat for most of the season
but the Raiders (14-3) shadowed her for most of the game
that task fell to senior Elizabeth Marriott
and she held Villareal in check for just five points – all of which came in the third period
underclassmen such as Ingram – who scored all 10 of her game-high total in the second half – and Greenwood – who scored her seven points in the fourth – filled the void in crunch time
they’re going to start shooting for Giselle when she starts making baskets,” Neville said
it opens up an opportunity for everybody else to step up
It’s great when they know that and they can feel it.”
Marriott and Olivia Ilkka each posted seven points to lead Kaiserslautern
Vilseck advanced to its first final in more than a decade
where it will square off with powerhouse Stuttgart
The Panthers pulled away in the second half against Wiesbaden for a 38-24 semifinal victory
The defending champions didn’t sleep on the Warriors (10-8)
despite picking up two double-digit victories during the regular season over them
“We didn’t underestimate them at all because we knew they were coming in here to fight,” Stuttgart forward Serenity Sampson said
Stuttgart (15-2) used a balanced scorebook to overcome Wiesbaden
with nobody totaling more than Hannah Holmes’ nine
“We try to focus on the team,” Stuttgart coach Nathan Garrett said
“It’s not one girl or two girls that score all the points
and that helps them to propel the offense after playing that strong defense.”
Wiesbaden’s Katie Shea posted five points in the losing effort
The Panthers turn their attention to the Falcons
Garrett and Sampson said they won’t take lightly
Vilseck and Stuttgart split the season series the weekend prior to the tournament
a late four-point push put the Panthers on top
The point differential in those four games: Vilseck plus-1
“I anticipate it to be a good game,” Sampson said
“But it’s going to take a lot from us because Vilseck is more than what we thought they were going to be.”
Germany – In control for most of Friday evening’s game against Vilseck
the Wiesbaden girls basketball team found itself in a predicament late
After the Falcons’ Giselle Villarreal drained a three-pointer with 2 minutes
The hosts had led since the 1:58 mark in the first quarter
They scored six straight points and held off the Falcons for a 37-36 victory
“I was telling them the whole game: Slow it down
move the ball,” Wiesbaden coach Kristin Kachmar said of what caused the late-game response
It was nothing special – it was just doing like we’ve been practicing.”
3-4) a much-needed boost against a tough opponent
Wiesbaden hadn’t won a league game since sweeping SHAPE on Dec
4-1) were flying high coming off two statement wins over Ramstein the previous weekend and hadn’t lost against Division I foes before Friday
“It’s a big win,” Wiesbaden senior Natalia Bergdorf said
“They beat Ramstein; we lost against Ramstein
Bergdorf herself played a key role in the late-game turnaround
On the next offensive possession after Villareal’s three-pointer
Maria Valdez hit a runner to tie the game at 33
Following a cagey couple of empty plays for both squads
Bergdorf hit teammate Katie Shea (14 points) to retake the lead with 1:19 left
Bergdorf’s momentum was taking her out of bounds when she passed the ball back to Brianna Arroyo
who scored her lone bucket to make it a two-possession lead with 45 seconds remaining
A Villarreal shot from beyond the arc at the buzzer proved to be a consolation prize for the Falcons
most hard-working kids that I’ve maybe ever been around or coached,” Kachmar said of Bergdorf
who finished with a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds
first-year Vilseck coach Darci Neville liked what she saw from her Falcons
Not resting on their laurels of the previous wins over the Royals
Vilseck gave Wiesbaden all it could handle behind Villareal’s 21-point performance
while fellow sophomore Mayela Lokeni corralled 14 rebounds – 11 of which came on the offensive glass
and Neville said she won’t discourage her players from letting it fly in those situations
we trailed most of the game and just at the end
they’re always in the fight and that’s all I can ask of them
They’re out there to prove that they belong with the big dogs.”
The theme of Wiesbaden’s 89-54 win over Vilseck on Friday evening could be summed up by the first three possessions of the game: three steals and three baskets on the other end
7-0) scored 30 fastbreak points – all in the first three quarters
They also amassed 17 steals and forced the Falcons (1-6
was how well Wiesbaden took care of the basketball
The Warriors committed just nine turnovers
“Up-tempo basketball is more fun than slow basketball,” Brown said
our focus was turnovers – limiting ours and increasing theirs
They combined for one at the 6:48 mark in the first quarter when Jacob threw the ball off the backboard and Joel finished with a two-handed slam
Senior point guard Jordan Thibodeaux also took advantage on the fastbreak with 19 points
Jonah Harvey scored his 11 points in the fourth quarter
who came off the bench to help Joel Idowu shut down Vilseck’s John and Jeremiah Dorff in the low block to just four points each
“We’ve been working on getting all of our team involved in the game
all of us are ready to play and do our thing.”
They managed to get something going in the second half when Khyleel Grimes got hot from distance
He connected on four 3-pointers over the final 16 minutes and six total en route to a 25-point performance
Friday’s game was another learning experience for his young squad
The Vilseck Falcons failed for three years to get past the Stuttgart Panthers
falling in the championship game each time
they finally got over the hurdle against Stuttgart
The Falcons defeated the Panther 39-20 at Vilseck High School in both teams’ regular-season finales
The win was also the first of 2024 for Vilseck (1-4)
Chase Maverick amassed 147 yards and two scores on 24 carries
while Xavier Wilson contributed 86 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries
Quarterback Keryel Badillo went 4-of-9 passing for 60 yards and only had 4 yards on three rushing attempts
Colton Faulkenberry and Abiud Rivera were immense
Maverick made seven tackles and recovered a fumble
Sam Broyles and Courtland Carroll picked off passes
while Wyatt Smith added a sack for the Falcons
Both teams will a week off before starting the first round of the playoffs with a rematch
Wiesbaden 13: The Royals exploded in the second half with 28 points to pull away from the Warriors on Friday evening
Ramstein (5-0) made some adjustments on the offensive line
Michael Gonzales went 16 of 20 for 236 yards
four touchdowns and two interceptions through the air
His favorite target on the night was Caden Nims
who totaled 124 yards and two scores on five grabs
Receiver Christian Roy chipped in with 87 yards and a score on five receptions
while Pierson Lee added 15 yards and a score on two catches
Kydan Echard ran roughshod yet again with a 138-yard
two-touchdown performance against the Warriors (1-4)
Javier Harrington continued to be a menace against DODEA-Europe competition
Nims played a role in all three phases of the game with an interception defensively and a blocked punt
The Warriors return to action in the first round on Oct
while the Royals have the top seed and won’t play against until the semifinals on Oct
the Wildcats clinched the rights to host the divisional title game by routing the Admirals for the second time this season
Camden Kasparek threw for 230 yards and four touchdown passes for Naples
Rota’s Jonathan King had a 60-yard touchdown run in the third quarter – part of a 120-yard effort – but Rota couldn’t score again
Diondre Tilo and Julian Parker caught scoring passes from Kasparek and Kenny Pirches connected with Matt Butler on another
Michael Daniels and Leishieh Morgan ran the ball in for scores
Naples’ defense was credited with two safeties
recovered one fumble and picked off two passes
Pirches and Tilo each had seven tackles for the Wildcats
Trevor Shannon had six tackles – half of them for loss – for the Admirals
Spangdahlem 0: The Spartans stood strong defensively in their first homecoming game in four years to defeat the Sentinels on Saturday afternoon
Twice Spangdahlem (2-1) got inside the red zone
but SHAPE (2-1) came away with interceptions both times
Sophomores Michael McGlothlin and Will Smith picked off quarterback Messiah Smith
who missed most of the fourth quarter with an injury
Keller Schutt paced the Spartans in the victory
The senior signal caller went 6-of-16 passing for 168 yards and two scores
and he added another 113 yards and a touchdown on 12 rushes
McGlothlin and Schutt proved to be a potent duo on the ground and through the air
McGlothlin contributed 111 yards on 16 attempts and caught a 48-yard score
Sophomore Floyd Garcia had a 62-yard reception
and Smith had two grabs for 21 yards and a touchdown
McGlothlin had seven tackles and forced a fumble that was recovered by senior Christian Pernetti
Schutt and Smith each had 4.5 tackles and a pick
SHAPE’s regular season is over after Ansbach canceled the remainder of its season due to injuries
hosts AFNORTH in its regular-season finale on Oct
Two former New York Giants players visited Vilseck High School and Elementary School to meet students
sign memorabilia and play some football on Thursday
Wide receivers Victor Cruz and Brandon London connected with Department of Defense Education Activity students
sharing stories of their pro careers and bringing a piece of American football culture to the kids
the visit held special significance as Cruz and London engaged with students from military families
“People call us heroes because we play a sport
(the students’) parents are heroes because of what they do,” London said
The players spoke about competition in sports and in life
offering guidance for students aspiring to excel in athletics or other endeavors
are looking to keep their winning streak abroad alive Sunday in Munich against the Carolina Panthers as part of the NFL’s International Series
first-year Vilseck girls basketball coach Darci Neville told her players they were going to be underdogs
The Falcons recorded a combined four wins over the previous two seasons
with just three coming against Division I competition
And the last time the Vilseck program had won anything was back when the Falcons were in Division II when the team won the Division II-South regional title during the 2006-2007 campaign
Vilseck will be looking to end that drought at the 2025 DODEA European girls basketball championships Wednesday through Saturday in Wiesbaden
And they have plenty of reason for optimism as the Division I tournament’s No
thanks to the Falcons’ doubling their win total from the previous two seasons
“They know they can play with anybody out there,” Neville said
“We all know some days are better than others for everybody
but they know they can hang with anybody.”
