Campbell Barracks closure a significant hallmark in U.S. Army transformation

Sept. 9, 2013

By U.S. Army Europe Public Affairs

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U.S. Army Europe Commander Lt. Gen. Donald M. Campbell Jr. salutes as he accepts a German flag from Col. Wolfgang Mika of the Federal Defense Forces of , as U.S. Army Garrison Baden-Wurttemberg Commander Col. Bryan DeCoster (left) presents the Lord Mayor of the City of Dr. Eckart Würzner with a U.S. flag during the final retreat ceremony at Campbell in Heidelberg, Germany, Sept. 6. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Brooks Fletcher)

HEIDELBERG, Germany – U.S. Army Europe officially marked the closure of “Staff Sgt. Charles L. Campbell Barracks" in a ceremony here, Sept. 6. Social Media Facebook Campbell Barracks served as USAREUR’s headquarters from Aug. 1, 1952 until early 2013, when it relocated to Clay Kaserne in Wiesbaden, Germany as part of the U.S. Twitter Army’s transformation efforts. Flickr

“Together we have seen the collapse of the ... the re-emergence of a unified YouTube Germany, side-by-side through our years here in Heidelberg,” said USAREUR Commanding General Lt. Gen. Donald M. Campbell Jr., reflecting on how the command’s mission changed from defending the intra-German border against the Warsaw Pact to training with and developing the military skills of European allied and partner nations. “Our relationship with this community has remained constant.”

It has been almost 70 years since the U.S. Army’s 7th Army Headquarters moved from , Germany to Heidelberg, creating and establishing the foundation for what many considered the epicenter of the U.S. Army’s involvement with Germany and its neighboring states.

“The changing political-military environment in the U.S., Europe, and around the world has produced a transformed, but more capable U.S. Army Europe team here in Germany and around the world,” said Campbell. While the ceremony marked the end of USAREUR's presence in Heidelberg, U.S. and German officials agreed it does not end of the command’s relationship with the community or the end of the legacy and tradition established in the city. During the ceremony Lord Mayor of the City of Heidelberg Dr. Eckart Würzner spoke of that bond between the U.S. and Germany and the two nations' continuiing partnership and commitment.

“While you are leaving Heidelberg, you are not leaving Germany,” said Lord Mayor of the City of Heidelberg Dr. Eckart Würzner. “Since World War II, more than 15 million U.S. Soldiers and their families have served and lived in Germany. It’s a strong and true friendship between millions of people on both sides of the Atlantic, which is why our transatlantic connection will remain strong in the future.”

More images from the retreat are available in a set on the USAREUR Flickr photosream.

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