100th
Area Support Group
 The
100th ASG, established in 1991, currently consists of the 282nd Base
Support Battalion (Hohenfels) and the 409th BSB (Vilseck). Its mission
and role is to provide quality base operations and to support the
7th Army Training Command, the Grafenwoehr Training Area, the Hohenfels
Training Area, the Combat Maneuver Training Center and tenant units
and activities.
The 100th ASG is made up of a diverse group of people consisting of
host nation employees, soldiers, Department of the Army civilians
and military family members. While providing quality support, the
100th helped deploy combat and combat support elements from Germany
into the Balkans during the recent crises. These people are provided
with everything a community in theUnited States would provide to its
residents, and then some. There's housing, child care facilities,
recreational opportunities, entertainment, medical and dental care
and much more. While some facilities and services are consolidated,
each BSB within the 100th ASG is self-supporting with medical and
dental facilities, postal services, commissary shopping and an Army
and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) store or shoppette.
For golfing enthusiasts there is a nine-hole course in Grafenwoehr.
Arts and crafts programs within the 100th ASG feature a state-of-the-art
photo lab in Grafenwoehr and a recording studio in Vilseck. Complete
support is offered from the day a soldier arrives until the day he
or she departs.
The area has a long history. In 1907, Prince Luitpold, regent of Bavaria,
selected the Grafenwoehr area as the place best suited for the Bavarian
Army. Throughout WWI, the training area was used for the training
and re-equipping of combat units. After the end of the war, the Berlin
High Command utilized Grafenwoehr Training Area for the 100,000 man
German army. The American era began after the last German commander
of the training area surrendered on 20 April 1945. During the first
few years, only units stationed at Grafenwoehr used the training area.
In 1947, the American Army reactivated it for unit training purposes.top
COMMAND HISTORY
The 7th Army Training Command was established on July 1, 1976. It
comprises the Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels Training Areas, the Combined
Arms Training Center located at Vilseck and the Training Support Activity,
Europe at Frankfurt.
The 7th Army Training Command serves as U.S. Army Europe's training
staff, responsible for managing USAREUR major training areas, performing
as a focal point for all force and training modernization issues.
Specifically, the Command is responsible for single point management
of training, including development of concepts, requirements and evaluation
of training readiness. Individual training, including both skill producing
and career enhancing courses, is also provided. Recent range upgrades
give USAREUR the finest and most modern firing ranges and maneuver
areas in the U.S. Army.
The soldiers, civilians and family members who make up the 7th Army
Training Command enjoy morale and recreation facilities ranging from
gymnasiums and skiing to libraries and craft shops. The 7th Army Training
Command is at the forefront in Europe ensuring that the quality of
training and the quality of life for our soldiers, civilians and their
families is the best in USAREUR.top
GRAFENWOEHR ARMY TRAINING AREA
Grafenwoehr is a small Bavarian town in a scenic, rural section of
Northern Bavaria. Its landmark is the very picturesque, half-timbered
water tower. Visitors are fascinated by it and the adjacent Forsthaus,
both of which set the architectural style of the post.
Despite its quaintness, the post has won several Community of Excellence
awards. Soldiers from Canada, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom,
France and even some eastern countries train at Grafenwoehr. The town
is just outside the gates of the training area and owes much of its
prosperity to the soldiers training there.
During his time in Germany, Elvis Presley spent several rotations
in the Grafenwoehr Training Area. He used to sing in the clubs in
town, and the gate guards had to constantly turn away young women
wanting to visit!
Grafenwoehr's Historical and Cultural Museum, located next to the
city pond, has a section showing the entire history of the training
area from its beginning in 1907 with the Royal Bavarian Army through
today's use as a live fire facility for the U.S. Army and other NATO
units. There are displays, with explanations in English, of uniforms
and representations of the daily lives of soldiers. A courtyard at
the museum features outdoor public concerts in summer.top
409TH BASE SUPPORT BATTALION, VILSECK
The 409th Base Support Battalion is headquartered on Rose Barracks
in the quiet but friendly town of Vilseck. The military facility dates
to the early days of Hitler's power. Because of his aggressive plans,
the Wehrmacht was growing rapidly, dictating an expansion of the Grafenwoehr
training area.
So the South Camp was built at Vilseck to accommodate a horse artillery
post of regimental size. Elements of General Erwin Rommel's noted
Afrika Corps trained there. After the war the Vilseck facility was
used successively as a Third Army POW stockade for German prisoners,
as a camp for Polish and Jewish displaced persons, and finally as
a refugee camp for Germans fleeing the Russian occupation.
