USAFE answers call of wounded warriors

  • Published
  • By Herb McClain
  • U. S. Air Forces in Europe Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFPN) --  U.S. Air Forces in Europe officials made a recent donation of two, four-story buildings, and the buildings have saved hours on the road for wounded U.S. forces.

The former Air Force hotels, transformed by $2.5 million renovations, provide convenient lodging for 190 to 200 wounded warriors on the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, grounds. Each of the 121, one- and two-person rooms are now outfitted with a computer, free internet service, cable television, DVD player and telephone. 

Previously, the Warrior Transition Unit Outpatient operations were about 25 miles away at Kleber Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, Germany. This meant wounded warriors had to endure a one- to one-and a-half hour round trip bus ride to receive required outpatient medical care at the LRMC. 

The new facilities eliminates the daily over-the-road movement of these wounded warriors, reducing their exposure to potential accidents while simultaneously increasing their force protection posture.

HQ USAFE Installations Mission Support Directorate transferred $100,000 to HQ U.S. Army Europe and Installation Management Command Europe to perform facility upgrades to ensured the proper professional environment was provided for our recovering wounded forces.  

The 435th Services Squadron Ramstein Inn leaders donated 122 televisions, 122 DVD players and telephones.

The sole use of the Warrior Transition Unit Outpatient operations are for wounded U.S. forces returning from the theater of operations. 

"This is another example of the Air Force commitment to take care of our brave wounded warriors," said General William T. Hobbins, the USAFE commander. "We're proud of this initiative to enhance the recovery of these heroes."

USAFE facilitated the transfer of the WTU-O operations from Kleber Kaserne to Landstuhl by turning over the two Air Force buildings that were assigned to the 435th Services Squadron Ramstein Inn Lodging when the decision was made to use the buildings for WTU-O operations.

The Ramstein Inn lodging staff developed alternative measures to lodge Landstuhl customers at Ramstein and Sembach Air Bases, Germany, and prepared the two facilities for the Army to make required modifications to receive the WTU-O staff and wounded warriors returning from operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

One of the buildings donated had just undergone an AF-funded EUR 4.5M renovation which included the outfitting with elevators. "This is a huge thing if you are in a wheel chair or using crutches" says Timothy Wible, the lodging manager for the KMC. "We were happy that we could provide the Army a building that was perfectly suited for their needs, to help the LRMC take care of its patients."

Army Col. Kirk Lawrence, the USAREUR deputy chief of staff, pointed to the new facility as an example of the services working together to care for the wounded warriors. 

"All we want is the best care for our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines," he said. 

"They went all out for the warrior, I have to say," said Army Capt. Katrina Gawlik, the medical transient detachment commander. 

Capt. Gawlik called the conditions optimal for Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen who typically spend up to two weeks here getting care.

"We tell our warriors who come here their only mission is to heal." she said.

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