It’s still not immediately clear how the government shutdown would affect various services at installations in Europe.
It wasn’t immediately clear Thursday how the government shutdown would affect various services at installations in Europe after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep government programs and services running by the Wednesday deadline.
By Thursday morning, several Army garrisons had released lists on their websites of what services will be affected by the shutdown. Military social media sites, including U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. European Command, said there will be “limited updates” due to a lack of appropriations.
U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa, RAF Lakenheath and Ramstein Air Base said Thursday on their social media sites that military personnel will continue normal duty without pay and civilian personnel “not engaged in excepted activities will be places in a non-work, non-pay status.”
U.S. European Command said Wednesday that it did not have a list of what services have been canceled so far.
Ramstein Air Base
At Ramstein Air Base, the Aquatics Center, library, UNITE Program, civilian personnel office and Military and Family Readiness Center Spouse Hub were closed, according to the 86th Force Support Squadron website. There will be limited service at the Manpower Office, Education Center and multiple Military & Family Readiness Center programs.
RAF Lakenheath
At RAF Lakenheath, the base library’s hours were reduced to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the fitness center reduced the number of classes, and the Military & Family Readiness Center and Education & Training Center reduced their services.
USAG Benelux
At US Army Garrison Benelux, closed services include Army Substance Abuse Programs; fingerprinting and background/personnel security checks; and the Equal Employment Opportunity office.
Army Community Services are limited in all communities. Education Centers are providing limited services, with only contracted support staff and university staff available.
The Community Processing Facility for community inprocessing and outprocessing has limited services in SHAPE/Chièvres with emergency CAC reset and emergency passport services only; Brussels patrons should use SHAPE/Chièvres for limited emergency services; Brunssum has no services available.
USAG Ansbach
Army Community Service centers at Katterbach and Storck are closed, although essential services are still available by phone for several programs listed on the garrison website. The Retirement Services office, as well as Master Planning, Real Property and PAIO, are closed.
Limited services are available from Vehicle Registration; Installation Access Control System; the ID card office; Military Personnel Division; the passport office; Casuality Assistance; Central Issue Facility; Installation Property Book Office; driver’s testing; the Housing Office; the Legal Assistance Office, Training Support Center (equipment issuance suspended, photo and graphic services continue); Public Affairs office; S-6/IT Support; the Safety Office; and the Education Center (delayed Army Personnel Test results and increased wait time for counselors).
USAG Bavaria
Closed services include fingerprinting; security clearance processing; Account Validation System/Security Access Authorization Request; and Isolated Personnel Report and Foreign Travel Report submissions.
On Thursday, the 8 a.m. Driver’s Training and Testing Station Orientation Course is canceled. Closed Army Community Service offerings include the Employment Readiness Program; Army Volunteer Coordinator; Army Family Action Plan; Army Family Team Building; Mobilization and Deployment; Exceptional Family Member Program; Survivor Outreach Services; and all ACS services at Garmisch.
Army Community Service programs offering reduced services include Relocation Readiness; Information and Referral; Family Advocacy; Domestic Abuse Victim Advocates; Financial Readiness and Army Emergency Relief.
Army Continuing Education System will not be offering Army Personnel Testing. Army Substance Abuse Program will be offering limited services by appointment only, a list of those services is available on the garrison site under Directorate of Military Programs. Military Personnel Division, including Garmisch and Hohenfels, is not offering retirement services, but the Thursday naturalization ceremony will happen.
USAG Wiesbaden
Army Substance Abuse programs are closed. Army Community Services programs that are closed include Survivor Outreach Services; Exceptional Family Member; Financial Readiness; Employee Readiness; and Mobilization and Deployment Readiness. A list of open ACS programs is available on the garrison site, and officials recommend calling for info on any ACS classes.
Background checks for volunteers through the Religious Support Office won’t be available until the shutdown lifts. The Public Affairs Office and Safety Office will offer limited services.
Stuttgart
In Stuttgart, it was business as usual on Wednesday in many places, with services such as the drivers license testing office, military identification card office and community mail room still open. The garrison advised community members to check with individual providers if there was uncertainty about the availability of particular program.
Naval Air Station Sigonella
At Naval Air Station Sigonella on the Italian island of Sicily, child and youth programs, MWR programs and facilities, the Navy Exchange, commissary, galley and housing offices would remain fully operational, the base said in a post Tuesday evening to its official Facebook page.
But delivery of loaner furniture and appliances from the base’s housing department could be delayed, potentially impacting families moving in or out. Housing officials were in contact with people who could be affected, the base said.
“Our commitment remains to provide the essential services our community depends on,” the base said in the post.
In a comment on the base’s post, USO Sigonella said that not all of its operations would be fully functional. It did not identify which operations were affected.
Naval Air Station Naples
Officials at NSA Naples also were committed to keeping essential services such as the commissary, Navy Exchange, MWR programs and facilities, and child and youth programs open, the base said Wednesday.
During the shutdown, base operations would continue with no anticipated impact to service members, their families or the mission, NSA Naples said.
Here are other developments across Europe:
· DODEA schools were open as usual, but all extracurricular activities are halted until full funding is restored to the federal government and the U.S. military’s overseas school system.
· AFN radio is limited to local broadcasts, while TV programming includes AFN News, AFN Sports and on-demand content through the AFN Now platform.
· Several services across the Kaiserslautern Military Community are closed.
- Security