8-4) has proven that just days before the postseason
The Falcons hosted top-seeded Stuttgart on Feb
going 1-1 with a 38-33 victory on the Friday evening and losing 45-44 the next morning
lead by seniors Maria Bella Smith and Jayslin Santellano and sophomore sharpshooter Giselle Villarreal
they work together really well,” the Vilseck coach said
“Our cheer is ‘family’ because that’s how it feels sometimes
The Falcons aren’t the only team seeking an elusive European title
Ansbach has won a crown more recently (2016) than Vilseck and has made multiple title-game appearances since
including last year’s 34-23 loss to AFNORTH
10-2) have high hopes this will be their season
They start the tournament as the second seed behind Hohenfels (13-1
9-1) and exacted some revenge on the Lions (9-3
8-3) with a season sweep two weeks before the tournament
Getting over the hump weighs heavily on their minds
“They just haven’t been able to close the deal (in recent years),” said Shannon Daniels
who has lost five previous title-contest appearances with the boys as a head and assistant coach
“We would like to finally be able to bring that home since it’s been nine years.”
The Division III contenders have such contrasting styles
Hohenfels focuses on its guard play via the Jobity twins Malea and Jalissa and Anastasia Felix
specifically on the defensive end where turnovers are the key
turns to its towers in the paint in junior Kennedy Lange and sophomore Elizabeth Agudzi-Addo
warned against sleeping on the other Cougars
“Everybody knows who our one or two threats are,” said Daniels
in its first year in charge of the girls team
“The other four girls have stepped up and are starting to be offensive threats.”
American Overseas School of Rome is used to be at the top
playing in the past two Division championship games
The Falcons won in 2023 but lost to Naples in 2024
including 2024 all-tournament honorees Natalia DiMatteo and Silvia Goldman
And those players have the Falcons soaring at 13-0
Despite this success and entering at the No
coach Lillian Aldred said her players aren’t being complacent
“It’s great to hear that coming out of the mouths of the veteran players,” Aldred said
it’s more of a player-led team this year than we’ve ever had
AOSR recovered from a 13-point halftime deficit to win after looking dead in the water for 16 minutes
That story has passed through the team multiple times in recent weeks
“The number of times that our captains have brought that game up to the rest of the team in the past week has been amazing,” Aldred said
(With results of games reported through April 29)
Championships at Kaiserslautern Military Community
Living in what has been dubbed a tiny home is growing in attraction for many Americans
with housing costs soaring in lots of markets and social media influencers presenting an array of modern minimalist possibilities
My 8-year-old son and I recently decided to go on a tiny house trial run
spending a day in one of the two downsized dwellings in Vilseck’s bustling Sonnenleite neighborhood owned by enterprising businessman Sezayi Er
It was a warm September day when the two of us settled into a fully furnished
645-square-foot home for a guys’ staycation less than 2 miles from Rose Barracks
with an expansive living room complete with TV
The refrigerator and washing machine were tucked away in cabinets
“This isn’t tiny at all!” my son exclaimed
The bedroom was a bit smaller than the typical American master bedroom
The shower room was plenty big enough and reminded me of the quaint Cape cottages of my youth
The only room I found constricting was the bathroom
My interest in tiny-house living began at a very early age
my mother exposed me to the works of poet and transcendentalist philosopher Henry David Thoreau
Thoreau was just 27 when in 1845 he eschewed modern society and built his 10-by-15-foot cabin in the Concord woods by Walden Pond
Thoreau lauded the humble log homes and cottages of the poor and urged freedom through minimalism
“Most men appear never to have considered what a house is
and are actually though needlessly poor all their lives because they think that they must have such a one as their neighbors have,” Thoreau wrote in “Walden.”
settled on renting tiny houses as his new venture in 2020
Business was slow at his telecommunications stores due to the coronavirus pandemic
While there is no agreed-upon industry standard dictating the size of a tiny house
there are more than 10,000 tiny homes and the average cost is around $50,000
according to the website Today’s Homeowner
which is operated by contractor and Emmy-nominated TV personality Danny Lipford
Tiny homes have become particularly popular in Germany in recent years
manufacturers and settlements made up of such houses can be found online
The movement is attractive to Germans who want to take the hassle of planning and cost out of home ownership
who has rented his properties to many curious Americans
I found out about the tiny houses in the area from a German friend who owns and rents out his own tiny house
My tiny house experience was a far cry from Walden Pond
I didn’t have time to contemplate life’s mysteries
but I did learn that I could survive and thrive in a tiny dwelling
Cost: 95 euros per night for one person; 115 euros per night for two 
Each time the American M1A2 Abrams tanks let loose with their 120 mm smoothbore guns during a multinational live-fire exercise at Bemowo Piskie Training Area in Poland
they are supported with intersecting fire from either side by armored vehicles from Italian
observing the exercise from a nearby tower
This is the kind of event that demands precise timing and communication between forces
and it is largely why all these elements gathered
It’s the fourth day of Saber Strike 24 in April
and the demands of a large-scale and high-tempo training exercise only serve to fuel innovation
Multinational interoperability was the key of Saber Strike 24
part of the Defender 24 series of exercises across Europe
Army’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment was at the forefront of pushing technology that elevated and improved those capabilities
Saber Strike included integration of new communication equipment for both U.S
Through a combination of applications and devices
a cohesive and encompassing Mission Partner Kit (MPK) was created
The MPK is the primary component of a 2nd Cavalry Regiment initiative called “Extending the Network.”
