7ATC Honors 'Good Neighbors' for Building Transatlantic Relationships

GERMANY

03.24.2026

Story by Lacey Justinger 

7th Army Training Command

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany - 7th Army Training Command hosted its sixth annual Good Neighbor Award ceremony to honor strong relationships with community partners, March 25, 2026.

The award recognizes European individuals who actively contribute to positive U.S. and host nation relationships that build bridges across cultural and linguistic borders as well as shared understand between military and civilian personnel.

“We recognize our host nation partners who through their daily efforts have increased the quality of life for U.S service members, their families, and Department of Defense civilians for decades while they are in their ‘home away from home’ right here in Europe,” said Brig. Gen. Terry Tillis, 7ATC commanding general. “This Order of the Towers certificate is just one small token of our appreciation to you - our community partners.”

He thanked the 10 awardees for their patience with U.S. Army training activities and impacts, and emphasized how their support of the U.S. Army in their communities builds military readiness and contributes to shared safety and security.

This year’s 10 awardees who exemplify the vital relationships the U.S. Army in Bavaria has with its European neighbors are:

• Axel Schulze-Bierbach for his role in the Bundesforst, and nominated by U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria;
• Peter Braun for his role as the Schmidmuehlen mayor, and nominated by 7ATC’s Joint Multinational Readiness Center;
• Christian Graf for his role as the Hohenfels mayor, and nominated by JMRC;
• Frank Heinrich , for his military history preservation efforts from the Pegnitz community, nominated by 7ATC;
• Alexander Krone for his role in the Bundesforst, and nominated by 7ATC’s Training Support Activity Europe;
• Gerhard Lindthaler, for his military partnership efforts from the Freihung community, nominated by USAG Bavaria;
• Libor Picka for his role as mayor of Belá nad Radbuzou, Czech Republic, and support of Operation Cowboy, nominated by 2nd Cavalry Regiment;
• Alexander Richter, for his partnership efforts from Grafenwoehr, and nominated by 41st Field Artillery Brigade;
• Georg Schimmel, for his partnership efforts in the Herrieden community, and nominated by USAG Ansbach; and
• Gudrun Williams-Fusco, for her volunteer efforts in the Ansbach community, and nominated by USAG Ansbach.

Military unit sponsors from across the 7ATC senior responsible officer area nominated the awardees, and stood next to their Good Neighbor as their accolades were read to the assembled crowd; while Tillis and Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Fedorisin, 7ATC senior enlisted advisor, presented the framed certificates to this year’s Good Neighbors.

Many of the sponsors and guests also took the opportunity to speak about the importance of these transatlantic relationships and share personal thanks and anecdotes about the individual or military-civilian partnership, while standing in front of the German and American flags.

“On behalf of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, 7ATC and the 51,000 Americans who live across Bavaria, we couldn’t do it without you,” he added, “I want to recognize your true investment in time and energy you provide each and every day, and your genuine care and concern for all our Soldiers, civilians and families in our communities.

“Our shared resolve is more important now than ever, and we can’t do it alone,” he concluded.

The 7ATC Good Neighbor Award program launched in 2021. Previous awardees include:

In 2025: Andreas Irle,Bundesforst (7ATC); Holger Cibis, Grafenwoehr (7ATC); Dr. Eric Hoffmann, German-American Club (41st FAB); Lisa Weigert, Grafenwoehr (41st FAB); Anita Hessler, Grafenwoehr (41st FAB); Daniel Rasch, Pegnitz (41st FAB); Günther Schuster, German-American Society (USAG Ansbach); Thomas Kastner, Ansbach Polizei(USAGAnsbach); Matthias Goldbach, Bavarian Red Cross (USAG Ansbach); and Dominik Wenninger, Ansbach Emergency Services (USAG Ansbach).

In 2024: JürgenKürzinger,Kirchenthumbach (173rd Airborne Brigade); EwaldPlößner,Kirchenthumbach(173ABN); Dirk Antkowiak, Friedberg (7ATC on behalf of a rotationally deployed unit to Europe); Dr. MarkusPerpeet, HohenfelsBundesforst(JMRC); Klaus Huber,Nuremberg Airport (7ATC); AndreasKredler, Vilseck (2CR); Josef Mehringer, Ansbach Polizei (USAG Ansbach); KarlHermann Schotz, Sulzbach-Rosenberg (7ATC); Daniel Fenk, Bayreuth (41FAB); Josef Eiere, Vilseck (2CR) and Kenneth Aungst,Bad Windsheim (12th Combat Aviation Brigade)

In 2023: Dr. Johannes Urban, Munich Bundestag (7ATC); Christian Schmid,Velburg(JMRC); Uwe Konig,Freihung(18th Combat Sustainment Support Brigade); Simone Wiesenberg,Ansbach Polizei (USAG Ansbach); Franz Dorfner,Hirchau(2CR); Hans and Christian Biersack, Grafenwoehr (7ATC); BirgitPlossner, Grafenwoehr (41st FAB); Peter Plagens, Ansbach (12CAB); and Christine Stradtner, Illesheim (7ATC on behalf of a rotationally deployed unit to Europe).

In 2022: Wolfgang Nierhoff, Pegnitz (41st FAB); StefanHorndasch, Ansbach (USAG Ansbach); Bernhard Graf, Hohenfels (JMRC); Helmut Waechter, Grafenwoehr(USAG Bavaria); Alois Friedl, Grafenwoehr(173rd ABN); Rudolf Leykauf, Ansbach(12th CAB); and Fritz Wittmann,Bundeswehr (USAG Ansbach).

In 2021: Edgar Knobloch, Grafenwoehr (7ATC); Hans-Martin Schertl, Vilseck (7ATC); Thomas Deffner, Ansbach (USAG Ansbach); Heinrich Foerster, Illesheim (USAG Ansbach); Karl Balk,Herrieden (USAG Ansbach); Manfred Hauser, Lupburg (JMRC); Anton Durr, Grafenwoehr (USAG Bavaria); Gerald Morgenstern,Grafenwoehr (USAG Bavaria); and Anni and Walter Brunner,Grafenwoehr (USAG Bavaria).

• Date Taken: 03.24.2026
• Date Posted: 03.26.2026 08:54
• Story ID: 561341
• Location: DE