Grafenwoehr Training Area


Grafenwoehr Training Area is a United States Army training base located near Grafenwöhr, Bavaria, Germany. At 232 km2, it is the largest NATO training facility in Europe. The base is operated by 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command. Facilities include the Tower Barracks.

History

The training area was established in 1907, and used to train troops for the III Royal Bavarian Corps. Undergoing a major expansion from 96 to 230 square kilometers in 1938, the base was used by the Wehrmacht to practice blitzkrieg tactics. Following World War II, the base was occupied by the United States Army. On September 2, 1960, 16 American soldiers were killed and 26 injured when an 8-inch howitzer shell crashed into them during a morning roll call. The shell had been overloaded with charge and went miles beyond its target.
From December 2018 to February 2019, Grafenwoehr Training Area housed more than 5,000 Soldiers of the Ironhorse Brigade which is the current Regionally Aligned Force in eastern Europe. As the current Regionally Aligned Force in Europe, one of the brigade's main mission is increasing interoperability with other NATO nations. Grafenwoehr Training Area allowed the entire brigade to re-consolidate all forces in preparation for redeployment back to Ft. Hood, Texas. Within the training area, Camp Aachen and Camp Algiers are located on the Grafenwoehr Training Area and provide housing support as well as an MWR, USO, and AAFES shoppette facility. In addition, Grafenwoehr Training Area is home to the Joint Multinational Sim Center specifically located on the Camp Aachen portion of the training area.