Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base or Ramstein AB (IATA: RMS, ICAO: ETAR) is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and also for NATO Allied Air Command (AIRCOM). Ramstein is located near the town of Ramstein-Miesenbach, which stands outside the base's west gate, in the rural district of Kaiserslautern. The base supports forward elements deploying to Eastern Europe and Africa.
| Ramstein Air Base | |||||||||
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| Part of Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC) | |||||||||
| Near Kaiserslautern, Rheinland-Pfalz in Germany | |||||||||
Aerial view of Ramstein showing hangars, warehouses and the passenger terminal alongside the flight line | |||||||||
Ramstein Ramstein Ramstein | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 49°26.21′N 007°36.02′E | ||||||||
| Type | US Air Force base | ||||||||
| Area | 1,400 ha (3,500 acres) | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | German Federal Government | ||||||||
| Operator | US Air Force | ||||||||
| Controlled by | US Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa | ||||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1949–1953 | ||||||||
| In use | 1953–present | ||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Current commander | Brigadier General Otis C. Jones | ||||||||
| Garrison | 86th Airlift Wing | ||||||||
| Occupants |
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| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: RMS, ICAO: ETAR | ||||||||
| Elevation | 238 metres (781 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
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| Sources: DoD FLIP | |||||||||
The construction of the air base was a project designed and undertaken by the French Army and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1949 to 1952. It was an example of international collaboration: designed by French engineers, constructed by local businesses and large number of temporary and migrant workers of Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece, and Turkey and operated by Americans.
Ramstein AB is part of the Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC), where more than 54,000 American service members and more than 5,400 US civilian employees live and work. U.S. organizations in the KMC also employ the services of more than 6,200 German workers. Air Force units in the KMC alone employ almost 9,800 military members, bringing with them nearly 11,100 family members. There are more than 16,200 military, U.S. civilian, and U.S. contractors assigned to Ramstein AB alone.
The east gate of Ramstein Air Base is approximately 16 kilometres (10 mi) from Kaiserslautern (locally referred to by Americans as "K-Town"). Other nearby civilian communities include Landstuhl, some 5 kilometres (3 mi) from the west gate.