The basis of extending the network lies in improving communication capabilities between partner nations
safe and secure lines of communication that can be used with both voice and chat functionality while allowing location information-sharing in real time
The MPK allows these functionalities through three applications in concert with included computers and cellular devices: the end-to-end encryption service Wickr; the voice interoperability application Instant Connect Enterprise; and a Tactical Assault Kit with variations for operating systems from Apple
allowing versatility for whatever end-user device a soldier uses in the field
Also included in the MPK is a Radio Integrated Communications Suite
the concept behind the MPK is to simplify accessibility for tactical forces
Rather than create systems requiring extensive training to operate
the kit utilizes applications on smart devices that already will be familiar to users
which streamlines the process through which they are used
Wickr allows for a more tailored communication experience than the Army has utilized in the past with communication applications such as Signal
Wickr allows secure and simple data-sharing
It even allows forces to coordinate and collaborate with tactical mission-data platforms based out of tactical operations centers in the field
By coordinating data streams from units in the field
multiple echelons of data processing based out of operations centers
starting at the squad level and working its way up
can create a more cohesive and functional picture of an operational area
Information also can move in the opposite direction
with company-level operations centers pushing out information to units and even individuals as needed
Wickr also has systems that permit content-expiring messages and rooms
meaning communications for an exercise or operation can be set to delete once the event is complete
The RICS kit and the Instant Connect Enterprise application are intended to operate in tandem
to convert FM wavelength to internet protocol data
creating opportunities to streamline and reduce equipment in the field while also extending the network
soldiers tasked with manning radio systems would not need to carry heavy radio sets with them
they can use sanctioned end-user devices that would act as a communication device between devices
as well as any radios connected to the RICS
The Instant Connect Enterprise mobile kit builds off this innovation by introducing translation capabilities to the communications network
a German soldier speaking into the RICS kit and communicating with U.S
forces would result in the message being translated into English and relayed almost instantly into the U.S
The intent of the application is seamless integration of communication
creating opportunities for greater interoperability between mission partners and U.S
forces that otherwise might have to surmount a language barrier when coordinating
A long-term goal for the system is expanding its capabilities beyond to-and-from English
providing opportunities for any allied nation to communicate using the system
This system was put to the test during Saber Strike 24
first during the convoy from Germany to Poland
where German forces moved in concert with soldiers from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment
A commanding officer with the German forces traveling to the exercise described how his soldiers were able to grasp the system within a matter of hours
mission partners practiced using the system in simulated calls for fire missions where they could hear the translation capabilities operating in real time
The final component to the MPK is the Tactical Assault Kit
A vital part of controlling a battlefield is knowing not just where the enemy forces are
but where your own forces and mission partners are at any given moment
The Tactical Assault Kit allows for live location information-sharing
forces and partner nations see where each other is at any given moment
making creation of a common operating picture more efficient
The program goes beyond just allowing the gathering of this data
It also allows forces working off the system to collaborate
It permits real-time changes to objectives and updates to the location of enemy forces
The MPK also federates location information with integrated tactical network end-user devices
greatly expanding situational awareness for task force members
The combination of these disparate elements creates a net-based ecosystem
that can be modulated based on mission requirements
User devices could be outfitted with whatever applications would be necessary for the mission
meaning the onus of integrating with the network is on the operations side rather than the tactical
Users would only have to be concerned with utilizing specific apps while still operating within the same framework and network
The cutting-edge technological innovations in use and on display were a vital component of Saber Strike 24
alongside live-fire exercises and multinational interoperability training
bolstering integrated deterrence as a key factor for U.S
the ability to communicate efficiently and with precision between U.S
forces and its partners is of vital importance to maintaining collective security in the region
The next stage of military warfare largely will be dictated by technological development and innovation
shifts its military focus into potential multidomain fights against near-peer adversaries
the applications used in the MPK are just the beginning of a new wave of innovation the U.S
military is using to build upon its strategic advantages
Doing this enhances interoperability within and without
as well as creates multilateral opportunities with partner and ally nations
Andrew Clark is a public affairs mass communication specialist with the 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
The AUSA Book Program offers quality books about Army heritage
One of its goals is to foster an understanding of the emerging security environment
This program permits AUSA members to purchase these titles at a discounted rate
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© 2025 Association of the United States Army
Germany – For those who have only been following the DODEA-Europe marksmanship scene for the last two years
Stuttgart might be something of an afterthought
the Panthers didn’t even finish in the top four a year ago when Kaiserslautern won its first title
And they were a distant second to Ansbach the year before when the Cougars broke through for their first crown
The Panthers got a good start on returning to relevance in Saturday’s season opener by coming out on top in a five-team Eastern Conference meet
outdistancing their nearest competition by 17 points
Five Stuttgart shooters were in the top 10 of the event and the top four combined for a team total of 1,149
No other team other than Kaiserslautern last season topped the 1,140 mark during the regular season
“I think that we have a very good chance of taking first (in Euros) this year,” coach Robert Randall said
We had a lot of issues going on between shooters and school … this year the team is better coordinating with each other.” 
Stuttgart started off hot early in the day
dominating the kneeling position by outshooting second-place Ansbach 387-376
The Panthers expanded on that lead in the second discipline – prone – with Kathryn Gillooly
Aurora Mayo and Jaqueline Polkowski all earning perfect 100s
Ansbach’s Laysha Bobbitt matched that score
but the Panthers topped the Cougars 399-395 that round
side-by-side on the firing lines and ending their days with a near tie
with Gillooly getting the overall win due to more bullseyes (18 to 16)
“(Mayo) actually took seventh in the region … (as) a first-year shooter
who’s a fourth-year shooter … they’re both pretty neck and neck,” Randall said
Typically the team’s most reliable standing shooter with consistent 98s in practice
the Panthers and Cougars both scored 366 in the final round
Bobbitt proved why she is the team’s captain in her final season
delivering an impressive performance with a 289 out of a possible 300 for third place on the day
which was to shoot in the high 280s and I did that
I was really happy with it and I almost reached 290
which is my next goal going forward,” Bobbitt said
She said she’s confident that with increased communication and encouragement
her team has the potential to be the team to beat at the European Championships in January
The host Falcons (1,111) finished in third
The Vicenza Cougars (1015) and Hohenfels Tigers (935) finished in fourth and fifth place
Ray Holmes-Brown 2; Wiesbaden: Jacob Idowu 26
Dorff had six rebounds and Wyatt Smith had 5 boards for the Falcons
Idowu and Thompson each had 5 rebounds for the Warriors
Scoring – Kaiserslautern: Rueben Todman 11
Garrett Vitter 7; Stuttgart: Tyler Jackson 21
Scoring – Kaiserslautern: Garrett Vitter 14
B’Angelo Drew 2; Stuttgart: Tyler Jackson 30
Noteworthy – Vitter had 10 rebounds and Todman had 7 boards for the Raiders
Jason Goldsmith 10; Alconbury: Aaron Dudley 21
Noteworthy – Leo Politis had 23 rebounds and 10 assists for the Dragons
Julian Arias 8 rebounds and Sheehan 5 assists
Noteworthy – Politis had 10 rebounds and 7 steals for the Dragons
while Taye Vickerstaff had 6 rebounds and Dudley had 5 rebounds and 6 steals
Mateo Chamberlain 7; Ansbach: Jack Lovallo 12
Noteworthy – Jalen Donaldson had 8 rebounds for the Cougars
Noteworthy – Lovallo and Donaldson had 8 rebounds each for the Cougars
Andrew Walker 10; Sigonella: Jacob Maloney 4
Deon Walker 13; Sigonella: Gideon Tesfay 9
Noteworthy – Keller Schutz had 9 rebounds and Stefan Galvic 5 for the Spartans
Scoring – Marymount: Lorenzo Tran Quilli 22
Garl Grant Rios 21; Vicenza: Ben Harlow 21
Noteworthy – Herron had 6 assists and Joe Kelly 12 rebounds for the Cougars
Scoring – Rota: Kaya Geylani 14; Vicenza: Harlow 15
Noteworthy – Herron had 7 assists for the Cougars
Greenwood had 7 rebounds and Ingram had 5 steals for the Falcons
and Kaitlyn Boman had 8 boards for the Warriors
Yahna Talikschwili 1; Baumholder: Malea Jobity 23
Scoring – Baumholder: Yahna Talikaschwili 6
Noteworthy – J.Jobity had 6 steals for the Tigers
while Odhiambo had 7 rebounds and Jones 6 rebounds
Eden Dowdy 8; Ansbach: Elizabeth Agudzi-Addo 12
Dowdy 7 and Priscilla Sivonen 5 for the Falcons; Lange had 12 rebounds and Victoria Ortiz 7 for the Cougars
Noteworthy – Lange had 26 rebounds for the Cougars and Ortiz had 5
Noteworthy –  Olivieri had 8 rebounds for the Falcons
while DiMatteo had 7 and Goldman and Miki Ramon had 5 steals apiece
Noteworthy – DiMatteo had 8 rebounds and Neroni 6 for the Falcons
Jazmyn Warren 10; Sigonella: Madison Hoy 8
Scoring – Aviano: Cannon 23; Sigonella: Alysia Dobbins 10
Vernesha Oliver 9; Stuttgart: Hannah Holmes 5
Scoring – Kaiserslautern: Elizabeth Marriott 5
Noteworthy – Hazel Sanders had 10 rebounds and Illka had 7 boards for the Raiders
Jennings had 6 rebounds and Snyder had 5 steals for the Panthers
(With results from games reported through April 29)
Vilseck coach John Sabala sought to drum up interest for this Saturday’s European marksmanship championships when he sent out email to his colleagues at Vilseck High School earlier this week
he also highlighted just how under appreciated the DODEA marksmanship scene can be
Five of the six teams are ranked in the Top 20 nationally in their respective JROTC service competitions
Kaiserslautern is second for the Air Force
Stuttgart (12th) and Vilseck (19th) all sit with the Top 20 for the Army
Even Wiesbaden’s second team placed 18th in the Army
a program making its first DODEA championship appearance at Vilseck High School – which is hosting the European tournament for the first time in at more than a decade
Ansbach and Kaiserslautern won national titles for the Army and Air Force
“It just flies under the radar that there isn’t anywhere in the States where you’d see this many nationally ranked teams shooting against each other every week,” Sabala said
“There isn’t another DODEA sport that comes close to the level of competition that we face every week.”
