Franconia News

The
Vol. No. VIII, Issue 50

Serving the Franconia Military CommunityAnsbach, Bamberg and Schweinfurt

Dec. 16, 2011

Garrison opens Ansbach Army Lodge at Urlas

Story by Rachel Goodspeed, USACE and Ron Toland, USAG Ansbach ANSBACH U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach officially opened its new 26-room Army lodge during a ribboncutting ceremony here on Dec. 14. The event capped a year that saw the opening of the new Urlas Family Housing Area and the Col. Louis J. Storck Community Activity Center in Illesheim on June 14. The garrison also broke ground on two child development centers and an auto skills center this fall. A new physical fitness center is in design. Representatives from U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District and Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation participated in the lodge opening. Col. D. Peter Helmlinger, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District commander, said that Army lodges are a key element in a Soldiers transition to Europe, especially those who have never been stationed overseas. This is a Soldiers first and last impression of Germany, he said. Here, Grafenwoehr, Stuttgart -- all across Germany weve transformed the reception for Soldiers and their families as they come into Europe and as they prepare to depart. USAG Ansbach commander Col. Kelly J. Lawler, concurred with Helmlinger. This is a very-key time in a Soldiers life. This transition period is a golden period because its during this transition that youre going to make your impressions about Germany -- good, bad or indifferent, Lawler said. I think this facility is going to set up the community, both inside of our fence and outside, to have a good impression of being here in Germany. The new lodge replaces the Franconian Inn on Bismarck Kaserne, which opened in 1972 after renovations transformed the former barracks into a hotel. It was turned into a hotel after major renovations and we did the last project there in 1998, Lawler said. Weve

Col. Kelly J. Lawler, USAG Ansbach commander, Tracy Deikun, Ansbach Army Lodge manager and Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Ocanas, USAG Ansbach command sergeant major cut the ribbon on the grand stairwell of the lodge, officially opening it to guests. U.S. Army photo by Ron Toland

basically kept that facility running through self-help projects, duct tape whatever it took to keep the facility running. Since its last major renovation 12 years ago, we knew we needed something better for our Soldiers, families and civilians. The $10 million lodge provides 26 rooms -- six standard rooms, one extended-stay room with a kitchenette and 19 extended-stay suites with separate bedrooms, living areas and kitchenettes. Some of the safety features include fireretardant doors, alarms, security cameras, and a fire and emergency alert system throughout the hotel and in every room. The new lodge also meets the requirements of the American with Disabilities Act. Even more important, the lodge provides a level of quality incoming Soldiers and families would expect in the U.S., said Tracy Deikun, Ansbach Lodge hotel manager. The rooms are larger and the increased room capacity helps eliminate some of the claustrophobia guests felt in the old lodge, she said. (Continued on Page 4)

This week in
Bamberg: Calendars promote environmental awareness , pg. 6. More at: http://www.bamberg.army.mil/index.asp Schweinfurt: Soldiers return and employees honored, pg. 7. More at: http://www.schweinfurt.army.mil/

Dec. 16, 2011

Lodge...
(Continued from Page 1) One of the rooms is a handicap room with a larger entry, lower kitchen cabinets and a wheel-in shower. Three of the rooms, two suites and one standard are pet-friendly rooms. Although the new lodge has fewer rooms, their quality is better than those in the Franconian Inn. This is truly what our Soldiers, civilians and their families deserve after 10 years of persistent conflict in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Lawler said. They deserve a place where they feel at home. USACE, FMWR and the garrison broke ground in April 2010 and the project was completed last month with little conflict and delay, said Kerstin Huber, Urlas project manager for the garrisons Directorate of Public Works. No problems, no big surprises, she said. Actually, one of the smoothest projects ever. The successful completion is largely contributed to the team effort between all parties, Helmlinger said. We are just one member of a larger partnership that brought this together, including the garrison, FMWR, the Bauamt, our contractor and many others that helped deliver this first-class facility here, he said. This is truly a team effort, Lawler added. With the lodge complete and other projects in the works, all parties are looking forward to the next team gathering. This community is really starting to blossom now, Helmlinger said. I last left Germany in 2005. I was in Grafenwoehr yesterday so I was privy to see the before and after, and Im excited to see the similar transformation thats taking place here at Ansbach.

Katterbach Tree Lighting ceremony, Dec. 9

U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach welcomed the holiday season with a Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on Dec. 9 at Katterbach Kaserne. School kids sang several Christmas songs, family readiness groups sold lots of tasty food, garrison commander Col. Kelly J. Lawler, Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Ocanas and some helpers lit the tree and Santa himself rode in on a fire truck to greet everyone who attended. Afterward, kids under 12 bowled free at the bowling alley and Santa posed for photos. U.S. Army photos by Bob McElroy