Sunday morning breakfast at a German nursing home was interrupted by a surprise none of the residents had ordered: an American soldier, hold the trousers.
An employee making morning meal rounds at the Grafenwoehr facility found the heavily intoxicated soldier in an unoccupied room Jan. 25, according to local police, who reported that he was wearing only a sports jersey and underwear.
The man was unable to explain how he entered the building or where the rest of his clothing had gone, the police report said. Authorities speculated that the man likely entered the building during a shift change.
Grafenwoehr Training Area is the Army’s largest military training area in Europe, encompassing around 90 square miles. Units will often rotate in and out of the area for military exercises.
The soldier is a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, Kayla Overton, a spokesperson from the U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, headquartered in Grafenwoehr, confirmed.
“We are working in close cooperation with our host nation partners to investigate the incident. The soldier is with their unit, and we await the investigation’s findings before determining next steps,” said Capt. Jennifer French, a public affairs officer for the brigade.
Overton said that military police regularly patrol off-post areas frequented by service members to deter crime.
“The patrols can also assist disoriented or intoxicated individuals when needed. Additionally, Courtesy Patrols (staffed by regular active-duty military personnel, not law enforcement or military police) also regularly patrol areas frequented by our soldiers on weekend nights to help prevent crime and assist soldiers with returning safely to their residences,” she said.
Local police also said they were investigating a possible connection to a previously reported license plate theft because a person with a sports jersey was also sighted near the incident.
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.