Editing Ramstein Air Base (section)

== Accidents and incidents ==

=== Red Army Faction car bombing, {{date2|31|August|1981}} ===
The [[U.S. Air Forces in Europe]] (USAFE) headquarters became the target of a bombing attack at 07:21 on {{date2|31|August|1981}}, carried out by a [[Red Army Faction]] commando called "Sigurd Debus". A total of 20 victims were injured, some seriously. {{refn|{{Cite web |last=Ortiz |first=Elizabeth |title=20th anniversary of USAFE headquarters bombing observed |url=http://ww2.dcmilitary.com/dcmilitary_archives/stories/090701/10225-1.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150418044130/http://ww2.dcmilitary.com/dcmilitary_archives/stories/090701/10225-1.shtml |archive-date=2015-04-18 |access-date=2015-04-18 |website=dcmilitary.com |publisher=Comprint Military Publications}}}}

=== Ramstein air show disaster, {{date2|28|August|1988}} ===
The [[Ramstein air show disaster]] was a mid-air collision that occurred during the Flugtag '88 air show on Sunday, {{date2|28|August|1988}}, killing 3 pilots from the display team, plus an additional 67 spectators on the ground.{{refn|{{Cite web |title=The accident at the Ramstein base air show August 28, 1988 |url=http://www.sos.se/SOS/PUBL/REFERENG/9003031E.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080318202437/http://www.sos.se/SOS/PUBL/REFERENG/9003031E.htm |archive-date=2008-03-18 |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=[[National Board of Health and Welfare (Sweden)]] |language=en}}}}

=== Lockheed C-5 Galaxy crash, {{date2|29|August|1990}} ===
On {{date2|29|August|1990}}, a [[C-5 Galaxy]] transport plane had just taken-off from Ramstein AB when a thrust reverser on one of the engines suddenly deployed, causing it to crash immediately after leaving the runway. Eight crew and five of the nine passengers on board were killed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Crash of a Lockheed C-5A Galaxy at Ramstein |url=https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-lockheed-c-5a-galaxy-ramstein-afb-13-killed |website=Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives |access-date=6 December 2024}}</ref>

=== Environmental scandal ===
In 2014, it was revealed that poisonous extinguishing foams ([[Perfluorinated compound|PFCs]]) were used on Ramstein Air Base and other U.S. air bases in the region. These are now contaminating lakes, rivers and the ground water in the region. In one river, the contamination was 7700 times higher than the safety limit set by the [[European Union]].{{refn|{{Cite web |last=Hammermann |first=Katharina |date=2014-11-09 |title=Gefährliches Erbe des US-Militärs: Rings um rheinland-pfälzische Luftwaffenstützpunkte sind Gewässer mit krebserregenden Stoffen verunreinigt |trans-title=Dangerous legacy of the US military: waters around Rhineland-Palatinate air force bases are contaminated with carcinogenic substances |url=https://www.volksfreund.de/region/rheinland-pfalz/gefaehrliches-erbe-des-us-militaers-rings-um-rheinland-pfaelzische-luftwaffenstuetzpunkte-sind-gewaesser-mit-krebserregenden-stoffen-verunreinigt_aid-5045653 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200103112510/https://www.volksfreund.de/region/rheinland-pfalz/gefaehrliches-erbe-des-us-militaers-rings-um-rheinland-pfaelzische-luftwaffenstuetzpunkte-sind-gewaesser-mit-krebserregenden-stoffen-verunreinigt_aid-5045653 |archive-date=2020-01-03 |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=Trierischer Volksfreund |language=de-DE}}}} These foams are linked to cancer and birth defects.{{refn|{{Cite web |last=Copp |first=Tara |date=2018-04-26 |title=DoD: At least 126 bases report water contaminants linked to cancer, birth defects |url=https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/04/26/dod-126-bases-report-water-contaminants-harmful-to-infant-development-tied-to-cancers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210904093827/https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/04/26/dod-126-bases-report-water-contaminants-harmful-to-infant-development-tied-to-cancers/ |archive-date=2021-09-04 |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=[[Military Times]] |language=en-US}}}}