Ramstein-manenbach SUVs, hamburger restaurants, English signs. Dozens of car dealerships, car repair shops, Drive-in-movie.
The small town of southwestern Germany, Ramstein, looks like an American city of movies.
It’s no wonder.
Ramstein is the largest military center in the United States in Europe. The largest American community outside the United States has been created around the air base.
The United States has not reported accurate figures, but an estimated 10,000 soldiers have a base. Other staff, family members and subcontractors, including the number of Americans, will increase to about 54,000.
And just like dozens of other countries have gathered here in the United States.
In addition, Ramstein has the Allied Air Command, the NATO Air Force Central.
Afghan Pervez Has worked in Ramstein since 2021, when the United States evacuated more than 30,000 refugees after rising Talibans in Afghanistan.
“It’s good to be here,” Pervez says when cleaning clients’ traces at an American -style chicken wing restaurant.
Will the United States retreat from Germany?
Now there is excitement in the air of the small town.
Americans have been here since 1952, but the base may be leaving.
US president Donald Trump plans to reduce troops in Europe. Most of the Atlantic soldiers in Europe are in Germany.
The most recent rumors by Trump would like to move 35,000 soldiers to Hungary.
In practice, it means retreating from Germany completely. This is 38,000 of American soldiers in the country.
However, not everyone leaves, Ramstein is believed. There is so much investment in the area that it would be downright nonsense, from Ireland to Ramstein, a car dealer James Sweeney says.
– There are many Americans who don’t want to change. They are rooted here, some are already retired, Sweeney says.
The disappearance of the United States completely would be “full destruction” for Sweeney and other car dealers in the area, but also the decline in soldiers “big blow to sales”.
Business flourishes thanks to employees at the base: they can take cars tax -free and Customs across the Atlantic.
Explore the graphics about how many US soldiers are available throughout Europe:
It is difficult to obtain information from the base
Trump’s plans are already felt in the lives of Ramstein entrepreneurs.
For example, a home broker of the Immobilie Confrade Movement says that on Monday, an American had to sign a trade agreement in Ramstein for an apartment of over € 600,000. However, the customer withdrew from stores at the very last minute because of uncertainty.
More than half of Ramstein’s residents are US. Most of them live outside the barracks.
No one knows exactly how much soldiers and their families live inside the air base fences. Outsiders have no matter there and the US has no obligation to disclose information.
It is known that in addition to apartment buildings, runways and airplane halls, the area will include a golf course, a swimming pool, a mall and schools.
Watch the video for Ramstein’s city view:
Ramstein has a long history. It has served the military military forces as a logistic center as well as as a military hospital in the Gulf War, Afghanistan War and African operations.
The host country Germany has had to bear international responsibility for Ramstein, for example In Syria and In Yemen. The deadly droon attacks of the United States are designed at the base.
When Ramstein happened to be devastating air show In 1988, rescue work was complicated by the fact that the US did not allow German ambulances to move from the beginning. 70 people died in the accident.
Watch the video on what the local car dealer thinks about the possible withdrawal of the United States:
Andreas Hausmann Runs Hotel America and Big Emma with his family.
“If Americans were to leave, it would be a single disaster,” Hausmann estimates.
The family also owns two other hotels in Ramstein.
Hausmann says that 60 % of customers are US. On Thursdays, Country Music evenings will be held in Big Emma, including the surrounding areas.
– Here, Americans do not have to learn a foreign language when everyone speaks English.
Hausmann, who knows the habits of businessmen, does not believe that business man Trump will do the withdrawal of troops. This just calculates and wants to look at how the Europeans will last.
– Trump must show that he has the principles. He has demanded NATO countries to pay more for his defense, and when it is realized, he is on a sensible path again, Hausmann says.
Two years
Ramstein officially belongs to the United States, although it is located on German soil. The base has a similar special position as the embassies around the world.
Germany and the United States have signed an agreement on Ramstein that the United States so far has the right to use the area as an air base – but for two years at a time.
If Trump wanted to get rid of Ramstein completely, the contract should be terminated at two years of notice.
A new hospital with 4,700 rooms will be completed next to the Ramstein air base. The hospital employs 2,500 people. One third of the construction costs are paid by German taxpayers.
The United States usually transports injured soldiers in the world first to Ramstein.
When EPN visited Ramstein, construction work was in full swing.
From the state of Washington Brandy Berdou has already moved after his military person to many countries with his children.
According to him, Ramstein has a “really dense” American community. Berdou says his heart is breaking if it has to break down.
Berdou says he supports Trump just like other US people met in EPN Ramstein.
– The soldiers and their families must always do as the president says.
“As US citizens, we need to support our president and where he leads our troops,” says Berdou.