News Stories

USAG Wiesbaden celebrates the opening of a new artificial turf field on Clay North

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District
Published June 8, 2021
A ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new multi-purpose sports turf field located at Clay North.

From left to right, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District commander Col. Patrick Dagon, U.S. Army Col. Mario A. Washington, Garrison Commander, U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Wiesbaden, and a family member participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new artificial turf field located at Clay North in Lucius D. Clay Kaserne, June 4, 2021. The turf field is the latest sports addition for U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden and is located next to the Family and Morale Welfare and Recreation Programs (FMWR) Recreation Center at Clay North. (U.S. Army photo by Alfredo Barraza)

The new multi-purpose sports turf field located at Clay North.

The new artificial turf field located at Clay North in Lucius D. Clay Kaserne, June 4, 2021. The turf field is the latest sports addition for U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden and is located next to the Family and Morale Welfare and Recreation Programs (FMWR) Recreation Center at Clay North. (U.S. Army photo by Alfredo Barraza)

USACE Europe District commander Col. Patrick Dagon and Col. Mario A. Washington, Garrison Commander, U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Wiesbaden inspect the new artificial turf field located at Clay North.

From left to right, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District commander Col. Patrick Dagon, U.S. Army Col. Mario A. Washington, Garrison Commander, U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Wiesbaden inspect the new artificial turf field located at Clay North in Lucius D. Clay Kaserne, June 4, 2021. The turf field is the latest sports addition for U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden and is located next to the Family and Morale Welfare and Recreation Programs (FMWR) Recreation Center at Clay North. (U.S. Army photo by Alfredo Barraza)

Members of the U.S. Army Garrison, Wiesbaden community have a new multipurpose field that is environmentally friendly and can be used throughout the year.

Col. Mario A. Washington, the garrison commander, hosted a ribbon-cutting event on June 4 to celebrate the opening of a new artificial turf field on Lucius D. Clay Kaserne in front of an audience of about a dozen participants from the local military community.

“I’d like to thank the crew, it’s a great new project,” he said.

The new multi-purpose sports turf field is the latest sports addition on North Clay and is located next door to the recently completed Family and Morale Welfare and Recreation Programs Recreation Center.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District Commander Col. Patrick R. Dagon and Gregory Holzinger USAG Wiesbaden MWR Programs Director, attended the ceremony, gave remarks and helped cut the ceremonial ribbon.

“We’re grateful to have been able to work with MWR and the garrison on both of these exciting projects serving the Wiesbaden community and making more outdoor recreation available to Soldiers, civilians and their families stationed here,” Dagon said.

The sports field was built to improve the health and quality of life for members of the Wiesbaden Army Community by providing them with the open space and outdoor lighting to participate both in daytime and nighttime physical activities such as flag football and soccer. By substituting natural grass with all-weather turf, the field can also be used for a wide variety of summer and winter sports activities throughout the year.

The USACE Europe District oversaw construction of the $1.5 million project that was made with an artificial sport surface designed to reduce irrigation needs, provide more effective water drainage and to lower maintenance costs.

Holzinger spoke about the close relationship between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USAG Wiesbaden Directorate of Public Works and Army MWR and mentioned some of the material challenges they faced, but eventually overcame, “that shows the desire and the initiative to get this done for the community”.

Completed in May 2021, the construction and installation was the end net result of the partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USAG Wiesbaden DPW, the Landesbetrieb Bau und Immobilien Hessen, and a German construction contractor.