Man on the street: What is some good advice for newcomers arriving in the Kaiserslautern Military Community?

Interviews and photos by Thomas Warner
contributing writer


Spc. Jasmarie Maldonado
“I would explore all your options for travel … don’t just stay in Germany. There are a lot of beautiful, interesting places out there to see.”


Maj. Josh Zeldin
“Get out amongst the community here and try to blend in so you are not just living among the Americans, per se. Get out into things and enjoy all that’s offered here.”


Sandra Horton
“I would recommend to do the driving license exam training ahead of time on the JKO (jko.jten.mil) website so you can have a good chance to get your license as soon as possible.”


Capt. Jennifer Brown
“Develop good eating and exercise routines as quickly as possible so you remain healthy during the move. Take advantage of these longer days and the sunshine, remembering to also find ways to be active indoors during the winter months when it is darker and colder.”


Staff Sgt. Ashley Fabela
“The most beneficial information to have known prior to arriving here is that just because you are on a waiting list for CDC child care here on base, it does not mean that once you arrive here in country you will magically come off the wait list. You can network though, with resources like Facebook and other means, to find great child care off-base. I found a wonderful provider who might even be able to teach my child to speak German.”


Capt. Seth Kerr
“Reach out to your sponsor and if your sponsor is not very involved you can request a new one. You don’t have to stick with that first one that’s assigned to you; you can ask for a switch. A good sponsor can give you a lot of good information that can be beneficial. Once you get here you really should be reaching out, too, and get involved with community activities through Red Cross, USO, or other organizations.”


Staff Sgt. Orkie Bradley
“Find people who are in the community and have been here awhile who can tell you some of the lesser-known, but really good things to do here. I know a few reservists who have been here 10-plus years that know about some great Christmas markets that are not that publicized. So many of the German people here communicate so well in English so it’s really easy to talk with them about things to do.”


Ryzun Hazen
“Don’t just stay on your base; check out the community and German culture or heritage. Once you settle in, go traveling and see as many of the things available here as you can. There is a travel advisor inside the BX that can set up any trip excursions you seek to do when you first arrive and you can make lots of trips really easily on your own.”