Photo By Balmina Sehra | Participants from U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart Fire Department and surrounding German...... read more read more
By Balmina Sehra
USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs
BÖBLINGEN, Germany – U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart’s Fire and Emergency Services and host-nation fire departments honored fallen first responders with a 9/11 memorial event Sept. 11 on Panzer Kaserne.
USAG Stuttgart Fire Department invited German firefighters from the surrounding area to participate in the department’s first 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.
According to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation website, participants in 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs pay tribute to fallen New York Fire Department (FDNY) firefighters by climbing the equivalent of the 110 stories of the World Trade Center. These individual tributes honor the sacrifice of FDNY heroes and symbolically complete their journey to save others.
"We're not just here to remember history, but to be inspired by it--inspired by the example of courage, sacrifice, and humanity exemplified by these heroes. These timeless values are what you've committed yourselves to," said USAG Stuttgart Command Sgt. Maj. Melendez to the group of participating firefighters.
USAG Stuttgart’s event commemorated the fallen 23 New York Police Officers and 37 Port Authority officers, along with the 343 FDNY firefighters who lost their lives responding to the World Trade Center attacks in 2001.
“To highlight our strong partnership with host nation emergency responders, we invited local German fire departments to participate,” said USAG Stuttgart Fire Chief Mike Ambacher. “Having our German counterparts climb alongside us is a powerful reminder that the United States is not alone in our grief nor in our mission.”
Ambacher, event organizer Deputy Fire Chief James Wells, seven of the garrison’s firefighters, and more than 45 firefighters from eight local German fire and emergency departments donned their protective gear — weighing close to 60 pounds — and climbed the Panzer Hotel’s central staircase 22 times.
“Every time I felt like giving up, I would look at the picture on my lanyard, and it would give me the motivation to keep carrying their story,” said Sebastian Kopp, a career firefighter with the Böblingen Fire Department and former USAG Stuttgart Fire Department firefighter.
Each participant wore a similar lanyard with a photo of a fallen firefighter throughout the climb. The photos served as a visual reminder of the heroes who died on 9/11 and ensured their names, faces and their bravery would not be forgotten.
“This event reminds us of the importance of our partnerships,” said Directorate of Emergency Services Non-Commissioned-Officer-in-Charge Master Sgt. Carlos Boggs, who also participated in the event while wearing borrowed firefighting gear. “Our Host Nation first responders are more than colleagues; they are allies who understand that we are all stronger together.”
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.11.2025 09:08 |
| Story ID: | 547815 |
| Location: | STUTTGART, DE |
| Web Views: | 54 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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