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Muhammad Suleman has served Soldiers and their families for more than four decades – half of that time at the Wiesbaden Library.
“I started in Mainz in 1981 as a reproduction/mail clerk with the 232nd Signal Company,” said Suleman, who moved from his home in Pakistan to Germany as a young adult. “I was lucky to get the job.”
After transferring to a job with the 102nd Signal Battalion in Bad Kreuznach and eventually helping close the community as a member of the closure team when 1st Armored Division relocated to Wiesbaden, Suleman transitioned to Wiesbaden with the 102nd. In Wiesbaden he worked as a forms and publications clerk — before finding a job with DFMWR at the Wiesbaden Library in 2003.
“I’ve learned a lot of things in my life — starting with working with manual typewriters,” he said, adding, “Things changed so fast over the years.”
While learning new skills and working with evolving technology has been challenging at times, the local national employee said he has always welcomed getting the chance to learn, meet new people and embrace new ideas.
“Every day you see new faces and discover new things,” Suleman said, adding that he likes working at the library “with a good team. It’s a good atmosphere.
“MWR is the best team in the Army — they provide a lot of facilities to take care of Soldiers and their families,” he said.
“The great thing about Mr. Suleman is that he sees what needs to be done and he just does it,” said Wiesbaden Library Director Lane DeLaPena. “He doesn’t complain or make a big deal about it. … He’s the kind of guy who shows up and gets the job done no matter what.
“He’s also fantastic with patrons. … His demeanor is very calm and kind, and people seem to really respond to it. He’s a real treasure to the community,” she said.
“He’s a valued MWR employee, of course, but he’s also much more than that,” said DeLaPena. “In the military there’s constant change. Mr. Suleman is part of the community who has been present for decades, providing the same expertise, service and friendliness day in and out.
“It’s not just that he’s a great employee, it’s that he’s a great person as well,” she concluded.
