Franconian News

The annual Retiree Appreciation Day (RAD) for USAG Ansbach took place Wednesday, Oct. 17 at the Von Steuben Community Center on Bismarck Kaserne. The annual event is designed to support retirees – both active duty and civilian retirees – as well as spouses and widows of retirees, who are living in Ansbach and surrounding communities.

For two days in September, eight Soldiers from the 678th Air Defense Artillery Brigade (ADA BDE), South Carolina National Guard, participated in the Schützenschnur, or the German Armed Forces Badge for Weapons Proficiency, earning badges for excellence while also building alliances with their German counterparts.

It all goes back to a Franconian chimney sweep and an American band leader striking up an unusual friendship 36 years ago. When the two met in 1982, little did they know they were the founders of a long-lasting friendship and partnership between the city of Herrieden and the U.S. Army.

The U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach commander, Col. Steven Pierce, and subject matter experts from medical, environmental and public health arenas conducted a community town hall today to address potential concerns of community members in reference to a recent discovery of lead-based paint in some U.S. Army facilities in the United States.

Recently a delegation of the U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach Religious Support Office visited the German Federal Language School (Bundessprachenamt) in Ellwangen and conducted a church service in English for the German students.

New “Stolpersteine” (stumbling blocks) were recently placed for former residents of Ansbach to commemorate their fate during World War II.

Changes are coming to the Katterbach Bowling Center. Most notable will be a temporary wall blocking off six of the bowling lanes. This change in lanes reduces the cost of operating the center, and allows the investment of the savings into other improvements.