Since the end of the Second World War, American forces have been stationed in Ramstein in the Palatinate. The fascination with the 'American way of life' has captivated many Germans and left visible traces in the area. At Ramstein Air Base, the largest U.S. air base abroad, one even feels like in "Little America". That's how self-sufficient the Air Force has become. Although the Iraq drama has led to the demystification of the superpower, people here cannot imagine life without Americans. The togetherness and coexistence of the two nations remains very intense, especially when it comes to German-American marriages. Although the clash of cultures is reflected in every single relationship, German wives and husbands very quickly and unconditionally adopt the patriotic attitude of their American partners, even when it comes to the U.S. adventure in Iraq. It is all the more astonishing because military personnel are regularly deployed to U.S. war theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan. This creates a fatal involvement in the war effort for the German partners as well. Their daily lives are filled with worries and fears for their loved ones, who could return from the crisis zone injured or dead.
Since the end of the Second World War, American forces have been stationed in Ramstein in the Palatinate. The fascination with the 'American way of life' has captivated many Germans and left visible traces in the area. At Ramstein Air Base, the largest U.S. air base abroad, one even feels like in "Little America". That's how self-sufficient the Air Force has become. Although the Iraq drama has led to the demystification of the superpower, people here cannot imagine life without Americans. The togetherness and coexistence of the two nations remains very intense, especially when it comes to German-American marriages. Although the clash of cultures is reflected in every single relationship, German wives and husbands very quickly and unconditionally adopt the patriotic attitude of their American partners, even when it comes to the U.S. adventure in Iraq. It is all the more astonishing because military personnel are regularly deployed to U.S. war theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan. This creates a fatal involvement in the war effort for the German partners as well. Their daily lives are filled with worries and fears for their loved ones, who could return from the crisis zone injured or dead.