Sembach Kaserne

Sembach Kaserne is a United States Army installation in Sembach, Germany, near Kaiserslautern, and is about 19 miles east of Ramstein Air Base. Prior to October 2010, it was a United States Air Force installation, and prior to 1995, it was an active military airfield known as Sembach Air Base .During the Cold War, Sembach Air Base housed a variety of USAF Tactical Reconnaissance, Close Air Support and Tactical Air Control units as a front line NATO air base.Current statusSembach serves a population of about 2,000. On 1 October 2010, the Air Force handed over control of Sembach Annex to the US Army, who then renamed the site Sembach Kaserne. Sembach Kaserne is part of what is the Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC). It is used for housing American Army military personnel. The housing developments and dormitories were declared condemned by the Air Force in 2007 and no longer occupied by any Air Force personnel. The US Army houses soldiers in the dormitory complexes. The facility has a commissary, bowling alley, elementary/middle school, fire station, four baseball/softball fields and a football field.Sembach is the home of the United States Army's 230th Military Police Company, the 95th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, the 30th Medical Command, and the 786th Security Forces Squadron regional training center. Given additional downsizing by the U.S. Army, and Congressional demands for more base closings in Germany, Sembach will probably close soon. Although congress never reviewed or approved of this new Army base, the money being spent in its renovations will provide soldiers stationed in the area with adequate living conditions and reduce the need for soldiers to acquire housing on the economy in the surrounding area. The purpose of opening this installation is to facilitate the consolidation and closure of several other US Army posts throughout Germany.