Maj. Gen. Robert P. Lennox, Fort Bliss commanding general, left, and Brig. Gen. Wolfgang Koepke, Army Air Defense director and Army Air Defense School commandant, sign a partnership agreement certificate during a ceremony Monday at the Fort Bliss Museum and Air Defense Artillery Museum and Study Center. Photo by Virginia Reza.
U.S., German forces partner to face arising threats
Virginia Reza, Monitor Staff
A partnership between the U.S. and German Army Air Defense Artillery schools was officially recognized during a ceremony Monday at the Fort Bliss Museum and Air Defense Artillery Museum and Study Center.
A certificate of partnership was signed by Maj. Gen. Robert P. Lennox, Fort Bliss commanding general, and Brig. Gen. Wolfgang Koepke, Army Air Defense director and Army Air Defense School commandant, during the ceremony, signifying the solidification of a long-standing relationship. The partnership will serve to further the professionalism and esprit de corps of the Air Defense Forces by conducting joint exercises and experiments.
Lennox said he was “struck” with Koepke’s vision of enhancing relationships and teamwork between not only the two nations, but also the North Atlantic Treaty Organizations.
“As all of you are aware, there have been partnerships of all kinds between the United States and German forces,” said Lennox, “but today is the beginning of a very significant partnership between the two schools. As all of you know, the days of fighting without a coalition partner are long gone. The better we take advantage of the opportunities to train together, the better we will be able to fight side by side on the battlefield tomorrow.”
He went on to say that over the past years both German and U.S. Army Air Defense have seen shrinkage in their forces, but new threats have caused them to reevaluate their situation. He said it was the Air Defense Forces’ responsibility to develop capabilities to overcome the threats.
“It is a busy time for both forces, but today’s partnership has exciting possibilities,” Lennox said. “We hope this leads to extended cooperative training endeavors (and) leader development initiatives. We both share a vision of defeating this threat.”
Koepke said this was not his first visit here, but it was the “most important one.” He said today, American and German soldiers face the same challenges, including international terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in unstable environments.
“Therefore it has been realized these challenges can only be met by common efforts and armed forces in a joint manner,” Koepke said. “This applies to the future even more than to the past. Joint operations must be based on the same values and mutual understanding. These procedures (are) prerequisites for success during such operations. The partnership we have established today is the result of several years of friendship and it underlines what we take responsibility for.”