Troops, retirees and their families living outside Europe no longer can directly book stays at the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort in Garmisch, Germany, following a recent review of the eligibility regulations.
Under the rule change, the only way for individuals living outside Europe to stay at the Armed Forces Recreation Center resort is as a guest of an eligible person, or if they have been living in Europe — on temporary duty, for example — for at least 30 days.
During an internal review, officials determined that rules related to the Status of Forces Agreement between the U.S. and Germany were not being followed, said Bill Bradner, spokesman for the Army Installation Management Command, which operates the AFRC facilities that are open to members of all services.
"It is an unfortunate development, and we're so sorry this may limit lodging options for service members and retirees visiting Europe, but we must comply with the SOFA agreement," Clesson Allman, general manager of the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort, said in a statement.
Those who made reservations before June 10 may still stay at the resort, one of four AFRC facilities worldwide but the only one in Europe.
For active-duty members stationed in Europe, there aren't any new restrictions or requirements for reserving rooms.
According to the regulation that defines eligibility for the Edelweiss, military retirees living in Germany are authorized to use the resort once they have the proper tax authorizations from the German government.
Active-duty members and retirees who don't live in Europe must spend at least 30 days in Europe and have verification of eligibility from German customs officials before they can make reservations.
Active-duty and retired troops also can stay at the Edelweiss as guests of someone who has lived in Europe for at least 30 days. In that scenario, eligible patrons of the resort are allowed to sponsor up to three rooms, and must be present during their guests' stay.
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.
