Leadership from U.S. Army Garrison Benelux in Brussels hosted a community Town Hall on Jan. 22, 2026, at the Brussels Unit School auditorium on Sterrebeek Annex.
Information from the deputy garrison manager
Jeff Gliedman, USAG Benelux in Brussels deputy garrison manager, opened the Town Hall with welcoming remarks and introducing the panel members.
Gliedman acknowledged the challenges the garrison community is facing with the hiring freeze. In an effort to reduce the impact to services, the garrison is shifting people around to provide coverage where it is needed. Moving forward, vacant positions are being evaluated and sent to the commander to decide if an exception to policy to the hiring freeze should be submitted to higher headquarters.
The Fitness Center is on track to move to Sterrebeek by the end of March, official opening date to be determined. There is ongoing work to ensure the facility is ready and the contract for 24/7 access is in place to ensure a seamless move with little to no delays in access. There will be a grand opening celebration to showcase the new facility and programs the Fitness Center has to offer. The community will be updated as the move progresses.
Once the Fitness Center move is complete, the space will no longer be open to community events. The conference room in bldg. 2 on Brussels Main is available for events and meetings by private organizations, renovations are taking place to improve the space. Gliedman is currently looking into other options for event spaces and will update the community once the options are solidified.
The Logistics Readiness Center recently announced new rules for unaccompanied baggage and household goods. Alcoholic carbonated beverages are no longer allowed to be transported in household goods or unaccompanied baggage. Lithium batteries are not allowed to be shipped in unaccompanied baggage and there is a limit to the size of lithium batteries that can be shipped in household goods. Items such as electric bikes may not be allowed to be shipped in household goods, depending on the size of the battery. Contact the Transportation Office for more information.
Upcoming events
Q: Is there a way for the garrison and community to work together to bring more events to Brussels? A: We understand there are more events in Chièvres and Brunssum than in Brussels and we also understand there is less capacity here for events. There is a Brussels Communication Working Group that meets to discuss events and activities in Brussels. Private organizations can join the meeting by emailing the usarmy.benelux.id-europe.mbx.communication@army.mil for more information. We can work together to improve communication and the process. Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation can also share the 24-month calendar to give the community a better outlook on events. Community space is limited but the garrison is looking into different options to remedy that issue. Child and Youth Services have stepped up to help host events and there will be a new event added this Spring; more information to follow.
Q: What’s the downtime we might see during the Fitness Center move to Sterrebeek and will 24/7 access still be available at the new location? A: The Fitness Center staff anticipates a delay between 24 and 72 hours as the contractors move the equipment to and install it at the new location. The new location will have 24/7 access, and the intent is to have minimal to no delay with the installation of the system.
Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation
Shawn Ticho, acting Director of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation announced upcoming events and activities for kids, programs in February at the Library and Fitness Center and training opportunities with Army Community Service.
Feb. 2, 2026 – Spring registration opens for soccer, archery and pickleball
Feb. 13, 2026 – Parent’s Night Out for the Child Development Center and School Age Care
Feb. 20, 2026 – CYS is closed for training
During Spring Break this year, Brussels MWR is partnering with Grafenwoehr MWR and bringing kids to the Brussels. Together all participating students will go to various sites in Belgium and possibly into France. Joining together will give the Brussels kids an opportunity to interact with others and make new friends. Ticho assured the community that once the Brussels Library is moved to the new location on Sterrebeek Annex, there will still be space for activities and events to continue.
Feb. 8, 2026 - STEAM hour
Feb. 25, 2026 – Alice in Wonderland Tea Party
Mar. 3, 2026 – Book Club
Mar. 9, 2026 – Cook N’Tell
Mar. 22, 2026 – STEAM hour
Mar. 28, 2026: Easter Eggstravaganza
Monthly activities at the Brussels Library include Build it with Bricks, Story Time, Crafternoon, Makerspace, Smorgasbord, Family Move Time, Loops and Lattes and Puzzlepalooza.
The Fitness Center will continue to offer classes as they prepare to move to Sterrebeek. In addition to classes, every month there is a new challenge – February is Planks and Pilates Power Month and March is Kettlebell Madness.
ACS training continues to provide monthly training for community with the City Madness Tour, Sponsorship Training, Host Nation Brief and more.
Ticho concluded by letting the community know that any suggestions from community on what they would like to see in Brussels are welcome. You can learn more about community events for all ages by viewing the https://brussels.armymwr.com/calendar?mode=month
Directorate of Emergency Services
Maj. Chad Boyer, USAG Benelux in Brussels Provost Marshall began by informing the community that the military police are there to support the installation, but also families and NATO.
Boyer reinforced the mantra "see something, say something", whether it’s drones, a car accident or suspicious activity. The more information they have the better they can protect the community with the help of local law enforcement partners.
Military police do not have authority off post, they can help with the insurance claim, contact your local military police in addition to local law enforcement after an accident.
