Home is where you make it

Story and photos by Paul Hughes U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart

This is the final piece in a three part series highlighting life as a Stuttgart military community member living on and off post. In this segment, we go behind the scenes of one Soldier’s experiences living in unaccompanied housing on Patch Barracks.

Most single service members E5 and above who receive orders to beautiful Stuttgart likely imagine living off post, and immersing themselves in the local culture. Many are sorely disappointed when they arrive and are handed a key to one of more than 650 beds designated for unaccompanied housing on post.

For Sgt. Marie Mills, the move to U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart was the first time she had to face living in barracks since her training days early in her Army career.

“I always heard all these awful things about living in the barracks. So I was anxious about coming in and there being loudness, but my favorite thing is how quiet it is here,” Mills said.

There are twelve unaccompanied service member buildings in the garrison’s footprint and Mills resides on the second floor of one of four on Patch Barracks.

She arrived last October and spent nearly a month and a half in the hotel waiting for a room to open up. During that time, she was training to become AFN Stuttgart’s new morning show DJ and had to commute from Panzer to Robinson everyday.

She was more than happy to move into her room on Patch because it shortened the drive, but she was also surprised at the space she found waiting for her inside her new home.

Sgt. Marie Mills, AFN Stuttgart Radio NCOIC and morning show presenter, poses outside of her barrack building on Patch Barracks, April 27.

“I like having my own space, and it doesn’t feel like I’m in a Barracks it feels like I’m in my own apartment.” Mills said.

As a non-commissioned officer, or NCO, Mills is entitled to her own room which has an en-suite bathroom and enough space for a self-made kitchenette of spices and cooking supplies. She uses the kitchen down the hall, which is shared by the residents on her floor, to cook her meals.

“There are a lot of people that do use the kitchens here to cook and I regularly come home to some amazing smelling food being prepared,” she added.

Each floor’s kitchen has an oven and a place to sit and eat. And Mills said the easy access to the commissary and shoppette just down the road have helped her to avoid ordering in too much -- a tempting thought because her wife, who is still stateside, did most of the cooking before Mills moved to Stuttgart.

“Living out here on my own, it is challenging to come up with my own meals to eat, instead of eating out all the time like I could do,” said Mills. “But with the gym so close and being open 24 hours, I am really working to maintain a healthier lifestyle so I cook a lot of chicken and fish.”

Another perk of the barracks life for many is the furnishings that come in each room. Mills said having a bed, dressers and a table made the move in process quick and easy. And even though her building was built in the 1940’s, she said it feels up-to-date with new flooring, windows and lighting.

Sgt. Marie Mills, relaxes in her barracks room on Patch Barracks.

Each barracks block has a gazebo outside, providing a place for residents to grill and socialize during non-COVID times. Mills said residents are often hanging out outside the building and they have been very friendly and welcoming.

“You might feel like you don’t know any of these people, but they’re always like ‘hey come on down, hang out, here’s some food’, so that’s always pretty cool,” she added.

COVID has had an impact on the amount of services and facilities available to unaccompanied soldiers, with many services including bars and the movie theater on post being closed. Mills said the lack of movies has been the toughest for her but she is hopeful that things might reopen before she moves.

The shared communal kitchen in the barracks of Sgt. Marie Mills.

The geobachelor is excited to reunite with her wife once she arrives in the near-future and they hope to settle into an apartment on Robinson Barracks. But even with the promise of more space, her own kitchen and her family back together, there are a few things the Soldier will miss about her room on Patch.

“It still is the nicest barracks room I’ve ever been in and I like having my own space,” she said. “As far as barrack buildings go, this is the best one I’ve ever seen.”