That competitiveness showed throughout the season
Only 161 points separated regular-season champion (Stuttgart at 5,716) and sixth place (Vilseck at 5,555)
Eastern Conference winner Stuttgart needed a 1,153-point performance during Jan
25’s competition to pull away from Western Conference winner Wiesbaden by a total margin of 22 points
Defending champion Kaiserslautern finished 31 points behind the Panthers
The individual season race was even tighter
The Top 5 individuals all finished with six points
Raider Amanda Garcia and Panther Aurora Mayo amassed 1,442 points
Warrior Cydnee Lassiter fell just one short of a three-way tie for the regular-season crown and Royal Leni Taylor and Panther Kathryn Gillooly totaled 1,436 in a tie for fourth place
The regular-season performances point to high expectations for Saturday’s final
“I think all the teams are going to be well prepared
There’s definitely people bringing their A-game,” Wiesbaden coach Allen Ashton said
you got an easy shooter coming up you don’t have to worry about.’ You have to worry about every shooter that’s on the line
When the marksmen line up inside Vilseck High’s multipurpose room on Saturday
they will face two changes from the regular season
The first is the number of shots they will take
shooters aim at 10 targets each in three positions – prone
kneeling and standing – for a total of 300 possible points
they have 20 shots in each position for a total of 600 points
The second change is how the scores are tabulated
Vilseck is one of just three DODEA schools that have electronic targets along with Ansbach and Hohenfels
As opposed to the paper version that must be scanned
the electronic system spits out scores after each individual shot
The shooters also aim at just one target instead of the 10 individual ones in each position
That gives marksmen a boost because they can see their shot grouping more precisely than just through their scopes
as shooters could be distracted by calculating their scores and external factors
“That can be a real motivator if you’re doing well
and it can cause some panic if you’re not doing so well,” Kaiserslautern coach Bill Conley said
You might have to contend with any yays or groans.”
as the Warriors’ five shooters will go first along with three from Ansbach and two from Ramstein
Stuttgart eclipsed 1,140 points three times in five competitions when no other team has done it twice
The Panthers also are the only ones to break 1,150 points this campaign
but many coaches still recalled the Panthers’ nine-year dynasty before this dry spell
they had that era of dominance where they were untouchable,” Ashton said
“It looks like they’ve got their groove back on
so it will be interesting to see their skills.”
Ramstein 1,111; Alconbury 1,091; SHAPE 1,068; Baumholder 1,016; Spangdahlem 1,003
Stuttgart 1,149; Ansbach 1,132; Vilseck 1,111; Vicenza 1,015; Hohenfels 935
Stuttgart 1,140; Ansbach 1,134; Vilseck 1,090; Hohenfels 995
Wiesbaden 1,132; Kaiserslautern 1,126; Ramstein 1,105; Alconbury 1,095; SHAPE 1,066; Baumholder 1,036; Spangdahlem 1,004
Stuttgart 1,153; Vilseck 1,119; Ansbach 1,117; Hohenfels 1,076; Vicenza 1,052
Kaiserslautern 2,291; Wiesbaden 2,280; Stuttgart 2,278; Ansbach 2,264; Vilseck 2,254
Saves – Lakenheath: Matt Vasquez 8; Stuttgart: Zach Gelerter 4
Goals – Aviano: Cruz Cottingham; Naples: Josh Banks 2
Goals – Ramstein: Jovan Paucar; SHAPE: Pavlos Madentzidis
Goals – Vilseck: Dominic Atambila; Kaiserslautern: Wesley Manson 5
Saves – Vilseck: Adrian Irwin 1; Kaiserslautern: Finn Derby 3
Goals – Lakenheath: Megan Smith; Stuttgart: Meredith Fleming 4
Saves – Lakenheath: Taylor Gager 6; Stuttgart: Sophia Sirad 1
Batting – Hohenfels: Bronson Jackson (2 R)
Elijah Gonzalez (2 R); Hohenfels: Jackson (2 R)
Pitching – Stuttgart: Hayden Foley 4 IP (7 H
2 BB); Kaiserslautern: Logan Bell 5 IP (3 H
Jaxin Schneiders (3 R); Kaiserslautern: Bell 3-3 (2B
Pitching – Kaiserslautern: Bryant Lokey 5 IP (2 H
Batting – Kaiserslautern: Rueben Todman 3-4 (2B
Pitching – Lakenheath: Chris Laliberte 2 IP (0 H
Jaykob Kreider 1 IP (3 K); SHAPE: Simmons 1 IP (2 H
Pitching – Naples: Kenny Pirches 3 IP (0 ER
Pitching – Spangdahlem: Ryan Roe 2 IP (6 H
1 BB); Spangdahlem: Mason Dearing 0.2 IP (3 H
Pitching – Alex Quintanilla 7 IP; Vicenza: Casper
Pitching – Wiesbaden: Valerie Fisher 4 IP (7 K); Spangdahlem Sandrine Bennett 4 IP (1 K)
Pitching – Spangdahlem: Adriana Tijerina 2 IP (2 K); Wiesbaden: Suh 2 IP (1 K)
Natalie Ingram 2-3; Ramstein: Emma Inthavixay 2-3 (3 RBI)
Pitching – Ramstein: Arianna Chambers 5 IP (6 H
10 BB); Lakenheath: Sara Williams 2 IP (4 K
Division II/III semifinal: AFNORTH at Spangdahlem
Germany – The Kaiserslautern Raiders aimed true
successfully defending their title on Saturday to secure back-to-back championships at the DODEA-Europe marksmanship finals
Fueled by Amanda Garcia’s standout performance — an impressive 586 out of 600 — the Raiders narrowly outshot the Wiesbaden Warriors to claim the top spot in the final firing order
The second-year shooter was the only competitor to achieve a perfect score in any discipline during the finals
earning a flawless 200 in the kneeling position
“I was really hoping I didn’t mess up,” Garcia said
Aubrey (Garcia) … really helped me today and everyone just had fun … I wasn’t stressed to be there because I wasn’t alone.”
