Operation Spirit creates opportunities between German and American students

Photo By Ronna Schelby | A students climbs into a hazardous materials suit used by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 18th Combat Sustainment Command, during Operation Spirit held May 7 on Panzer Kaserne. Twenty-one German students from Albert Schweitzer High School and 60 students from Kaiserslautern Elementary, middle and high schools took part in this annual event in order to promote relationships between American and German students. The event was organized by the Sgt. Morales Club and the Special Troops Battalion, 21st TSC.  

KAISERSLAUTERN, RP, GERMANY

05.11.2015

Story by Ronna Schelby 

21st Theater Sustainment Command

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – More than 80 German and American students participated in Operation Spirit May 7 on Panzer Kaserne. Twenty-one German students from Albert Schweitzer High School and 60 students from Kaiserslautern Elementary, Middle and High schools took part in this annual event in order to promote relationships between American and German students. This event, which was organized by the Sgt. Morales Club and the Special Troops Battalion, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, included discussions, demonstrations and hands-on activities.

The students were greeted by Sgt. 1st Class Marcus Mitchell, president of the Sgt. Morales Club, and key organizer of the event. They also received a resiliency briefing from Staff Sgt. Patrick Williams, 18th Military Police Brigade, 21st TSC.

“Everybody here is already 100 percent resilient because you are sitting here today, “said Williams. “Resilience is your strength. The key to success is getting past the sad times.”

Lt. Col. Caprissa Brown-Slade, 21st STB commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Brian Mainor, 21st STB command sergeant major, also welcomed the students and discussed the importance of building relationships with our host nation partners. As an extra bonus, Mainor celebrated his birthday that day, and was treated to a round of “Happy Birthday” in both English and German.

During the event, the students assisted firefighters from the U.S. Army Fire Station East in putting out fires using extinguishers. Autumn Collins, a junior at KHS, fulfilled a dream of hers by climbing into the cab of a fire truck. “I’ve always wanted to see what this was like,” she said. “I really want to be a firefighter.”

Command Sgt. Maj. Rodney Rhoades, the senior enlisted adviser for the 21st TSC, also visited the students. “You are here today to experience some of the amazing opportunities the Army has to offer that you may not have known about,” said Rhoades. “But your real mission today is to build relationships with each other. Building relationships is the most important thing we do here.”

Other events included a demonstration by dog handlers from the 100th Military Working Dog Detachment, and their work dog, Valerie, as she apprehended a suspicious character.

Riggers from the 5th Quartermaster Theater Aerial Delivery Company awed the students by showing them how to properly fold and pack a parachute. Afterwards, several students tried on the heavy packs.

The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 18th Combat Sustainment Command demonstrated how their robots disarm a bomb. There was also a Soldier clothed in his hazardous material suit. Afterwards, all of the students had the opportunity to test out the robots and try on the suit.

After the event, student and adult participants felt that Operation Spirit had met its goal. “This event was a great way to meet host nation students and have fun,” said Gracyn Redding, a 6th-grader at Kaiserslautern Middle School. “If you want to be a firefighter, or dog handler, or diffuse bombs it was an excellent hands-on experience. I liked the robots," she said.

Heinke Balzulate, a member of German American Women’s Club, and the organizer of the German students’ participation, felt that Operation Spirit was terrific. “This was a great day, especially for these German students. They don’t know anything about the Americans in Germany.”

Kirsten Hage, school psychologist at Kaiserslautern High School, also agreed. “Operation Spirit is aimed at supporting ‘Generation War’," she said. “Many of these students have grown up having their parents deployed multiple times. Today’s event has shown them, first-hand, what highly trained-professionals their parents are. The students learned about a variety of careers both in and out of the military. As young ambassadors, they made real connections today with German students which enhance our host nation relationships.”

• Date Taken: 05.11.2015
• Date Posted: 05.12.2015 05:45
• Story ID: 162994
• Location: KAISERSLAUTERN, RP, DE