The Vilseck area now is devoted primarily to farming. The military
community, still nestled among hills and small, friendly German villages,
is dynamic, growing and ever-changing.top
282ND BASE SUPPORT BATTALION, HOHENFELS
The Hohenfels area is part of the hilly, sparsely
populated "Upper Patatinate Jura" uplands of mixed coniferous and
deciduous forests. The name Hohenfels, meaning "High Rock," refers
to the elevated location of a former castle built by a noble in the
10th century.
Hohenfels is the home of the Combat Maneuver Training Center (CMTC),
which provides realistic and demanding training for U.S. Army task
forces stationed in Europe as well as units from a multitude of Allied
nations. The Hohenfels community is continually growing and was recently
selected as the most improved community in USAREUR. It has a large
comissary, exchange, child development center, youth center and school
(K-12), with many more projects underway.
top
SPORTS
& RECREATION
� Fitness Centers. They are located throughout the 100th ASG with well-trained
staffs, convenient hours of operation, locker rooms and a full array of fitness
equipment. Activities offered at the Grafenwoehr Field House and the Hilltop Fitness
Center in Vilseck include basketball, racquetball, boxing, soccer, softball, flag
football, rugby, aerobics, youth leagues and much more. Unit and community sports
programs abound.
� Sports. Whether a member of the 100th
likes to play, coach or officiate, there is a place for him or her
in the sports program. The Grafenwoehr Field House provides a wide
variety of the most modern equipment for sporting and fitness. Features
include full basket and volleyball courts, nautilus and exercise
equipment, and racquetball courts. Grafenwoehr also has a golf course.
� Outdoor Recreation Centers are
a must for anyone who enjoys the great outdoors. They rent every
kind of equipment for every kind of outdoor activity, including
camping gear, bikes, ski gear, sleds, coolers and tents. They even
rent cars, vans and buses for shopping trips, unit trips and vacations.
Outdoor rec organizes great trips, too. They take the people on
shopping trips to the Czech Republic, and on trips for skiing, white
water rafting, canoeing, rock climbing, rappelling and biking.
� Bowling. The centers at all three ASGs have open bowling, monthly cash
tournaments, league bowling, children's birthday parties and more. The Grafenwoehr
center offers a Bowling Burger Basket.
� Local Television. Community members in Grafenwoehr can
turn on their televisions and find out what's happening locally
by courtesy of the local affiliate of the American Forces Network
(AFN). This facility is equipped with a tape machine and transmitter.
Each week a tape with 30 community-specific spots is placed in the
machine and at various times during the day it is activated by a
signal from AFN Frankfurt. Organizations and community members supply
the information to be broadcast. Information spots can range from
classes scheduled at the ACS to college registration dates. Once
the information is collected it is typed up and submitted to AFN-Frankfurt,
which puts finishing touches on it. After they voice the information
and put it to music the tape is ready to go.top
FAMILY & SINGLE SOLDIER
SUPPORT
� Army Community Services. An umbrella organization that
covers Family Assistance Centers, the Family Advocacy program, relocation
assistance, Child Care Centers, Outreach, Community Counseling Centers
and other aid to people with needs or problems. Offices in Grafenwoehr,
Hohenfels and Vilseck can provide details.
� Volunteers. The Installation Volunteer Coordinator (IVC),
located in each community, assists agencies in publicizing their
needs for volunteers and helps individuals find jobs that are best
suited to their personal interests and goals. Much like an employment
office, the IVC maintains a community job bank. Volunteers are placed
in positions based on their individual interests, goals, skills,
availability and experience.
� Single Solder Quality of Life. This program is designed
to bring single soldiers' quality of life in line with their married
counterparts. Billets afford single soldiers more living space so
they may decorate to their own tastes and include amenities such
as floor kitchenettes, private facilities, fitness equipment and
government furnishings. The Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers
(BOSS) program in the 100th ASG involves single soldiers in recreational
travel and community help programs.
� Schools. There is an elementary school (preschool handicapped
through 6), and a middle/high school (grade 7-12) at Vilseck. The
High School serves the Grafenwoehr and Vilseck areas. Hohenfels
has both an elementary school and a high school.
� YS. Youth Services conducts a variety of programs designed
to promote social interaction, personal growth, and recreational
skills in youth ages 6-19. Youth Services provide fun and unique
activities for youth, including summer camp, open recreation, sports
and special events. Sports programs include baseball, T-ball, soccer,
swimming, basketball and cheerleading.
� Scouting. There are active scouting programs for both boys
and girls in the 100th ASG communities. The Boy Scouts and Girl
Scouts advertise and recruit members through the schools, libraries,
youth activity centers, media and various other institutions.