The Raiders scored 2,291 as a team – eleven better than the Warriors
the Stuttgart Panthers narrowly missed second place in the final shots of the day
proved to be tough competition for the Raiders throughout the season
“It wasn’t the best of our seasons,” Raiders coach Bill Conley admitted
The pressure was on in the third and final firing order of the day
and Kaiserslautern took their last shots while Vilseck
and Stuttgart had already locked in their scores
the final round became the ultimate decider in an intensely contested battle
Every one,” Vilseck coach John Sabala said before going into the final firing order
Despite finishing sixth on the day with 2,226 points
“This is the first time we’re competing in Euros,” said Royals coach Doug Haven
which started their program three years ago
had never qualified for the finals in previous seasons
but they’re confident that the program will only continue to grow from here
All six teams will be going to the states later this month to compete in Ohio and Alabama respectively for the Army and Air Force regional championships
“I couldn’t be prouder of the entire team as a coach,” Conley said
“They just work well together…I’m very proud of them.”
Thursday-Saturday at Kaiserslautern and Ramstein Air Base
Camden Kasparek 8; Vicenza: Dylan Horrigan 20
Noteworthy – Heavrin had 7 rebounds for the Wildcats
Kasparek and Jones had 6 each and Andrew Miller five
Gilbert had 12 rebounds and 10 blocks for the Cougars
while Kelly had 6 rebounds and Herron had 5 steals and 5 assists
Scoring – BFA: Nate Maddox 18; Vicenza: Harlow 14
Jayden Ruelas 3; Spangdahlem: Zander Doulder 26
Freeman had 9 rebounds and Berkau had 5 boards for the Tigers
Doulder had 13 boards and Nunez had 5 rebounds for the Sentinels
Scoring – Bahrain: Drue Button 21; Marymount: Patrick Gianni 26
Noteworthy – Gianni had 10 rebounds and Rios 7 assists for the Royals
Teagan McCarville 2; Kaiserslautern:  Rueben Todman 10
Artez Williams 7; Alconbury: Vincent Sheehan 22
Noteworthy – Aaron Dudley and Politis had 13 rebounds each for the Dragons
while Anthony Sheehan and Vincent Sheehan each had 5 steals
Scoring – AFNORTH: Stefan Termure 31; Ansbach: Lucas Rudy 17
Scoring – AFNORTH: Termure 21; Ansbach: Rudy 19
Scoring – Lakenheath: Gatewood 20; Rota: Acutim 21
Noteworthy – Hasselbring had 14 rebounds for the Admirals
Noteworthy – Keller Schutt had 14 rebounds for the Spartans and Stefan Gacivic had 9
Noteworthy – Schutt had 9 rebounds and Gracevic 6 for the Spartans
Noteworthy – Lambert had 6 rebounds and Gonzales had 5 boards for the Royals
Adrian Anglada-Paz 4; Ramstein: Aarius Guishard 15
Chloe Williams 2; Vicenza: Jenina Smith 17
Noteworthy – Heavey had 12 steals and 5 assists for the Wildcats
Smith had 10 steals and 6 rebounds for the Cougars
Noteworthy – Telles had 6 rebounds and 6 blocks for the Cougars
Jillian Odhiambo 2; Spangdahlem: Caleya Morton 6
Odhiambo had 15 rebounds and Owens had 12 boards for the Tigers
McVey had 9 rebounds and Valles had 5 steals for the Sentintels
Elizabeth Agudzi-Addo 10; AFNORTH: Maggie Masse 9
Noteworthy – Lange had 11 rebounds and 5 assists for the Cougars
Shayla King 8; Wiesbaden: Kariyah Housey 11
Savannah Oshin 2; AOSR: Natalia DiMatteo 12
Noteworthy – Neroni had 6 rebounds and DiMatteo 5 steals for the Falcons
Burke 7 rebounds and Renk 6 rebounds for the Falcons
Noteworthy – Neroni had 6 rebounds and Renk 5 rebounds for the Falcons
while Olivieri had 6 steals and Ramon 5 assists
Leia Vaisagote 5; Alconbury: Naomi Little 9
Noteworthy – Politis had 8 rebounds and Elizabeth Schroeder 6 for the Dragons
Alysia Dobbins 11; Brussels: Chrysoula Karakonstanti 4
Baumholder at Kaiserslautern (team scores unavailable)
SHAPE at Stuttgart (team scores unavailable)
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Located an hour's drive from the Czech border
civilians and soldiers since the 1950s and currently hosts the U.S
Army's 2nd Cavalry Regiment | All photographs by Louisa Marie Summer for POLITICO
troops within Europe might spell the end of its decades-old German-American way of life
That history has left its mark on the town
creating an economy enmeshed with the American presence — a situation mirrored in next-door Grafenwöhr
a vast base where Elvis Presley spent several weeks after being drafted
That dependence is now coming to haunt Vilseck and other U.S. Army host towns across Germany. Following U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper's <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/us-to-pull-12000-troops-from-germany-after-president-donald-trump-calls-country-delinquent/">announcement</a> last week that 12,000 troops were being removed from Germany
And with some 4,500 soldiers to be redeployed from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment
Rose Barracks in Vilseck could wind up empty in a few years as U.S
Housing with a German-American flair in Vilseck
Residents and town leaders worry about the real estate market when international demand slumps
That the town's barracks could be empty in a few years' time worries Mayor Hans-Martin Schertl
"The economic clout of the training areas here and in nearby Grafenwöhr combined has been calculated to be around €650 million annually," he said
sitting in his office overlooking Vilseck's town square days after the U.S
"real estate prices are certainly going to go down because demand could not possibly be as big as supply," Schertl said
adding that many local Germans rely on American tenants paying rent for their homes
managing director of Vilseck Military Auto Sales
"It will affect the area dramatically," Grassick said
sitting behind his desk next to the showroom of his car dealership
Real estate prices and rents in the area receive an artificial boost from the American presence
Sales Manager Bobby Grassick of Vilseck Military Auto Sales
Small business owners like Grassick can see sales drying up after years of American investment
Some distance from the nearest Autobahn and not close enough to regional hubs Nuremberg or Regensburg to profit from their urban sprawl
Vilseck qualifies as what Germans like to call Pampa
a rural area in the middle of nowhere — which typically features a relaxed rental market
"All these houses you see around here — or a lot of them
let's say — they're built for the American families," he said
adding that Germans who invested in them "will sit on these empty houses when the Americans are gone
because they will never get the rents that they need for them from the local Germans
because they wouldn't be able to afford them."
Vilseck landlords aren't alone in facing a crisis
which dates back centuries and where "around 80 percent of guests have something to do with the Americans or are Americans themselves."
