ANSBACH, Germany – Col. Aaron Southard, U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach commander, hosted the garrison’s annual Spring Social on Feb. 6, 2026, to update the installation’s host-nation community and mission partners on milestones from the last year and upcoming goals.
“Events like these are important to us,” Southard said. “Because they remind us of something we never take for granted. We are guests in your communities. We are your partners in this region and friends in the shared future.”
Topics highlighted during the event included: Safety and Emergency Response In 2025, the Garrison Fire Department handled 666 incidents, aiding in 24 of them in the surrounding communities. A Mutual Aid Agreement is being updated to allow local fire departments to use the U.S. Army's Installation Management Command – Europe Regional Fire Training Center. This joint training ensures a better-coordinated response during emergencies.
Economic Impact and Local Investment The U.S. garrison community contributed significantly to the local economy in 2025, spending approximately 30 million euros overall, with 23 million euros directly benefiting Ansbach and Illesheim businesses. In September 2025, the garrison also began a $330 million modernization project at Barton Barracks. Looking ahead to 2026, projects include a $13 million elementary school, and the community anticipates the arrival of 940 additional servicemembers and their families.
Health Care and the Next Generation The partnership extends to health care, with German medical facilities helping to welcome 66 new babies into the Army family in 2025. Local clinics, such as Ansbach Klinikum, treated 1,053 TRICARE patients, handling 844 outpatient visits and 209 hospital stays.
The event intended not only to list the garrison’s accomplishments but also to reinforce the values of communication and friendship.
“When the U.S. Army needs us, we are here, or when we need help, we train together,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Jörg Seybold of the German 1st Company, Transport Helicopter Regiment 30, who has partnered with Americans in the Ansbach area for over 15 years. “This is very important to stay together in the world. For the soldiers, all the families, all the kids, to make the world a little bit better of a place.”
The social, along with events like the upcoming 250th Independence Day Celebration, showcases the long-standing relationships the USAG Ansbach community has with its host-nation partners.
“Two hundred and fifty years of the United States is a great thing,” said Lord Mayor of Ansbach Thomas Deffner. “It's a great nation, and we have 80 years of partnership. That's fantastic for Europe, for the United States of America, and especially for Germany.”
Southard finished his remarks with a message on behalf of the soldiers, families and civilian employees of U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach.
“Thank you for your cooperation and thank you for the friendship that continues to define the relationship between our Army community and the people of Franconia,” he said. “Our partnership is not just ceremonial. It’s lived every day on the roadways, in the clinics, the shops, the restaurants, the classrooms, and across kitchen tables where German and American families share meals, stories and life together. Thank you.”