Twitter
Facebook
The smell of roasted bratwurst and grilled pork belly sandwiches filled the air as hundreds of citizens from the towns of Rückweiler, Rohrbach and Hahnweiler mingled with Soldiers assigned to the 95th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion before an official partnership signing ceremony began at Rückweiler’s Dorfgemeinschaftshaus on Sep. 6.
The purpose of the event labeled “Projekt Partnerschaft” was to officially document the commitment of partnership between the 95th CSSB, U.S. Army Baumholder and the surrounding communities.
According to Lutz Altekrüger, the Rückweiler mayor, similar partnerships between municipalities and Bundeswehr (German) military units are common with roughly 700 officially registered sponsorships throughout Germany. However, Altekrüger stated sponsorships between German communities and U.S. units are relatively rare.
This signing is in addition to a recently established (February 2024) mutual-aid agreement between U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz and local civilian agencies for enhanced emergency services in the region.
During the event, Lt. Col. Robin Eskelson, commander of the 95th CSSB gave words of assurance to the attendees. “We aim to bridge any perceived divides between our military community and the incredible community that exists beyond the gates of our installations,” she said. “Today is truly a day of celebration, a day that we hope will serve as the foundation of a relationship that strengthens the bond between our two great nations”.
Altekrüger, who spoke on behalf of all three town’s mayors at the ceremony stated that due to the size of the 95th CSSB, the idea of one small town partnering with them would be daunting. “The unit is really big. 1,200 Soldiers is a bit much for a big community like ours. Rückweiler has only 450 residents. We decided to have all three towns come together as a cultural community,” he explained.
According to Altekrüger, the towns plan to invite the 95th CSSB Soldiers to future cultural festivals, environmental volunteer events and participate in marksmanship events with the town’s Schützen Club.
The ceremony opened with the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Free Groove band music and the singing of both the German and U.S. National Anthems. Eskelson and the local mayors closed the event with an official proclamation signing and cake cutting. The event also received regional recognition. Hans-Jürgen Noss, a member of the state parliament of Rheinland-Pfalz, Gunther Jung, Baumholder’s city mayor and county representatives were present.
“This sponsorship is not just a contract on paper, but a living promise. We will use this opportunity to further and deepen our friendship and strengthen the bridges of understanding and cultural exchange,” said Altekrüger.
According to Eskelson, the new partnership opens the doors not only to official partnering events but also gives Soldiers a chance to become more engaged in the culture of Germany.
“The three towns we honor today, Hanhweiler, Rohrback and Rückweiler are more than just places on a map. They represent vibrant communities filled with history, culture and tradition and it is an immense privilege for us to be welcomed into them,” she said.
“As we move forward with this partnership, it is our hope that it will illuminate, for so many, why Germany is such a special place to live and serve,” Eskelson said.
