7th CSC Soldiers tour German Artillery School; museum

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Chlosta | Left to right, Sgt. 1st Class Carlos Diaz, S6 noncommissioned officer in charge, 457th Civil Affairs Battalion, 361st Civil Affairs Brigade, 7th Civil Support Command and Grand Prairie, Texas, native; German Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Jochen Werner, German military senior enlisted liaison with the 21st Theater Sustainment Command and a Winnweiler, Germany, native; German Lt. Col. Thies Neelsen, the German Army Logistic Command liaison officer at the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, and Staff Sgt. Walter Egan, motor sergeant, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 361st Civil Affairs Brigade and Shiner, Texas, native listen to German Army Lt. Col. Lars Kleine, the commanding officer of the foreign language training section at the German Artillery School and Idar-Oberstein, Germany native, during a tour of the German Army artillery museum Nov. 14.  

IDAR-OBERSTEIN, RP, GERMANY

11.14.2014

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Chlosta 

7th Mission Support Command

IDAR-OBERSTEIN, Germany – Five Army Reserve Soldiers from the 7th Civil Support Command visited the German Army Artillery School and Museum Nov. 14 during an information exchange event.

The four-hour visit to the German Army post started with coffee and a chat in the German dining facility with German Army Lt. Col. Lars Kleine, the commanding officer of the school’s foreign language training section.

The primary purpose of the trip was for information exchange and having fun as well, said German Lt. Col. Thies Neelsen, the German Army Logistic Command liaison officer at the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, who coordinated the visit.

Kleine led the museum tour, which spanned 700 years of artillery history including World War I, World War II and the Cold War all the way through the recent war in Iraq and the current war in Afghanistan.

The, “collection is here to show the Soldiers and civilians the development of field artillery throughout the years,” said Kleine, a native of Idar-Oberstein.

“I thought it was very interesting and very informative,” said Staff Sgt. Ricky Scott, supply sergeant, Medical Support Unit, 7th CSC and Emmett, Idaho, native. “I saw a piece of history.”

Scott said he didn’t realize how much different military equipment, especially field artillery, was moved around the World War I battlefield by horses.

“I think it was a pretty amazing piece of history,” said Staff Sgt. Walter Egan, motor sergeant, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 361st Civil Affairs Brigade and Shiner, Texas native.

The final stop was at the school house where the 7th CSC Soldiers watched and then participated in a demonstration of the current German Panzerhaubitze 2000 Howitzer simulator with three German artillery Soldiers.

“Impressive,” Scott said, about the unique opportunity to actually sit in the machine and help fire simulated rounds downrange. “It was pretty intense.”

• Date Taken: 11.14.2014
• Date Posted: 11.25.2014 12:19
• Story ID: 148784
• Location: IDAR-OBERSTEIN, RP, DE
• Hometown: IDAR-OBERSTEIN, RP, DE
• Hometown: KAISERSLAUTERN, RP, DE
• Hometown: WINNWEILER, RP, DE
• Hometown: DALLAS, TX, US
• Hometown: EMMETT, ID, US
• Hometown: GRAND PRAIRIE, TX, US
• Hometown: SHINER, TX, US