Congratulations!
You just scored an assignment to an incredibly adventurous place – Stuttgart, Germany.
Stuttgart is located in southern Germany and is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg. It is an ideal location if you are interested in experiencing a different culture and exploring Europe. You can be in the famous Black Forest of Germany or the Swabian Alps in just an hour from Stuttgart. Drive 2 hours, and you can find yourself in France, Switzerland, or Austria!
Base Info
USAG Stuttgart is a US Army-run installation comprised of 5 bases – Panzer Kaserne, Patch Barracks, Kelley Barracks, Robinson Barracks, and Stuttgart Army Airfield. I was not prepared for how spread out all of the bases are throughout Stuttgart. Depending on where you or your spouse works or your children go to school, you may just cover 3 or 4 of them in a day!
USAG Stuttgart is home to two Combatant Commands – US European Command (EUCOM) and US Africa Command (AFRICOM), and 3 Component Commands – Marine Forces Europe and Africa (MARFOREURAF), Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR), and Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAF). All Armed Forces branches are represented within USAG Stuttgart, making it a diverse and unique joint environment. Service members are typically assigned a sponsor to help before, during, and after their PCS. There is a robust spouse sponsorship program available, too. So be sure to ask your POC for that!
Housing
It is Army policy in Europe that if there is base housing available within 60 days of your in-processing date, you must live on base. The on-base housing is stairwell housing, meaning 2-5 bedroom apartments off of a main stairwell. If there is no housing available when you in-process, you will receive a Certificate of Non-Availability (CNA) and can look for off-base housing.
Off-base houses range from modern apartments in city centers to countryside living in a large standalone house. It really just depends on what you are looking for! If you have school-aged children, be sure to check out the bus zone to be sure you have bus service for your child to and from school, from where you choose to live.
Things to Do
There are endless possibilities for your family to expand your horizons while stationed in Stuttgart. There are DODEA schools (3 elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school) here for your children, and also several private school options and homeschool groups. CYS (Child and Youth Services) provides many youth sports leagues and arts programs for your family to be involved in. They even have language classes to help you learn German. The German language can be tough to crack. But as long as you show effort on your end to speak it, most people can speak a little English here, which will help you.
Do yourself a favor and download the Google Translate app immediately! There is a camera function that allows you to take a picture of a menu, for instance, and it will translate it instantly. There are also plentiful opportunities for you and your family members to be involved in local German clubs and sports. My daughter just started playing in a German basketball league and loves this unique opportunity.
Travel
Germany itself borders 9 countries, so the opportunities to travel while stationed at Stuttgart are plentiful! The train and bus systems in Germany are well developed and are easy to get the hang of. The local Army Community Service (ACS) office even has a free tour to teach you how to navigate the bus and train systems. For my family, the biggest highlight of being stationed in Germany has been the opportunity to travel and explore the world with our kids.
Some of our favorite trips of the past year have been going to the Alps in Austria and swimming in an alpine lake, walking the streets of Strasbourg and La Petite France to feel like Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and cruising on the Mediterranean Sea to Italy, Spain, and France. It can feel overwhelming at first to figure out the ins and outs of traveling to different countries. But the payoff is immeasurable. Getting to have my horizons expanded and my worldview changed alongside my family has been life-changing.
Eating in Stuttgart
There are so many great places to eat in Stuttgart. Whether you are looking for traditional German food, a biergarten, or really any other kind of cuisine. Here are a few of my family’s favorites:
(Your internet browser should have a translate option to translate these sites from German to English)
Things to see in Stuttgart
Hiking trails are plentiful – I recommend downloading the app Komoot to find trails
Castles in Germany are also plentiful – this one is iconic and near Stuttgart
Hike with history overlooking the city of Stuttgart
This is just a glimpse of what life can look like living in Stuttgart. Overseas assignments can be challenging, but the benefits really are endless if you keep an open mind and give yourself lots of grace in the learning process!
