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British troops to leave Germany a year early
Published: 6 Mar 13 07:32 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20130306-48349.html
British troops will leave Germany a year earlier than planned to end a legacy of World War II by 2019, UK Defence Secretary Philip Hammond announced late on Tuesday.
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The government had previously said that all British troops in Germany and their families would be home by 2020. Most are stationed in the states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.
The speeded-up return of the troops will lead to a shake-up of UK army bases to accommodate them when they return. Four will close and parts of three others will shut to allow resources to be concentrated on bases where the returning forces will be stationed.
They will be based at seven sites, including Salisbury Plain in southwest England, Edinburgh and Leuchars in Scotland, Catterick in northern England and Colchester in southeast England.
There has been a British army presence in Germany for 70 years, but the end of the Cold War necessitated a change in thinking.
Hammond told parliament: "The return of the British Army from Germany marks the end of an era and I want to put on record the huge debt of gratitude we owe to the German government and the German people for the support, both moral and material, they have shown our Armed Forces over more than six decades."
The plan will see around £1 billion of the funding go towards 1,900 new houses for service families and accommodation for 7,800 single soldiers. Another £800 million will be spent on infrastructure and refurbishment of bases.
AFP/The Local/mry
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Your comments about this article:
With all the criminal groups now entering this country, from other parts of Europe and also the Middle-East, although not needed, psychologically it has always been a comfort to know there was a British Barracks just around the corner. Now those of us, who have chosen to live here permanently, will soon be a small minority amongst the ever growing number of immigrants, a large abundance of whom have little respect for Christian values, or law and order.
The decision, to take our armed forces back into their home land, is not only for the defence of Britain most sensible and financially sound, it is also for the individual members and their families from great advantage. It is a pity that so many others lost their lives, or health, overseas, in conflicts which have done absolutely nothing to improve world peace.
Perhaps with the withdrawal from Germany, we may hope that the government in Britain is waking up to the fact, that wars bring little benefit, but much grief. A requirement for well trained British troops will certainly be needed in the near future for defence reasons. The danger of powerful fanatics did not unfortunately end with WW2, but modern warfare can be carried out without the necessity of sending thousands of troops to lose their lives in countries where they are not welcome.
Does anybody remember the song; Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye? It was sung at the beginning of the era which now goes to an end.
Man, you got me on that one.
If you call 300,000 Brits a small community......
Millions, upon millions, of British, US, and Canadian military, civilians, and family members living in Germany due to Status of Forces Agreements from WW II.
USA alone had over 1,000,000 Americans in Germany each year, in the 70s and 80s.
I would like to thank all the people in the German Community who have helped make our time here so enjoyabe. I will be leaving many good friends behind and this makes me very sad.
I am an Englishman living in Munich. I have the utmost respect for the law and order here (well, those devoid of religious foundations). However, I have absolutely no respect for Christian values! Especially as they often lead to the kind of crass, bigoted, generalisations you just made.
I suggest that, if you are worried about the impending scourge of migrants, you find some other land where your narrow world view may remain unblemished. Perhaps the newly reinforced Britain. Maybe you can lend a hand in defending the beaches from the hordes of immigrants from "other parts of Europe and the Middle-East".
I'm beginning to think it is inevitable for younger generations to be disgusted by the rhetoric and behaviour of those which came before them.
Wow! Nothing like piety to get my angry.
there is only one genuine Indian curry restaurant anywhere near me and I think that is because of the barracks ,hope it doesn't go as well.
Can you tell me about the kinds of values that exist in Munich that enticed you to live there?
Which other Christian values do you have absolutely no respect for, aside from the ones you especially see as crass and bigoted?
What Munich needs is less Christians and their values, right?
You have a curry house?! I haven't found anything with some spice in this country.
Germany. Where they take a good Hungarian Goulash, take away the flavor and call it their own
Why would anyone be enticed to a city because of a dominant value system? I came to Munich because it is an excellent hub for life science research. It is also a nice city, and presented an opportunity to learn German.
The greater part of the value system adopted by Christianity functions independently from it, therefore Christianity has no absolute claim to it. Christian values for me, therefore, relate to a particular attitude towards how these value systems are adhered to. In the case of Christianity (and certainly Catholicism) that is often in a way which is prejudiced towards others and judgemental of the differences between people (see comment by Kennneth Ingle). It certainly leads to a degree of closed mindedness when it comes to change in social arenas, and also builds artificial barriers to peoples understanding of nature and our interactions with it.
And yes, Munich would be a more friendly place were it not for the undercurrent of Catholic sternness. I wouldn't say that Munich needs less Christians, more that it would be better if fewer people were Christian. It's never too late to give up religion and realise that lives can be led through responsibility and learning rather than through indoctrination and blind adherence to decrepit scripture.
@ English Ted - you are spot on. Germany cuisine is inherently bland: meat, noodles, potatoes... But, at least in the south they cook up some tasty asparagus in the spring time. (Yea... right.)
@Laurence - if you think that Christianity had no role in shaping Western Values, you may want to take a class in Leadership, or Social Sciences, or History or something relevant to that particular issue.
You have never and never will hear me (write a comment) complain about the German beer because it is great ,and the bread as well.
I didn't say Christianity had no role in shaping western values. My point is a subtle one.
"Now those of us, who have chosen to live here permanently, will soon be a small minority amongst the ever growing number of immigrants"
Oh, we all "get" your not so subtle point. You're a bigot who does not like other bigots.