erald Union H Vol. XIX, No. 7
Wiesbaden: Our home in Germany
www.herald-union.com
Jan. 19, 2017
AFN Wiesbaden switching frequency
Photo by Amy L. Bugala
A snow plow with a broom and de-icing spreader clears a sidewalk during a recent snowfall on U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden’s Clay Kaserne.
Understanding the winter weather plan U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden Public Affairs Office
Old man winter is here bringing with him a mix of snow and ice which can be both an inconvenience and a hazard. Whether your daily commute is a few miles or a few steps from your home, the U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden Safety Office reminds individuals to use caution when traveling in winter weather conditions as grounds maintenance crews work to make streets and pedestrian ways safe. “The U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden has a comprehensive snow removal and ice control plan which is prioritized first and foremost to sustain the mis-
sion,” said John Rice, safety and occupational health manager for USAG Wiesbaden. “Our priority is to ensure access control points and roads remain open and accessible; and to keep sidewalks, parking lots and steps to buildings clear and safe for walking.” Rice says it’s important the community understands the snow removal and ice control priorities so they can better prepare for safe travel or make a personal decision to not head out at all. When inclement weather strikes, the garrison’s Directorate of Public Works deploys three dedicated snow and ice removal control teams – one for airfield support and two dedicated to street and sidewalk clearance. Roads leading to public spaces
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such as schools, the Commissary, the Main Exchange and general installation circulation are priority one, then sidewalks and parking lots. “DPW’s teams work as efficiently as possible beginning with the highest priority routes; however, during extreme or unpredictable weather events community safety is a shared responsibility,” said Eddie Johnson, director, DPW. Efforts will be made to have all roads and streets cleared before the start of normal duty hours; however, “every weather situation is unique to include when conditions change and the severity,” said Johnson. In lower See ‘Weather’ on page 4
See ‘AFN’ on page 5
By Herald Union staff Two types of passports are important for DOD personnel and families stationed in Germany: the no-fee passport — distinguishing DOD civilians and commandsponsored family members as official government travelers — and the regular-fee tourist passport. In general, these international documents are used to verify citizenship, as primary photo identification and to entitle travelers to the protection of their country’s laws while traveling on foreign soil. Passport control officers use passports to determine whether or not foreign nationals can enter the country. But depending on the nature of travel, using one passport in place of the other could lead to major delays, fines or detainment at another country’s borders, accordSee ‘Passports’ on page 5
Get ideas for your next adventure with our feature story, “7 day trips from Wiesbaden.’”
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reduce our contract cost by a lot of money.” With the cost savings comes a reduction in coverage, but the new frequency is expected to cover the whole Wiesbaden area, Hickman said. Listeners who live outside the new coverage area can still listen to AFN Wiesbaden online by going to www.afneurope. net/Stations/Wiesbaden/ and clicking the AFN 360 logo. AFN Europe also has an App for mobile devices where listeners can stream the station in the car or on the go. AFN Kaiserslautern will also switch frequencies Jan. 18, allowing its listeners to access the
Know the difference between passports
Gotta get away?
Rotational Soldiers arrive in Germany They are the first of about 4,000 in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
By Herald Union staff As of Jan. 18 AFN Wiesbaden can be found on a new frequency – 103.7 FM. “We are making a concerted effort to get the signal to where our customers are,” said AFN Super Station Manager Bill Hickman about the recent change from 98.7 FM. At one point, when the station was called AFN Frankfurt and troops were stationed all over the area, it made sense to have a frequency that covered a large area, he said. But now troops are concentrated in Wiesbaden. “The move is expected to yield significant cost savings,” Hickman said. “We had a very expensive contract. We’ve installed a new transmitter that will
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