Many establishments in the town cater specifically to Americans
from restaurants — such as the Angus Steakhouse
whose 1-kilogram steak pushes the boundaries of even the meaty cuisine of Bavaria — to travel agencies advertising exclusively transatlantic flights
The town’s places of worship include not only the region’s typical Roman Catholic churches
but also the New Life Christian Center and the New Testament Christian Church
The Angus Steak House is popular with both Germans and Americans
Kederer thinks Vilseck should have started diversifying its business model away from the U.S
the picturesque town should be advertised as a tourism spot or affordable alternative for city-dwellers who don't want to spend all their money on rent
she is worried the withdrawal will deal a severe blow to the local economy
she is also sad to potentially have to say goodbye to friends
is now retired but worked as a safety supervisor on school buses
"I'm sad to see the Americans go," she says
"Vilseck is going to turn into a ghost town." Sabine Kederer
"Around 80 percent of guests have something to do with the Americans
"It's been going really well with the Americans," said Kederer
adding that her 9-year-old daughter's best friend is American
but also bound to benefit from each other's language skills
Most Germans in Vilseck agree that the American presence has added to the quality of life in town beyond the economic perspective
"I used to work as a safety supervisor on the school bus," retired local Brigitte Trummer said
adding that the town's German and American children have always gotten along
Vilseck is going to turn into a ghost town."
Vilseck residents worry that the fate of their town rests in the hands of Pentagon decision-makers
Mayor Schertl still hopes his town can avoid that fate
"Trump is facing resistance from Democrats and some Republicans on the issue," he said, adding that the move makes no strategic sense: "Everybody says so, including former commanding general [of the U.S. Army in Europe] <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/us-german-relations-damaged-by-troop-withdrawal/a-54370725" target="_blank">Ben Hodges</a> ..
and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is rubbing his hands — 10,000 U.S
soldiers less that he would have to fear one day
should he choose to annex the Baltics or whatever."
U.S. Secretary of State<a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/mike-pompeo-expected-to-tour-eu-to-discuss-troop-moves/"> Mike Pompeo</a> is expected to tour Central and Eastern European capitals next week to discuss the redeployment of troops
but the current plan is for him to visit Prague on Tuesday or Wednesday and then move on to Slovenia and Poland
arguing that the move makes no strategic sense
a tractor makes its way through the center of Vilseck
Grassick has a different view than Schertl
"The Americans don't see the threat on the ground here in Germany directly
they see it more toward the borders with Russia — hence the buildup in Poland — they want to move more in that direction than to be here on the ground," he said
has said that it would move some troops to Poland
though the Pentagon last week said the affected Germany-based troops would mainly be moved to Italy and Belgium or back to the United States.)
Grassick's not too worried about his business
although it is 100 percent tailored to American needs
on a date with Janae Lett at the EDEKA market in Vilseck
EDEKA is a popular gathering spot for German teenagers too
for the soldiers to buy here so that they can take them back home when they leave
with their lights and windshields and all not conforming with European standards," he said
his American customers don't pay import duty
would have to pay "29 percent on top" for one of his cars
so the troop withdrawal should wreak havoc on his business model — but he said that with only a few years to go until retirement
"This hotel has been in my family since 1666 and I lead it in the 14th generation," she said
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Germany — The late-night email that landed in the family inbox Saturday night detailing class schedules
locker numbers and homeroom teachers offered a glimmer that Vilseck High School suddenly found spots for incoming freshmen Tyler and Nathan Garst
Defense Department school district’s registrar was sent in error
and a decision three days earlier to deny enrollment stood
who have no legal right to enroll their children in Germany’s public schools
“It’s a major blow,” said mother Kris Garst
whose husband is an Army contractor in Grafenwoehr
As students headed back to school Monday at U.S
the Garst brothers weren’t the only ones left in the lurch
Children of military contractors gain entry into Department of Defense Education Activity-Europe schools on a space-available basis
unlike children of service members and Defense Department civilians
getting passed over by the military school system
especially in rural parts of Bavaria such as Vilseck
Vilseck High is at 105% of its projected enrollment
with eight additional “space-required” students still being processed
Schools in Germany have denied 16 space-available students as of Aug
DoDEA-Europe has numerous Space A denials each year,” said Steve Smith
we do our best to limit this number as much as possible
we have seen an increase in Space Required students/families in a number of our communities.”
Contractors play important roles for the military in Europe
But regulations prohibit the children of contractors from attending German public schools under a status of forces agreement
And while private international schools are options in cities such as Stuttgart and Kaiserslautern
no such schools operate in more isolated communities
who has had her three children enrolled in DODEA schools at different times over the past 13 years
said space-available access was never an issue before
even though schools often grappled with overcrowding issues
“They always adapted and found a way,” she said
Garst received an email that space was unavailable at Vilseck High School
They are looking for online learning alternatives while the family considers whether to seek other employment in hopes of finding space in another military area in Germany
DODEA says that it does all it can to accommodate as many children of contractors as possible
Defense Department regulations prevent it from tapping its budget to hire more teachers to accommodate such students
even though contractor families pay roughly $27,000 per child annually in tuition for DODEA high schools
Such rules create a hardship for families and raise questions about whether the U.S
military needs to reexamine the status of contractors in rural areas in order to provide American students with an education
They are going to need to evolve their policies if they want to keep the people they have.”
determining enrollment sizes is a challenge each year
given the transient nature of the military community and the potential for sudden influxes of students
That means that notification about enrollment status comes late in the summer and puts contractor families in a bind
To ensure there is enough room for space-required students
final decisions on space-available enrollments are always made in August
“When families submit their enrollment requests
they are informed that a decision regarding their request will not be made until August and that enrollment is not guaranteed but based on the availability of the necessary space and resources,” Smith said
had a close call when he received a notice from Vilseck High School last week that his son also was being turned away
His son had already received his freshman class list
met some of his teachers and was practicing with the football team
when on Wednesday they received a school email that there was no more space
which basically left me with two working days to figure out what to do,” Silva said Friday
and he should be showing up to football practice with his friends
These are kids he’s been going to school with for the last seven years
Silva learned that since his wife works full time as a military civilian
they should be able to have his son enrolled if Silva’s wife assumed command sponsorship instead of him
the family showed up at Vilseck on Monday with papers in hand
Germany — An Army noncommissioned officer will be tried by the military on a murder charge over the death of his infant son at home more than a year ago
The court-martial of the 27-year-old soldier
is expected to occur in the next six to 12 months at Rose Barracks in Vilseck
but the case hasn’t been put on the court docket yet
7th Army Training Command spokeswoman Lacey Justinger said Friday in response to questions from Stars and Stripes
The soldier is charged with one specification of murder and three specifications of assault
the 5-month-old boy was taken to a German clinic in Weiden with injuries that included blunt force trauma to the head
Efforts to revive the child were unsuccessful
Oberpfalz police told Stars and Stripes on Monday
Police did not specify the date of the arrest
Prosecutors in the state of Bavaria accused the woman
the 29-year-old woman was convicted in German court of negligent manslaughter by omission
She received a suspended sentence of one-and-a-half years of probation
Amberg’s public prosecutor’s office said Tuesday
According to testimony in the woman’s trial
the soldier inflicted severe abuse on the baby at least three times in the couple’s home in the Amberg-Sulzbach district
who was not identified in accordance with German privacy laws
officials about testifying against her husband
Army V Corps confirmed Tuesday that the soldier is assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment but said it was unable to provide further details
The Army is prosecuting the soldier because Germany does not have jurisdiction in his case
“The NATO Status of Forces Agreement applies
according to which there was exclusive American jurisdiction because the infant killed was also an American citizen,” Diesch said
Murder carries a minimum sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole under the Uniform Code of Military Justice
Germany – An Army noncommissioned officer was convicted of child battery but acquitted of murdering his infant son
a military jury decided during a 10-day trial that ended Friday
was sentenced at court-martial on Friday to 33 months in prison and a reduction in pay grade to E-1
Livingston also was acquitted of aggravated assault and obstruction of justice in the death of his 5-month-old son Kaleb on March 5
a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
when emergency responders were called to his Vilseck home to treat his son
The boy was taken to a German clinic in the Bavarian city of Weiden
where he was treated for blunt force trauma to the head
Doctors found evidence of rib and leg fractures that showed signs of healing
Oberpfalz police told Stars and Stripes previously
German prosecutors accused Lilli Livingston
She was convicted last year of negligent homicide by omission and received a suspended sentence of one-and-a-half years of probation
Lilli Livingston accused her husband of abusing the child at least three times in the couple’s home in the Amberg-Sulzbach district
Bavarian news site Onetz reported at the time
the prosecution tried to pinpoint the time of Kaleb’s injuries and place him in his father’s care
while the defense focused on Lilli Livingston’s actions
The panel of officers and senior enlisted leaders deliberated for around five hours Thursday before finding the sergeant guilty of battery on a child under the age of 16
a spokesman for the 7th Army Training Command
Brandon Livingston entered the court for sentencing Friday in his service dress uniform
The prosecution telephoned a child abuse specialist that revisited Kaleb’s injuries
and then called Lilli Livingston to the stand
“I can’t describe how much this hurts me,” she said as she broke down
The defense called an array of character witnesses from family to former soldiers that described the sergeant as peaceful and a good leader
Brandon Livingston later wept as he delivered a statement to the judge
“I know you’re looking down on us with your grandmother.”
