lisa1420

Interested to have a tour of the Sembach Airforce base in August. My girlfriend used to live on Sembach in the 1970's and has been trying unsuccessfully to arrange a tour when she is in Germany in August 2009.

Any information would be very helpful.

lisa

Sassafrass

Due to security now a days, unless she has a military id card, it is doubtful if she can be allowed on post.

janisj

active military facilities (as the Sembach Annex is) are not tourist attractions.

swandav2000

It's not just security these days. I was in the Army for 20 years and have been retired for 10; in that time, anyone entering a military post in Germany has needed an id card.

lisa, hopefully just being in the area will bring back some great memories for your girlfriend!

s

lisa1420

Thanks for your reply. I realize that military facilities are not tourist attractions. She has a reason for seeing Sembach again. It is a shame as her dad passed away a year ago and had he still been alive this would not have been a problem for her to request access to the base.

I am sure we will find a way for her to show her son the base that held so many good memories for her.

thanks,
L.

mindylt1

Hi Lisa,

My hubby works on Sembach, and honestly, there is nothing there to see. No one lives there anymore, no more airfield, only a few units operate there. The schools there are still in use, though.

If you drive to Sembach village, you'll be able to see the base up on the hill, but I really doubt that you could get through the gate without a sponsor.

If you really want to try...I can tell you that the guards at the gate at Sembach will almost certainly not have the authority to just let you on, so don't just show up there.

Here's what I would suggest:

Sembach is now an annex of Ramstein Air Base, and just outside the main gate of Ramstein is the Pass and ID office. They handle all visitor registrations and passes. Go there first. Or better yet, their phone number is +49 6371 47 5429. Call and see if they can help you.

Good Luck

jgwagner4

Swandav2000,

When I was in the army in the early 90's and was stationed in Baumholder the post was usually open. Taxis, food delivery and girlfriends had no problems accessing the post except during the Gulf War and some other high tension times. However, when we went to posts in Frankfurt access was always tightly controlled.

I was only moderately surprised when I went back in 2003 and all of that had changed (in Baumholder). I hoped to see the barracks I had lived in, but had a good time just going past some of the places in town where I had hung out.

lisa1420

Hi Mindylt1..since your husband works at Sembach do you think he would have any contacts for my friend to call regarding seeing the base again?

I forwarded your info you posted to Fodors to her and although it is a shell of a base now, she still would like to see it and remember her fond times there.

If you husband could be on any help she would appreciate it.

If you would like I could forward you an email she sent me regarding her dad's rank and length of stay at Sembach.
Thanks,
Lisa