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For more than 10 years, the U.S. Army in Europe has taken part in the Rheinland-Pfalz Tag state fair.
In keeping with tradition, the 21st Theater Sustainment Command was invited to participate in this year’s festivities from June 11 to 13 by Rheinland-Pfalz’s Minister President Kurt Beck.
The fair was started in 1984 as a way to strengthen the Western European feeling in the then young state. It has been held annually and rotated every year between cities in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz.
This year, about 300,000 visitors from across Germany and neighboring countries attended the fair.
The 21st TSC played its part in the fair by hosting and participating in an array of events and presentations, such as a youth reception, a military reception, a military display area and more.
During the three-day event, the most prominent role played by the 21st TSC was perhaps in the military display area and the military reception.
The military display area was a joint event with the Bundeswehr, U.S. Air Force and the 21st TSC all taking part.
The 21st TSC’s commanding general, Maj. Gen. Patricia McQuistion, along with Mr. Beck and various other military and government officials, walked around the area June 12 to see the displays.
In the military display area, the 21st TSC had representatives from Theater Logistics Support Center-Europe, 21st TSC Special Troops Battalion, 5th Quartermaster Detachment, and 18th Engineer Brigade’s Emergency Management Assessment Team.
The TLSC-E brought eight apprentices and two instructors from its U.S. Army apprenticeship program to the fair. There they showed demonstrations of smart repair, diesel engine, air conditioning servicing, fuel cell model, starter test and electrical component wiring device.
Onlookers were allowed to get up close and even touch and handle some of the displays.
For the 5th QM Det. display, Soldiers put on an animated show as they demonstrated to onlookers how to don a T-10 parachute and the actions taken by a jumpmaster in order to check the parachutist and his equipment before an airborne operation.
“For me the parachute display was my favorite of all the military displays,” said Peter Bachmeier, a native of Kaiserslautern. “It’s amazing to see how detailed they are and how fast they do all the checks.”
Soldiers also demonstrated how they pack the T-10 parachute so that it works properly during a jump.
Immediately after their walk through of the of the military display area, General McQuisition, Mr. Beck and the other dignitaries attended the military reception at the Saalbau Hall.
After everyone arrived at the reception, General McQuisition made a few remarks and introduced Mr. Beck as the guest speaker.
Throughout the reception, guests chatted and mingled with one another as the air was filled with sounds of light jazz music and the smell of a “USA meets Pfalz” buffet. The buffet consisted of American dishes and dishes that were indigenous to the Rheinland-Pfalz area. The light jazz music was provided by a section of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe band, called the Touch and Go Band.
The 21st TSC’s participation in Rheinland-Pfalz Tag served as a chance for the commanding general to foster goodwill with the surrounding communities and built upon the great friendships the 21st TSC has with its German partners.
