The US Army is relocating around 1,500 Green Berets and their families to a site close to the Luxembourg border, with troops being transferred from Stuttgart to Baumholder in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
The move is part of a multi-billion-dollar modernisation of the base, with completion planned by 2033 at the latest, according to German broadcaster SWR.
The decision to transfer the special forces unit was reportedly taken during Donald Trump’s first term in office, according to Baumholder mayor Bernd Alfasser. In 2024, at the start of construction works, the mayor said that given the scale of already committed investment, the project was “no longer open to question”.
The relocation forms part of a wider restructuring of US forces in Europe and will see the special forces unit move from Patch and Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart to Smith Barracks in Baumholder.
Local sentiment, however, appears mixed. While the expansion promises long-term economic stability for the region, some in the property sector remain cautious about relying heavily on the US military presence. “The man [Trump] is unpredictable. Relying solely on the Americans as tenants – that’s no longer an option today,” estate agent Heike Heringer told SWR.
Extensive construction work is underway at the US Army base in Baumholder to expand and modernise the site. © Photo credit: dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
Around 1,500 Green Berets and their families are expected to arrive before the end of this year. According to the US military news site Stars and Stripes, the wider US military community at Baumholder could eventually grow to around 11,000 people.
Since 2024, the US Department of Defence has invested around $1 billion (€852 million) in upgrading infrastructure and accommodation at the site over a ten-year period. Plans include at least 400 new housing units to support incoming personnel.
The move is also linked to operational constraints in Stuttgart, where the US Army has faced complaints over noise from training exercises, heavy traffic, and limited space for manoeuvres. Baumholder offers fewer restrictions and is located closer to Ramstein, one of the US military’s key European hubs.
Construction cranes stand above residential buildings on the grounds of the US Army base in Baumholder. © Photo credit: dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
The German armed forces also use the Baumholder training area, although they are housed separately outside the US barracks.
Founded in the early 1950s, the Baumholder garrison is one of the US Army’s longest-established sites in Germany. Much of its current infrastructure dates back to the 1960s and is now undergoing major refurbishment.
Ironically, in the early 2000s, plans were circulating within the Pentagon to close the base entirely as part of cost-cutting measures. Today, however, it remains one of the largest employers in the region, underscoring its continued strategic and economic significance.
(This article was originally published by the Luxemburger Wort. AI translated, with editing by Lucrezia Reale.)
