Residents of a German town were taken by surprise by the withdrawal of American troops: “I am enriching the community”
For some residents of Landstuhl, where American soldiers have been present since 1945, the Pentagon's announcement about the intention to reduce the number of troops in Germany by 5,000 was unexpected, according to a report made by The Guardian.
“I have to tell you, I was honestly shocked,” said Nadine Firmont, 45, who works at a high school in Landstuhl, western Germany, which the publication described as the heart of the largest US military community outside the United States.
Landstuhl is home to the largest US hospital outside the US and is an integral part of Kaiserslautern's military community of approximately 50,000 soldiers, support personnel and family members.
“Americans enrich the community”
At the end of last year, 36,400 of the 68,000 active duty military personnel permanently assigned to American bases in Europe were stationed in Germany.
“We love our Americans – they enrich the community in every sense of the word and make life more colorful,” added Firmont, who made the remarks before the Pentagon made the announcement.
The Guardian explained that there was a vast network of German staff and suppliers working for the Americans in the Landstuhl area, which created economic dependence and cross-culturalism.
“It's all I've ever known, it's part of us,” said Marie, 30, as she and her German-American husband, the son of a soldier, waited for their order at Shawingz, a restaurant chain that caters to the American military community.
Restaurant manager Karl Mazur-Rekowski, 48, who grew up in Poland, said Landstuhl attracted people who wanted to experience the “American feeling.” “They want contact with Americans to improve their English,” he added.
The measures announced by the US and the reaction of the German government
The French army announced on Friday that it was withdrawing 5,000 troops from Germany and would redeploy them to the United States or other areas abroad, according to The New York Times.
The Defense Department is also scrapping a plan from the Biden administration to place a missile-equipped artillery unit in Europe.
These measures will return US forces in Europe to the level of 2022, before Russia launched the war against Ukraine, Pentagon officials explained.
Europeans must take greater responsibility for their own security, was the response given by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Saturday.