As a reminder, drones or any other type of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAS) is not permitted on any military installation. Most of the city of Brussels is also a no-fly zone.
There will be new signs posted around the community to ensure the roads on the installation are compliant with local traffic laws.
Boyer ended his portion of the Town Hall by reminding the community to check that all documents are up-to-date and compliant. Within the next few months, there will be enhanced protection exercises in coordination with local and federal law enforcement. Everyone should check https://shape2day.com/arrivingleaving/vehicles, drivers’ licenses and insurance information so no one gets their license suspended or license plates confiscated.
Brussels Army Health Clinic
Lt. Col. Ebony Peterman, Brussels Army Health Clinic officer in charge, announced upcoming changes to the clinic as current personnel leave and new personnel arrive.
Landstuhl Regional Medical Center will continue to send nurses to backfill vacant positions at the clinic. Pharmacy technicians from SHAPE will assist with filling medications. It is advised that patients call in advance or utilize the MHS Genesis Portal to order prescriptions to process the request in advance and reduce wait time. When the pharmacist in Brussels leaves this summer, prescriptions will need to be virtually confirmed at SHAPE or Landstuhl before they can be filled.
Nurse visits will still be available for immunizations, visits and rapid flu, strep or covid testing. Since laboratory and x-ray services are limited in Brussels, the clinic is working on an appointment system allowing these services to be completed on certain days to help streamline the process and reduce waiting time. The Dental and Optometry clinics at the SHAPE Healthcare Facility are sending personnel twice a month to Brussels to see patients.
Peterman is teaming up with the school nurse to host a Resiliency Health Fair on Apr. 22, 2026, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the BUS. Services provided to the community include blood pressure checks, vision checks, dental services and optometry services along with recruiters and AFT equipment.
Due to recent changes with the health system on the economy, clinic staff now need to access patient records from local doctors using International SOS, then translate them from French or Dutch. In an effort to reduce wait time for services, patients are encouraged to bring medical documents from the economy to the clinic so they can be translated and expedited.
Peterman concluded her portion of the Town Hall by reminding everyone to in and out process with Tricare when they move to avoid a lapse in insurance coverage. The clinic is not limited to Tricare Prime and does see civilians, retirees and veterans on a space available basis.
Q: Is there a time when we will be down to one provider? A: When the Army releases the assignments in the next couple of weeks, we will know when the new military provider will arrive. If there is a lapse between the current provider leaving and the new one arriving, we will have providers come from SHAPE to backfill.
Q: Is the Health Resiliency Fair open to the community? A: The event is open to anyone with base access. We want everyone to come and will be talking about everything across the lifespan - prevention of teen violence, women’s health, blood pressure checks, eye care, dental exams and more. It’s open to the entire community.
Religious Support Office
Chaplain (Lt. Col) Frantzo Saint Val, USAG Benelux garrison chaplain, encouraged the community to attend the Protestant service on Sundays and emphasized the importance of religious and spiritual care.
Since October, there have been monthly Protestant services in Brussels. As of two weeks ago, these services will now be weekly. Starting this week the services will be held at the Community Conference Room on Brussels Main at 10 a.m. every Sunday due to renovations at the Old School Building.
The garrison currently only has one Catholic Priest who covers Mass at SHAPE and sometimes in Brunssum. Saint-Val is working with him to develop a schedule for a monthly service in Brussels. While this possibility is being assessed, the community is encouraged to attend Mass at one of the local English-speaking churches. To find out more information, contact aalfred@clubbeyond.org at Club Beyond or the Religious Support Office.
Bible Study will resume in February and the RSO is working with local companies so they can start hosting other events such as couples’ night out. More information will be provided when available.
Saint-Val concluded his portion of the Town Hall by reiterating the importance of spiritual and religious care and encouraged the community to contact a Chaplain. This summer, two more Chaplains will be arriving in the Benelux to provide more services to the community. The Chaplain Corps is here to support the community.
Army and Air Force Exchange Service
Jessica Dean, Army and Air Force Exchange Service general manager, informed the community that the Brussels retail store will be closing at 1 p.m. on Jan. 27 for the annual inventory.
The families that applied for free or reduced lunch during the furlough should have received an email about submitting their current income to determine if they still qualify for support or need to resume paying. They are also addressing negative balances for the school meal program and have reached out to parents who need to pay their balance.
Dean also reminded the community that she is available if there are any questions as well as the School Meal Program Manager.
Closing Remarks
Gliedman closed the Town Hall by thanking everyone for coming and thanking Landstuhl for providing coverage for the community. The next Town Hall will be in April; the date will be announced once it is scheduled. The community can reach out to the garrison through the Public Affairs Office or to him directly if there are further questions or concerns.
| Date Taken: | 01.22.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 01.27.2026 02:40 |
| Story ID: | 556846 |
| Location: | BRUSSELS, BE |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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