Sigonella’s Mikolaj Czernielewski pushes previous Alconbury’s Taye Vickerstaff throughout a sport on the DODEA-Europe soccer finals in Landstuhl, Germany, in Might 2024. All DODEA athletic occasions in Europe have been postponed this weekend as a consequence of govt orders pausing non-mission important journey and authorities journey card use, company officers introduced March 12, 2025. (Stars and Stripes)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — Most Protection Division Training Exercise sports activities occasions in Europe have been canceled as a consequence of Pentagon orders pausing non-mission important journey and authorities journey card use, faculty officers introduced Wednesday afternoon.
The orders additionally imply the cancellation of nonathletic extracurricular occasions.
It remained unclear Wednesday what occasions could be canceled at DODEA colleges within the abroad Pacific area, however the Pentagon orders apply there as effectively.
In a be aware that went out late Wednesday afternoon to employees and households, Michelle Howard-Brahaney, the director of DODEA Europe, mentioned “there will likely be an try and reschedule as soon as funding and journey develop into obtainable.”
“This cancellation impacts all deliberate or upcoming journey associated to scholar athletics, extracurricular actions, and related employees journey requiring transportation, airfare, or lodging,” she mentioned.
Journey in direct help of army operations and everlasting change of station strikes continues to be allowed, consistent with Pentagon steerage, Howard-Brahaney mentioned.
Greater than a dozen athletic occasions had been scheduled on Saturday all through Europe, together with an early-season observe invitational at Kaiserslautern Excessive College with 14 groups slated to take part.
Rota shortstop Taylor Zimmerman throws to first base after Naples’ Madisun Myers heads to 3rd in the course of the Division II/III DODEA European softball championship sport in Might 2024, in Kaiserslautern, Germany. All DODEA athletic occasions in Europe have been postponed this weekend as a consequence of govt orders pausing non-mission important journey and authorities journey card use, company officers introduced March 12, 2025. (Matthew Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden was scheduled to journey to England on Friday for a soccer match at Lakenheath, however that’s postponed, DODEA Europe spokeswoman Jessica Tackaberry mentioned.
Ramstein ladies’ and boys’ soccer groups will nonetheless play at Kaiserslautern on Thursday since dad and mom can transport their college students to the match because of the proximity of the 2 colleges.
In Bavaria, Hohenfels may play softball and baseball at Vilseck on Friday, although with out Lakenheath, which was additionally imagined to be there, in accordance with the schedule.
There aren’t any nonathletic extracurricular occasions in Europe on the calendar till April however these might be affected if the steerage stays in place, officers mentioned.
The Protection Division on March 5 paused using government-issued journey playing cards for civilians for all journey that isn’t exempted.
The steerage aligns with an govt order issued Feb. 26 by President Donald Trump, directing actions to make sure authorities spending “is clear and accountable to the American taxpayer.”
In Europe, scholar and trainer journey for athletic occasions and actions is paid via a mix of presidency journey cost playing cards and a centrally billed account, Tackaberry mentioned. Each fall beneath the Protection Journey System, she mentioned.
If coaches are touring with their groups for greater than 12 hours, they must go on orders and use a authorities journey card or get reimbursed, which is on maintain proper now because of the present steerage, Tackaberry mentioned.
Lots of the sporting occasions scheduled this weekend required coaches to be gone greater than 12 hours, whether or not by bus or air, Tackaberry mentioned, and so needed to be postponed.
