Address 70563 Stuttgart, Germany | ||
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Osprey landing on patch barracks
Patch Barracks is a well-known US military installation in Stuttgart-Vaihingen in Germany. It is named after U.S. Army General Alexander M. Patch.
Contents
Osprey taking off from patch barracks
History
Patch Barracks was renamed from the German Kurmärker Kaserne in 1952; it was originally built for use by the German Army [Heer] in 1936-1937. During World War II, it served as the headquarters and barracks for the Wehrmacht's 7th Panzer Division with associated unit shooting ranges and training areas located at the nearby Panzer Kaserne (literally "tank barracks"). After the Second World War, Kurmärker Kaserne was temporarily occupied by French colonial troops. Subsequently, American troops took over the facility, which hosted the US Constabulary during the multilateral occupation of Germany following World War II. The US 7th Army was headquartered here from 1950 until 1967 when EUCOM was relocated to Patch from Camp-de-Loges near Paris, France. 7th Army relocated to Heidelberg.
Current Units Assigned
Education
DODEA (formerly DoDDS) operates Patch Middle School for the dependent children of service members.
Recent History
AFRICOM was started as a cell within EUCOM and then separated and assigned to nearby Kelley Barracks. The main community PX was relocated to nearby Panzer Kaserne in 2007 due to a lack of parking for both EUCOM staff and the PX shoppers. Other recent activity includes renovations to the housing on base. A highly conspicuous 314-foot (96 m) radio tower familiar to generations of staff and visitors was dismantled in May 2009.