� Health Clinics. The United States Army health clinics in
Grafenwoehr, Hohenfels and Vilseck are outpatient facilities providing
high quality primary and limited specialty health care. Serious
cases are referred to local host nation hospitals or the Landstuhl
Regional Medical Center in Germany. Personnel in the Grafenwoehr
and Vilseck military communities �shave access to the following
medical services on or near the main post: audiology, gynecology,
optometry, psychiatry, emergency medicine, internal medicine, oral
surgery, psychology, family practice, laboratory, orthopedics, radiology,
flight medicine, occupational medicine, pediatrics and social work.
� Dental Facilities. Family members can expect to receive
emergency dental care and basic restorative dentistry at Grafenwoehr
and Vilseck. Specialty dental care will be on a space available
basis only. Orthodontic care is extremely limited. Only cases started
before the sponsor received their RFO (request for orders) will
be accepted as a transfer patient. The Hohenfels clinic provides
all routine and most types of specialty dental care to active duty
soldiers. In some instances patients are referred to Vilseck or
Wuerzburg for specialty treatment.
� Veterinary Clinic. The one in Vilseck offers animal disease
prevention and control, issuance of health certificates and vaccinations.top
FACILITIES
� Clubs. Military clubs are important morale support activities. They are
located throughout the ASG, and each one has its own unique character, entertainment
and menu to fit different tastes. Among the offerings of, among others, the Gettysburg
Club in Grafenwoehr, the Great Escape Club in Hohenfels and Yesterday�s in Vilseck:
are fine dining, an assortment of snacks, live entertainment, excellent brunches,
karaoke bars, wide-screen televisions, unit and group nights, bingo and live entertainment.
All clubs and bowling centers now have state-of-the-art video games.
� Rod and Gun Clubs. The modern one at Grafenwoehr has a
fully stocked pro shop, and offers hunting and fishing courses the
year round.
� Video. Contemporary and classic video movie releases for
a quiet evening at home can be rented or purchased from several
outlets in the 100th. "Box Office" video rental at Hohenfels provides
old and new videos, video games and selected CDs.
� Transient Lodging. The Tower Inn at Grafenwoehr and the Kristall Inn
at Vilseck offer affordable and comfortable alternatives to local hotels and pensions.
There is also a guest house at Hohenfels.
� PXs. The Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) has stores at Grafenwoehr,
Hohenfels and Vilseck. They provide a full range of facilities, including a main
exchange, military clothing sales, class six store, shoppettes, beauty and barber
shops, pick-up points, laundromats and movie theaters. Each community also has
an AAFES bookstore, and additional AAFES facilities and services available in
the 100th ASG include auto parts stores, AAFES gift stores and optical shops.
Car rental is also available. Concessions at Vilseck include a crystal store,
T-shirt shop, flower shop, beauty/barber shop, optical store, video rental, trophy
shop, two-hour photo processing center, food mall and video arcade.
� Commissaries. The 100th ASG community has three commissary stores; one
each in Hohenfels, Vilseck and Grafenwoehr. Vilseck has the largest commissary
in the 100th ASG area, and the Hohenfels commissary offers features usually found
at larger commissaries, including a deli, a bakery and a large produce section.
� Restaurants. In addition to many excellent local restaurants, pubs and
cafes in the 100th ASG, many installations feature U.S. franchises where U.S.
currency is accepted. The Food Court at Vilseck, for example, offers Baskin Robbins,
Popeyes, Anthony's Pizza, Robin Hoods, La casa de Amigos, Merlins and Frank's
Franks. These franchise food restaurants throughout the ASG provide opportunities
for family member employment. Grafenwoehr now offers Taco Bell and Culters barbeque.
The Athen Greek Restaurant at Grafenwoehr features gyros, suvlaki and salads.
� Auto Craft Centers can help you keep your car running.
Centers in all three communities have bays and tools for do-it-yourselfers,
plus experienced mechanics if you get stuck. You can get an oil
change there or get some welding done. The one at Grafenwoehr also
has an automatic car wash. Auto Craft Centers also operate a towing
service and have a driving school and auto care classes.
� Libraries. Excellent ones in each BSB provide invaluable,
modern resources to students of all ages and levels, including research
material for several master's degree programs and Internet access,
plus reference material, daily newspapers, magazines and books on
tape. Some libraries have a video library as well.
� Arts and Crafts Centers. The Heart & Home Craft Shop
at Grafenwoehr provides many opportunities for crafters, including
quilting, framing, sewing, pottery, stained glass and painting.
The craft shop also has many craft items for sale.
� APOs. Each community in 100th ASG has a full-service Army
post office for all community members. They provide parcel service
and transport all classes of mail from priority to express. They
also transport mail for free from APO to APO when "MPS" is written
in the upper right corner of envelopes and packages.
� Banking. Community banks offer full service banking, including
money exchange service, in every ASG community. Automatic teller
machines (ATMs) offer 24-hour service for deposits and withdrawals
from both checking and savings accounts.
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