criticized Brandon Livingston during sentencing arguments for exhibiting a lack of remorse
he knew his child was in pain and he did it again,” he said
Patrick Hitt declined to comment at the conclusion of the trial
Any sentence over two years is automatically reviewed by the Army Court of Criminal Appeals
He will most likely serve his sentence at either the Joint Regional Confinement Facility or Disciplinary Barracks
Germany – The Wiesbaden girls soccer team experienced a gamut of emotions following its 4-1 victory over Vilseck on Tuesday afternoon
The match marked the final of pool play and the Warriors’ last chance to punch a place into the semifinals of the DODEA Division I European championships
It came after tying SHAPE in an opening match and then dropping a 3-2 decision earlier Tuesday
With SHAPE also beating Vilseck on Tuesday
goal differential was going to be the difference
The problem was the Warriors (6-2-2) believed they had fallen short when the final whistle blew at Ramstein High School
The players fell to the ground looking distraught
That disappointment changed to jubilation some 10 minutes later
when they realized their goal differential was two
“It’s very uplifting to know we made it to the semifinals,” Wiesbaden coach Tabitha Wildermuth said
We wanted to make to Wednesday and make it to Thursday.”
Wiesbaden had surpassed the Spartans (2-7-1) before halftime
Laurent scored a hat trick in a short span right before the break
Then Hannah Bucheit added a fourth goal in the second half to seal the deal
“I was trying so hard to get some points to push us so that we could make it this far.”
After the deflating draw with SHAPE on Monday
and they got it earlier Tuesday during the loss to Stuttgart (10-1)
Wiesbaden took the lead through a Loren Venton goal
causing the Panther bench to have some choice words with its players
Laurent equalized in the second half before the Panthers managed to get the game winner
After being shut out against Stuttgart during the regular season
the performance helped not only keep the goal differential low heading into the last match
“It boosted our egos because they haven’t seen the new team and how we play together,” St
“It was really good to see they got angry when we were doing better than them in the beginning.”
has found her shooting boots from distance
as evidenced during her trio against the Falcons
All three came from outside the 18-yard box
“She’s one of our range shooters,” Wildermuth said
“We switched her up to striker today because we wanted her aggression at striker
but we realized that she might have been too close to the goal.”
The Warriors advance to take on top-seeded Ramstein at Ramstein High School
The other semifinal will see Stuttgart face Kaiserslautern
SHAPE boys squeak past Ramstein for third time
Germany – SHAPE coach Erika Aquino stared at substitute Gabe Allison on the bench when he asked her what would happen if the Spartans and Ramstein tied their pool-play match on Tuesday at Kaiserslautern High School
Not because she didn’t know the tiebreakers
but instead because the Spartans never considered a draw a possibility
The question came because the match was scoreless halfway through the second half
But that winning mentality showed as the Spartans pulled out a 1-0 victory over the Royals to clinch the top spot in Pool B
Ramstein (7-4) booked its ticket into the semifinals with a 7-0 rout of Vilseck in the last match of the day
Two or three defenders seemingly collapsed around every SHAPE player who ventured into the final third with the ball
Ramstein also missed multiple opportunities to find the back of the net
Striker Joseph Yost got behind the defense thanks to a through ball by Maxim Speed
but SHAPE goalkeeper Garrett Duvall came off his line for the save
Royal junior Kelan Vaughn’s header from a Keiran Goodall free kick clattered off the post before being cleared
All it took for the Spartans was one moment
a ball bounced over the Ramstein defense and into the path of Charles Geib
The senior striker then chipped the ball over a charging Elliot Radosevich to score the match’s lone goal
“It was a frustrating game since I wasn’t getting a lot of chances
but finally getting the breakthrough and scoring
where he scores right before being substituted
“Somehow that kid always just gets (a goal) in right before I’m ready to take him out,” Aquino said
and I turned around and knew he was going to chip it just right.”
SHAPE advances to face Kaiserslautern in one Wednesday semifinal
Ramstein will face off against top seed and defending champion Stuttgart
The Spartans and Raiders clashed on March 16
The Spartans cautioned against overconfidence
stating Kaiserslautern has proven to be a much better team than the one that took the field earlier this spring
“We say every game is like a final,” Geib said
“We just want to play our game and hope for the best.”
Germany — A dining facility at Rose Barracks in Vilseck remains open and has addressed the violations that led to an “F” grade on a recent food sanitation inspection
The grade means that a facility is noncompliant with the U.S
military’s Tri-Service Food Code and that there is either an “imminent health hazard,” which means it must close
or at least one critical violation that isn’t correctable onsite
“There was no imminent health hazard at the facility,” regiment spokesman Maj
“The ’F’ rating notifies the patrons about compliance status of the facility.”
The inspector noted a host of deficiencies during a visit Thursday
Roast beef was stored in a refrigerator without a pull date or use-by date
mold was growing on produce in a refrigerator
can openers had excessive food debris and grease
and the ice machine sanitation log had not been accurately maintained
The same inspector did a walkthrough of the facility Monday and did not find the same deficiencies
“The regiment is expecting an official inspection within the next 30 days where it expects its ratings to significantly improve with the inspection being unannounced,” he said
No foodborne illnesses related to the facility have been recently reported
A photo showing the “F” grade was posted on Twitter by Army WTF Moments on Saturday
along with a question about correcting the deficiencies
The 2nd Cavalry Regiment responded on Twitter that the grade was “not acceptable” for the regiment’s soldiers and that the unit was “aggressively taking actions to address this problem.”
