Air Force builds new houses at overseas bases

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Laura Holzer
  • Detachment 4, Air Force News Agency
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNEWS) --  As the Air Force undergoes constant transformation from deployments to manning issues, the importance of Airmen's quality of life hasn't changed. 

One quality-of-life improvement was the $1 billion the Air Force spent upgrading base housing in various overseas locations in Korea, the United Kingdom and Germany.

"What we're doing is demolishing the stairwell units that were built 50 years ago," said Capt. David Vanderburg, the 435th Civil Engineer Squadron chief of construction. "(We've) taken 118 of these units and building houses on Ramstein, Vogelweh, Kapaun and Landstuhl."

The new homes have amenities like built-in closets, a garage, 110 and 220-volt outlets and a backyard, such features not usually found on-base or in off-base housing.

"I do live off base and it's been fun to be a part of the German community, but these houses are just so nice," Captain Vanderburg said. "When I told my wife I got an extension here, she said, 'Honey, what are the chances of moving into one of those town homes you're building.'"

Contractors have finished more than 200 houses with about 538 scheduled to be completed by 2010. 

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