Lower thirds:

00:56 Thomas Gennoy / DW Reporter
01:43 Jörg Ziegler / Go kart track manager
02:37 Ralf Hechler / Mayor of Ramstein-Miesenbach
03:43 Fabian Verstraaten / Cheer Inc. Allstars Coach
03:55 Selina Verstraaten / Cheer Inc. Allstars
04:22 Jörg Ziegler / Go kart track manager

Script:

00:00
Behind me is the biggest American Air Force base anywhere outside the US – and it’s currently playing a major role in the war against Iran. 

It’s currently impossible, therefore, for journalists to access the base – and upon approach, the soldiers are tense.  

00:18
+++Talk+++ 
Tom: "Are you guys on heightened security protocol at the moment?"  
Soldier: "A little bit, with everything that’s been going on."   
Tom: "Is that like the past couple of days?"   
Soldier: "It’s been like the past month."   

00:33
Ramstein is a crucial cog in the whirring US war machine. Halfway between the United States and the Middle East, the air base serves as a central logistics and command center, channeling troops, aircraft, supplies and communications. Right now that role sets it apart from many other U.S. bases across Europe.  

00:52
+++SOT Thomas Gennoy, DW Reporter+++   
“Ramstein has just welcomed a number of extra US aircraft from Air Force bases in Spain, after the Spanish government said that it did not want its territory to be used to stage attacks on Iran. German policy is full co-operation, and this place is an integral part of ongoing American operations."  

01:13
Indeed, as we’ll hear from locals, Ramstein has been a hive of activity in recent weeks.  

But this is more than just a military installation.  

"Little America," as it’s known, is the reason that more than 50,000 Americans live in the area – service personnel and their families.   

They’re deeply integrated into local life. Many of their German neighbors can hardly imagine their home without the American presence.   

01:38
+++SOT Jörg Ziegler, Go-kart track manager+++  
"My name is Jörg Ziegler, I’m the manager of the electric go-kart track in Kaiserslautern. We have a lot of German drivers, I’d say about 60%. The other 40% are from the base." 

01:52
Like many businesses here in the region, the go-kart track relies on American custom – and on good relations with their customer base.  

02:02
+++SOT Jörg Ziegler, Go-kart track manager+++  
"The Americans are great customers for us. We’re happy that they’re here. In the whole region, we’re all delighted that we have the Americans here. Without them, it would be tough. They’ve invested so much here, the Ramstein Airbase is so important for the Americans, especially with regard to the Middle East. I can’t imagine that the Americans would leave, and I wouldn’t want them to."  
 
02:24
In Ramstein-Miesenbach, the town of fewer than 10,000 souls which gives the base its name, good relations with the base are a priority for the mayor.  

02:34
+++SOT Ralf Hechler, Bürgermeister von Ramstein-Miesenbach+++  
"We didn’t plan for it. In 1951, the Americans came and built the airport by the freeway. And since then, they’ve been present here, more than 70 years."  
  
02:47
Lifelong proximity to the base means the mayor can pick up on signs that something out of the ordinary is happening – as it has been in recent weeks.  

02:55
+++SOT Ralf Hechler, Mayor Ramstein-Miesenbach+++  
"When something changes, we notice. From how much the noise changes, more or less flight activity. And usually, things happen overnight. In the past few days we said, something is changing, something is probably about to happen."  

3:11
All of which brings the base’s tactical purpose into sharper focus.   

03:15
+++SOT Ralf Hechler, Mayor Ramstein-Miesenbach+++  
"We know that the Americans aren’t here as tourists, but to do a job. When they say that this place is a powder keg – you also have to remember that the entire NATO Air Force is controlled from here."   

03:27
Plenty of residents of the region see the US presence as a guarantee of safety.   

At local cheerleading club Cheer Inc. Allstars, or CIA, the cultural influence of the base next door could hardly be clearer.   

03:41
+++SOT Fabian Verstraaten, Coach Cheer Inc. Allstars+++
"We’re bilingual, club is a melting pot."  

03:48
For Fabian and his wife, the security implications of having the base nearby are purely positive.  

03:54
+++SOT Selina Verstraaten, Organizer Cheer Inc. Allstars+++   
"I mean, if you grow up in this area, you know exactly what it is and what they do. So, but still, I appreciate them being here because it actually makes me feel safe. Because I know that doing a good job and, Yeah, it makes me feel safe, actually."  

04:12
Back at the go-karting track, another local has a different view – but ultimately, an equally relaxed outlook.   

04:19
+++SOT Jörg Ziegler, Go-kart track manager+++   
"Dadurch sind wir natürlich ein Ziel, möglicherweise ein potenzielles Ziel. Aber, dass irgendjemand Angst hätte oder in Panik verfallen würde, kann ich nicht feststellen."   

04:30
And anyway, given the base’s long history and deep roots in the region, current affairs aren't a topic too many people are getting hung up on – or indeed, want to talk about at all.  

The US presence is a fact of life here, and as many locals are keen to emphasize, it’s one they’re pleased with.  

04:48
+++SOT Jörg Ziegler +++   
"We get on great with the Americans, and we don’t really discuss political topics."  

END