Germany — An American soldier serving at a base in Bavaria was sentenced Friday to five years in prison and dishonorably discharged for causing grievous bodily harm to his infant son shortly before the boy’s death two years ago
had faced murder charges and one related charge of maiming at a two-week court-martial on Rose Barracks
But he was convicted of the lesser included charge of aggravated assault
suggesting that although jurors believed that Gubitosi seriously abused his 6-week-old son Anthony
they weren’t convinced that the abuse alone caused his death
who earlier had described the crime as an “open and shut” case of murder
who was assigned to a 2nd Cavalry Regiment Stryker squadron at Rose Barracks
his frustration over Anthony’s crying led him to shake the baby so severely that he needed to be hospitalized
a pediatric neurologist who testified for the prosecution
likened Anthony’s injuries to those that a person in a car crash at 60 mph would have
Initial scans and examinations indicated he’d been abused and suffered from shaken baby syndrome
according to testimony by medical officials
who said blood was detected in every part of his brain
I’m a monster,” Gubitosi wrote days later in a text message to his wife
Anthony was taken off life support on March 23
“I ruined my son’s future,” Gubitosi told an agent in a recording played for the court
When asked by the agent whether he would have done anything differently if he could go back in time
Gubitosi said the agent pressured him into admitting to shaking Anthony the day he was hospitalized even though he had no memory of doing so
Gubitosi said he invented the story because the agent convinced him that his mind had blocked out the traumatic event and that he must have done something to Anthony as he was the only one watching him the day everything happened
The defense argued that Gubitosi’s wife was responsible for Anthony’s injuries
Gubitosi’s lawyers provided text messages in which she expressed frustration with the baby
The defense presented no direct evidence that Gubitosi’s wife shook Anthony
both in court and in her interview with Army criminal investigators
Gubitosi initially told investigators he shook Anthony on three separate occasions
The trial included several intense moments
Jenny Schlack asked one witness whether he was intoxicated because she said she could smell alcohol on him
denied her request to force the witness take a breathalyzer test
During the prosecution’s closing arguments
Gubitosi’s mother began screaming in the gallery
Prosecutors argued that Anthony’s injuries and irreversible brain damage that led to his death all happened hours before he was hospitalized
during a time period that Gubitosi testified he was alone with the child
Several medical experts who testified said the baby was likely injured no more than eight hours before emergency services were called and possibly just minutes before
a pediatric radiologist and witness for the defense
was the only medical expert to say Anthony’s brain injury likely happened days before he went to the hospital
Anthony was also found to have a broken rib that was already healing
The defense said this evidence suggested that Anthony was abused prior to Feb
when he may have been in the care of his mother
and that the injuries that led to his death may not have happened all at once
In addition to the prison sentence and the dishonorable discharge
Gubitosi will be reduced to the rank of E-1 and must forfeit all pay and allowances
He received the maximum sentence for the aggravated assault conviction
Germany – Shannon Correa traded her spot behind the plate for the pitcher’s mound when she arrived in Germany from Hawaii four years ago
the junior hurler from Stuttgart led her team with a no-hitter in the first of two resounding victories against a young and inexperienced Vilseck squad
“It feels really good,” she said after the Panthers finished off the Falcons 23-0 in four innings in the initial contest
Correa aggressively pounded the ball into her glove between pitches on her way to eight strikeouts
The Panthers also won the second game 17-1 in three innings
The matchup Friday was a tale of two teams with vastly different fortunes
Stuttgart rolled into town on a four-game winning streak in DODEA-Europe Division I
Its only losses of the season came in the first two games against undefeated Ramstein
which lost a lot of players from last year’s third-place team to graduation and PCS moves
the Panthers smothered Vilseck hitters behind Correa’s velocity and pinpoint accuracy
Stuttgart’s Jaylee Brown and Taryn Lockhart recorded three hits each
Lockhart had an RBI single and triple batting around in the fourth inning
Vilseck’s Julissa Neal put up a valiant performance on the mound
but the Falcons were hampered by errant throws and passed balls
Lockhart faced off against Vilseck’s Alisia Andrew
The Panthers put up 16 runs in the bottom of the first
Slick-fielding shortstop Serenity Sampson had three RBI in that inning with an inside-the-park homer over the centerfielder’s head and a triple
Despite being behind by a considerable margin
Vilseck matched Stuttgart’s energy with chants and songs of their own
Katelynn McMillan beat out an infield roller and an error to plate Vilseck’s only run of the day
Ava Bentley added a hit on a blooper over the third baseman’s head in the top of the third to take away Lockhart’s no-hitter
“Our team is all about our fighting spirit,” Bentley said
Coach Cathleen Burgess credited her team for not giving up
“We’re getting better every week,” she said
Stuttgart senior Madi Heivly and first-year coach Kelli Weinreich credited an overnight team-building event before the start of the season for the squad’s cohesion
which has translated to results on the field
“We’re excited to rematch Ramstein at Euros,” Weinreich said
“I think if we had played them later in the season
the outcome could have been a little bit different.”
There is nothing like sinking your teeth into a nice juicy steak for celebrating a special occasion
finding a quality cut of meat seems to be a challenge in the Grafenwoehr/Vilseck area
Or at least I thought this was the case before I had the chance to visit Casa do Brasil steakhouse in downtown Vilseck
My first impression upon entering was a good one
Dry-aging steaks on display brought back memories of similar steakhouses in the States
Casa do Brasil has that mom-and-pop-restaurant feel I’ve become accustomed to while living in Germany
Even though only two other tables were occupied on the night I visited
I still felt as if I was the owners’ sole focus
They provided drink pairings guidance and food suggestions
and even escorted me to look at the meats available
Having seen the dry-aged T-bone hanging in the glass display case
it was a delicious yet filling way to start my meal
It also supplemented the assortment of homemade bread
veggies and another little dish provided to every table
This restaurant experience is definitely meant to be shared
as I was already feeling full after doing my best to eat as many of the delicious small plates as possible
the T-bone was presented on a large wooden plate and topped with garlic butter
It came with a side salad and mashed potatoes
but there aren’t too many places that would
Given that the T-bone is a difficult steak to cook right because of its inconsistent thickness
I was very happy to see a red center and a crisp crust
had a little too much dressing on it for me
a common experience in this part of the world
But the creamy mashed potatoes more than made up for the salad’s deficiencies
After finishing every bite of the steak and conversing with the owners for 20 minutes
I was too full to even look at the dessert menu
Price: Between 20 euros for small plates and 46 euros for some of the more expensive steaks
Germany — Military prosecutors accused an Army noncommissioned officer on trial this week for murder of fracturing his infant son’s skull in a fit of rage two years ago after the child would not stop crying
battery of a child and obstruction of justice in the death of his 5-month-old son Kaleb on March 5
Opening statements were delivered Tuesday in the courtroom of Lt
The trial is scheduled to continue through next week
Livingston faces a minimum of life in prison with the possibility of parole if found guilty of murder by an eight-member panel of officers and senior enlisted members
“The life of Kaleb Livingston ended in one moment of rage and frustration,” prosecutor Capt
The government will prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Brandon Livingston caused the child’s injuries
Emergency services personnel were called to Livingston’s home in Vilseck around 1 a.m
after the soldier reported discovering his son in distress
The boy was taken to a German clinic in Weiden where he was treated for blunt force trauma to the head
Both Livingston and his wife were arrested by U.S
her attorney Joerg Jendricke said in August
She is expected to testify for the prosecution later this week
Brandon Livingston appeared stoic Tuesday as he entered the courtroom in his dress uniform
The prosecution’s case centers on eyewitness and expert testimony as well as his own statements to Army Criminal Investigation Division agents
establishing that Kaleb was in his father’s care when the deadly blow was struck
pointed out that Lilli Livingston’s story about the timeline of events had changed over time and that she was the child’s primary caregiver
that’s reasonable doubt,” Kiernan said several times during his opening statement
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soldier was killed and two others were seriously injured when their car crashed into a tree near Vilseck on Friday
The three soldiers were traveling toward Vilseck on Bavarian State Road 2120 around 7:50 p.m.
when the 22-year-old driver lost control of his silver Ford Focus
possibly due to aquaplaning on the wet roadway
slammed sideways into a tree and came to rest in a roadside ditch
The driver and a 20-year-old front seat passenger managed to free themselves
but the 20-year-old soldier in the back seat was trapped inside the vehicle
Vilseck firefighters removed the soldier from the wreckage and provided first aid
the soldier who was in the back seat died at the scene of the accident
spokesperson for the Oberpfalz Police Department
The other two soldiers were taken to a hospital with serious injuries that were not life-threatening
Approximately 40 members of the Vilseck and Schlicht volunteer fire departments
an ambulance service and the Vilseck military police were present at the scene
An investigation into the exact cause of death and the sequence of events is ongoing
military has not released the name of the soldier who died
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