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More than 300 German and American guests gathered at the Rheinlander Community Club on Smith Barracks in Baumholder to ring in the new year during the U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder New Year’s reception Jan. 5.
Lt. Col. Mike Sullivan, USAG Baumholder commander, greeted the guests and thanked them for all the support the community provided the Soldiers and the garrison in 2012.
He also gave guests a brief glance of what 2013 has in store for the garrison, pointing out that by the time it holds its 2014 New Year’s reception, it is expected that some 2,000 to 2,300 Soldiers will call Baumholder their home. This means that over the course of the year, the military community will grow as the new units reach full strength.
Two of the key units settling in are the 16th Sustainment Brigade and the 421st Medical Battalion. Some of the additional 10 components have already arrived while others are scheduled to settle in by fall.
Butch Wilcher, a music teacher from Kaiserslautern Middle School, again volunteered his musical talents and provided excellent background music for the event.
The VielHarmonie Choir from St. Wendel-Bliesen in Saarland, who entertained the audience with three musical numbers, greatly enhanced the holiday spirit of the event.
Sullivan invited the choir to participate in next year’s reception, to which the choir members all readily agreed to do. The choir has participated in Baumholder’s New Year’s reception for the past three years.
Wilcher and the choir were presented certificates of appreciation and a plaque for the voluntary contribution of their talents to the New Year’s reception.
