7th CSC Soldiers tour German artillery school, museum

IDAR-OBERSTEIN, Germany — Five Army Reserve Soldiers from the 7th Civil Support Command visited the German Army Artillery School and Museum Nov. 14 during an information exchange event.

The four-hour visit to the German army post started with coffee and a chat in the German dining facility with German army Lt. Col. Lars Kleine, commanding officer of the school’s foreign language training section.

The primary purpose of the trip was for information exchange and having fun, said German Lt. Col. Thies Neelsen, German army Logistic Command liaison officer at the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, who coordinated the visit.

Kleine led the museum tour, which spanned 700 years of artillery history, including World War I, World War II and the Cold War all the way through the recent war in Iraq and the current war in Afghanistan.

“(The) collection is here to show the Soldiers and civilians the development of field artillery throughout the years,” said Kleine, who is from Idar-Oberstein.

Staff Sgt. Ricky Scott, supply sergeant, Medical Support Unit, 7th CSC, said he thought the tour was interesting and informative.

“I saw a piece of history,” Scott said.

Scott said he didn’t realize how much different military equipment, especially field artillery, was moved around the World War I battlefield by horses.

“I think it was a pretty amazing piece of history,” said Staff Sgt. Walter Egan, motor sergeant, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 361st Civil Affairs Brigade.

The final stop was to a school house where the 7th CSC Soldiers watched and then participated in a demonstration of the current German Panzerhaubitze 2000 Howitzer simulator with three German artillery soldiers.

Scott was able to sit in the machine and help fire simulated rounds downrange. He said the unique opportunity was “impressive.”

“It was pretty intense,” he said.