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Most active-duty personnel in the Kaiserslautern Military Community have an average assignment time of two to four years, government service personnel sometimes longer. German Armed Forces colleagues might spend three to four years at one duty location, but a thirty-year tenure is extraordinary even for Bundeswehr standards.
This year two members of the German Support Unit, part of NATO AIRCOM Headquarters at Ramstein, can each celebrate 30 years of service and dedication to the base and its organizations along with uncountable memories. They witnessed the completion of a second runway, the opening of the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center, German guards at east and west gates, and a tent city on the flightline.
Stabsfeldwebel (equivalent to Senior Master Sergeant) Michael Chelius and his civilian counterpart Uschi Wiemer both work as personnel staff assistants in the support unit and together reflect on six decades packed with changes, challenges and a few chuckling moments.
Chelius is responsible for personnel related issues, but in addition to his regular duties was also a driving force for daily operations at Deutsches Haus. He acted as the manager of the popular restaurant on the north side of the base that was run by the Bundeswehr. It offered active-duty and civilian members of all nations an opportunity to meet, enjoy a German style lunch or an after-hour refreshment. Chelius also planned themed events, barbeques, organized excursions in the local area and hosted a number of prominent guests. One of them was a former Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, who coined him and topped off his collection of already 29 coins. He chuckles at the memory of events called Friendship Cookings, where high-ranking general officers competed as cooks, and the Pentagon even pre-ordered meals.
Uschi Wiemer is the personal assistant to the commander of the German Support Unit, Lieutenant Colonel Markus Werther, and handles personnel matters, correspondence, invitations to events, processes incoming and outgoing personnel and has welcomed and said farewell to ten different commanders. She mentioned that working in an all-military environment as the only civilian took time to get used to, but wouldn’t want to miss a day. She recalls the year 1995 when her first female active-duty colleague in the medical field joined the unit and was excited to welcome even more female colleagues in 2001 when the Bundeswehr opened all career fields to women.
The German Support Unit has held close ties to the 86th Airlift Wing and various United States Air Forces/Air Forces Africa departments over the decades and was paramount in handling a multitude of challenges throughout the years.
Shortly after the terror attacks on 9/11 in 2001, Bundeswehr personnel was augmented to handle and monitor incoming traffic at entry points to secure the safety of all personnel and residents on U.S. installations. The German Support Unit was crucial in handling the process, accommodating and feeding German troops and assisted in organizing base tours to familiarize them with the premises. The augmented troops, which could be air force, army or even navy personnel, managed to get an inside glimpse of one of the heavy aircraft in close coordination with the 86th Airlift Wing Host Nation Office base tour program.
In addition, the unit played a significant role during Operation Allies Welcome in 2021, helped set up tents, established a field kitchen for augmented staff and provided support for distinguished visitors during the largest ever humanitarian operation on the flightline.
More recently, Chelius, Wiemer and their comrades at the German Support unit assisted with facilitating support staff, providing transportation and meals during large conferences, such as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, hosted at Ramstein Air Base on several occasions, and in close cooperation with the 86th Airlift Wing protocol office.
After a pause during the pandemic period, bi-lateral military trainings, shooting competitions and other joint German-American military activities are picking up again and the two are looking forward to reviving closer relations and deepening ties.
One humorous memory both Wiemer and Chelius share with a smile was during a computer training at NATO headquarters in their early years. Happily married Wiemer shared an office with Chelius for years, but they both needed to sneak along a narrow path in a wooded area near the Recreation Center to reach the headquarters building. This soon stirred silly rumors, in particular, when Wiemer gave birth to her daughter Michelle months later.
Uschi Wiemer is looking forward to her retirement at the end of the year and plans to travel with her husband Manfred and their dog. Michael Chelius will end his military career in March 2025 and spend his time riding his mountain bike in the Bavarian Alpine region. Together they can look back upon sixty years of service with unforgettable memories and rewarding friendships at Ramstein Air Base.
