Ramstein Air Base or Ramstein AB is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and also for NATO Allied Air Command (AIRCOM). Ramstein is located near the town of Ramstein-Miesenbach, which stands outside the base's west gate, in the rural district of Kaiserslautern.
Kaiserslautern is a town in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is 459 kilometres from Paris, 117 km from Frankfurt am Main, 666 kilometers from Berlin, and 159 km from Luxembourg.
The United States European Command (EUCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers 21,000,000 square miles (54,000,000 km2) and 51 countries and territories, including Europe, Russia, and Greenland. The Commander of the United States EUCOM simultaneously serves as the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR) within NATO, a military alliance. During the Gulf War and Operation Northern Watch, EUCOM controlled the forces flying from Incirlik Air Base.
Zweibrücken Air Base was a NATO military air base in West Germany. It was located 35 miles (56 km) SSW of Kaiserslautern and 2 miles (3.2 km) SE of Zweibrücken. It was assigned to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) during its operational lifetime. It was a constituent member of the Kaiserslautern Military Community.
Lucius D. Clay Kaserne, commonly known as Clay Kaserne, formerly known as Wiesbaden Air Base and later as Wiesbaden Army Airfield, is an installation of the United States Army in Hesse, Germany. The kaserne is located within Wiesbaden-Erbenheim. Named for General Lucius D. Clay, it is the home of the Army's 2d Theater Signal Brigade, 66th Military Intelligence Brigade and is the headquarters of the U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR).
The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC), also known as Landstuhl Hospital, is a U.S. Army post in Landstuhl, Germany, near Ramstein Air Base. It is an amalgamation of Marceau Kaserne and Wilson Barracks (Kirchberg-Kaserne), which were merged on October 15, 1951. It is the largest American hospital outside the United States.
Sembach is a municipality in the district of Kaiserslautern in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It forms part of the Verbandsgemeinde of Enkenbach-Alsenborn. The town is nestled in the Palatinate Forest Nature Park between Kaiserslautern and Donnersbergkreis. Sembach was first mentioned in the 13th century, in a document about a donation to the monastery of Enkenbach.
The Europaviertel in Wiesbaden is a former barracks area named Gersdorff Kaserne at the edge of the city center of the Hessian state capital, approximately 2 kilometers southwest of the Marktkirche.
The Seventeenth Expeditionary Air Force was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The command served the United States Air Forces in Europe during (1953–1996) and United States Air Forces Africa during 2008–2012. Upon reactivation on 1 October 2008, it became the air and space component of United States Africa Command. In this capacity, Seventeenth Air Force was referred to as U.S. Air Forces Africa (AFAFRICA). 17 AF was reformed in April 2012 to become the 17th Expeditionary Air Force, sharing a commander and headquarters with the Third Air Force. As of March 2022, the Third Air Force is USAFE-AFAFRICA's sole numbered air force, with the 17 EAF having been inactivated in July 2018.
The 86th Airlift Wing is a United States Air Force wing, currently assigned to the Third Air Force, United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. The 86th AW is stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
Ramstein American High School is a Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) high school in the Kaiserslautern district, Germany. RHS is a part of the Ramstein Community Schools in the Eastern Europe district that is run by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). Their mascot is the Royal, a lion with a crown.
Lieutenant General Michael W. Wooley finished his Air Force career as Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. The command is a major command of the U. S. Air Force and the Air Force component of U.S. Special Operations Command. AFSOC provides Air Force Special Operations Forces for worldwide deployment and assignment to unified combatant commanders. The command has approximately 12,900 active-duty, Reserve, Air National Guard, and civilian professionals.
The 435th Security Forces Squadron is an airborne-capable United States Air Force Security Forces squadron based at Pulaski Barracks Army Installation, Germany. The 435th Security Forces Squadron's mission is to secure, protect and defend Air Force weapons systems, air base assets, personnel, and resources. The squadron was most recently activated at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on 15 January 2004.
Sembach Kaserne is a United States Army post in Donnersbergkreis, Germany, near Kaiserslautern, and is about 19 miles (30 km) east of Ramstein Air Base. Prior to 2010, the installation was a United States Air Force installation and prior to 1995 it was a U.S. military airfield known as Sembach Air Base.
The 21st Theater Sustainment Command provides theater sustainment throughout EUCOM and AFRICOM Areas of Responsibility in support of USAREUR and 7th Army. On order, deploys to support theater opening, distribution, and Reception, Staging, Onward Movement & enable Integration (RSO&I) functions. Be prepared to support Joint and Coalition forces.
The 601st Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional United States Air Force organization. It was last active as the 601st Air Base Wing with the Seventeenth Air Force at Sembach Air Base, Germany, where it was inactivated on 31 March 1995.
The 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force. It is part of the 86th Operations Group, 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is a component of Third Air Force and United States Air Forces Europe.
The following is a hierarchical outline for the elements of the United States Air Force in Europe at the end of the Cold War. It is intended to convey the connections and relationships between units and formations. In case of war with the Warsaw Pact, all would have been assigned to NATO.
Germany 
Rhineland-Palatinate 
