US National Support Unit OL-B, 470th Air Base Squadron
The smallest American unit on the Kaserne is the NSU. Only 3 people work full time at the NSU. 2 American NCOs and one German civilian are based in the NSU building 32 on the Kaserne. They provide the basic and critical support needed here. The American NCOs provide the postal support to the community. The German civilian coordinates civil engineering, housing assistance, family services support, TRICARE and provides translation services.
The NSU is an Operating Location of the 470th Air Base Squadron at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen. The 470th is part of the 52d Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem. Geilenkirchen provides many services you are used to at a “regular” Air Force base - some personnel and finance services, and medical and dental care. For more complex matters, Spangdahlem is about three hours away. Please contact the Kalkar Relocation Office at DSN 314-452-8765 for additional information.
CAOC Uedem is a NATO air defense headquarters responsible for conducting “air policing” operations over roughly the northern half of Central Europe. It also plans and conducts both offensive and defensive air operations for training and in times of tension, crisis, or war. The CAOC reports to the Commander of CC-Air Ramstein, a US Air Force General stationed at Ramstein AB, who in turn reports to the Commander of Joint Force Command (JFC) Brunssum, a German Army General. Commander, JFC Brunssum, reports directly to the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR, a US Four-Star), at SHAPE Headquarters in Belgium.
The Commander of CAOC Uedem is rotated between a German Lieutenant General who is also the Executive Director of the Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC) or a Belgian Major General. A US Colonel serves as the Uedem CAOC Director and US Senior National Representative (SNR ~ US Commander for national matters).
The Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC) began operations on 1 Jan 2005. This new organization is horizontally structured with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from all aspects of air capabilities, such as precision guided weapons, airlift, AAR, UAVs, space warfare, deployable command & control, as well as many others. These SMEs provide air expertise throughout NATO in an effort to facilitate the transformation of the Alliance’s air forces. As an MOU-based organization within NATO, the JAPCC primarily supports Allied Command for Transformation (ACT) out of Norfolk, VA as well as SHAPE, the Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger NO and both CC-Air Ramstein, Germany and CC-Air Izmir, Turkey. The Executive Director of the JAPCC is a German Lieutenant General. His Director of Staff is a US Colonel (US Senior National Representative assigned to the JAPCC).
The Von-Seydlitz Kaserne is the headquarters of the German Air Force Air Operations Command. The Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC) and the US National Support Unit (NSU) are located on the Kaserne. The Combined Air Operations Centre Uedem (CAOC Uedem) is located in the nearby town of Uedem. The USAF element at Kalkar is a small installation currently has about 34 military members, one US civilian, and one civilian German national employee. With family members, the American population is about 90 people.
Kalkar is a small town, located in northwestern Germany in the state of Nordrhein - Westfalen (North Rhine - Westfalia). It is near the German-Netherlands border on the southern side of the Rhine River. This town of approximately 14,100. It celebrated its 790th anniversary in 2020. Kalkar lies 7 miles/11.3 kilometers southeast of Kleve (pronounced "CLAY-ve"), population 52,000; 7 miles northeast of Goch (pronounced "gawkh" but gurgle the "kh"), population 34,000; 22 miles southeast of Nijmegen (pronounced "NYE-meggen"), the Netherlands; and 60 road miles/97 kilometers northwest of Düsseldorf, the nearest major German city and the one with the most accessible major international airport. You will be living on the local economy around Kalkar. Von-Seydlitz Kaserne is the German base where our support unit and the Joint Air Power Competence Centre are located, which is about a mile from the town center. The nearest U.S. military facility is Geilenkirchen NATO Airbase (470th Air Base Squadron), which is about 1.5 hours away.
The Geilenkirchen Military & Family Readiness Center at the 470th Air Base Squadron is available to support you during your in-processing and tour while assigned to Kalkar, during the absence of the Kalkar Family Support Representative.
There is no on-base transportation available.
