Panzer Kaserne (German notation: Panzerkaserne) is a

U.S. military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

installation in

Böblingen Böblingen (; Swabian German, Swabian: ''Beblenga'') is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, seat of Böblingen (district), Böblingen District. Sindelfingen and Böblingen are Geographic contiguity, contiguous. History Böblingen was found ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, part of

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

Garrison

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

. The post is administered by U.S. Army

Installation Management Command The United States Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM) is a support formation of the United States Army responsible for the day-to-day management of Army installations around the globe. Army garrisons are communities that provide many o ...

-Europe (IMCOM-Europe), a legacy from its use as an Army installation since just after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Panzer also hosts the headquarters of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe & Africa (MARFOREURAF) and various Special Operations units of the Army and Navy supporting

EUCOM The United States European Command (EUCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territories, including Europe, Russia ...

and

AFRICOM The United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM, U.S. AFRICOM, and AFRICOM), is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. It is responsible for U ...

History

Panzer Kaserne and nearby

Patch Barracks Patch Barracks is a U.S. military installation in Stuttgart, Germany. It is named after U.S. Army General Alexander M. Patch (1889–1945). History Patch Barracks was renamed from the German ''Kurmärker Kaserne'' in 1952; it was originally ...

were constructed in 1938 for the

German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...

, Panzer Regiment 7, 8 as well as Panzer Brigade 4 was stationed in Panzer Barracks from April 1938 (and both bases were joined by a specially designed trail due to the weight of tank traffic.) Additionally, the training areas were designed to train and test the new tank crews who were assigned to the 8th Panzer Regiment. There is also a small nearby training area- unusual for a Kaserne in an urban or suburban area. Panzerstraße Pflaster

The 8th Panzer Regiment was the first unit assigned to the then Ludendorff Kaserne. Local legend suggests that

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

may have even delivered a speech from within the former Nazi Officer's Club building. Additional myths suggest that Panzer and nearby base of Patch, were used for testing of new and experimental Nazi technology, specifically tank modifications and improvements. Added to that, there is a myth that experimental tanks were disposed of by burial to prevent capture by advancing US troops. No one can verify for certain when the U.S. Forces accepted the transfer of the barracks, but it is believed it occurred in early July 1945. During the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

, various units were assigned to Panzer - most notably units of the 1st ID (Forward) - a forward detached element of the 3rd Brigade 1st Infantry Division until 1990. Most currently assigned units are devoted to the support of

U.S. European Command The United States European Command (EUCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territories, including Europe, Russia ...

(EUCOM) at

and

United States Africa Command The United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM, U.S. AFRICOM, and AFRICOM), is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. It is responsible for U. ...

(AFRICOM) at

Kelley Barracks Kelley Barracks (formerly ''Helenen-Kaserne'') is a U.S. military installation and headquarters of United States Africa Command, and is a part of US Army Garrison Stuttgart in Stuttgart-Möhringen in Germany. The post is administered by IMCOM- Eu ...

located in Stuttgart.

Units currently assigned

*1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) *Naval Special Warfare Unit Two *Naval Special Warfare Unit Ten *Special Operations Command, Europe *554th Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18 Military Police Brigade,

21st Theater Sustainment Command The 21st Theater Sustainment Command (21st TSC) provides theater sustainment throughout EUCOM and AFRICOM Areas of Responsibility in support of USAREUR and 7th Army. On order, deploys to support theater opening, distribution, and Reception, S ...

, US Army * United States Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa *POND Guard Force (composed of local nationals) *Federal Base Police Source

Base services

Education

Panzer is host to a

DODEA The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is a federal school system headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and managing prekindergarten through 12th grade educational programs on behal ...

Elementary, middle, and high school for dependent children and is served by nearby Stuttgart High School (formerly

Patch American High School Alexander M. Patch American High School (also known as "Patch American High School" or "Patch High School") was an English language high school in Germany, on Patch Barracks southwest of Stuttgart, operated by DODEA (formerly known as DoDDS). Op ...

, 1979–2015). The International School of Stuttgart also operates a private Pre-K to 9th Grade dual-language school in nearby

Sindelfingen Sindelfingen ( Swabian: ''Sendlfenga'') is a city in Baden-Württemberg in south Germany. It lies near Stuttgart at the headwaters of the Schwippe (a tributary of the river Würm), and is home to a Mercedes-Benz assembly plant. History * 1155 � ...

as ISS BaSICS. The same school has an IB K-12 school located in Stuttgart district of Degerloch.

Shopping

The

Base Exchange An exchange is a type of retail store found on United States military installations worldwide. Originally akin to trading posts, they now resemble contemporary department stores or strip malls. Exact terminology varies by armed service; some examp ...

opened a new main shopping center for the Stuttgart Military Community at Panzer to replace the facility at nearby Patch Barracks. The facility is organized like a mall. Panzer hosts a

commissary A commissary is a government official charged with oversight or an ecclesiastical official who exercises in special circumstances the jurisdiction of a bishop. In many countries, the term is used as an administrative or police title. It often c ...

and is also served by similar facilities at Patch and

. Panzer has been selected as the site of a newer, more modern commissary, which will make Panzer the center for shopping in the area of the four bases: Panzer, Patch, Kelley, and

Robinson Robinson may refer to: People and names * Robinson (name) Fictional characters * Robinson Crusoe, the main character, and title of a novel by Daniel Defoe, published in 1719 Geography * Robinson projection, a map projection used since the 1960s ...

Transport

Panzer Kaserne is served by the Stuttgart VVS bus service and two nearby light rail stops in Böblingen.

References

External links

*
Panzer Hotel

Panzer Commissary

Boeblingen Elementary/Middle School

International School of Stuttgart ISS BaSICS School (Bilingual Education from Pre-K to 9th Grade) in nearby Sindelfingen.
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323060039/http://www.international-school-stuttgart.de/pages/sitepage.cfm?page=150448 , date=2012-03-23
Home page of the US Army Garrison Stuttgart

Official Stuttgart Military Community Newspaper

Installation Guide for the Stuttgart Military Community

Spouses Group for Stuttgart Military and SOFA Expatriates

* ttp://www.toytowngermany.com/search/?q=Stuttgart Stuttgart Subjects at Toytown Germany- an English-language community website for Germany.
Uncovering mystery at the Panzer Kaserne Local Training Area LTA
Military installations of the United States in Germany Buildings and structures in Stuttgart Barracks of the United States Army in Germany United States military in Stuttgart