NewsletterNewsletter HeadquartersHeadquarters AlliedAllied ForceForce CommandCommand HeidelbergHeidelberg Allied Force Command Heidelberg celebrates holidays with dinner/dance event NR 08—DECEMBER 2012 Commander’s Corner Season’s greet- ings to all the mili- tary, civilian and fam- ily members of Head- quarters, Allied Force Command Heidel- berg. This is a spe- cial time for Force Command Heidel- Allied Force Command Heidelberg service members and guests dine during the headquarters’ holiday dinner dance, December 5th at the Village Pavilion berg as we come to- at Patrick Henry Village. gether for the won- derful traditional holi- Christmas, a time for fellowship and day events such as the Christmas Ad- festivities dress, Commenda- tion Presentation honoring distinguished contributors to the command, and the End of Year Celebration. During this time of festivities, I want to extend best wishes to each and Brig. Gen. Wojciech Grabowski holds his grandson, Frank, as NATO every one of you. Spouse Club member Ria Spoor puts Force Command Heidelberg recently hosted the a nametag on him in preparation for 19th Doctrine and Procedures Working Group and the a visit with Santa Claus. Joint Logistics Support Group Workshop. Both events (Photo by Capt. Tamara Gonzales) served as excellent opportunities to share experi- CONTENTS : ences and knowledge with the greater NATO commu- nity and its partners. This month Force Command COM’s Corner 01 Heidelberg completes its NATO Response Force re- quirements on 31 December. Congratulations and Senior Enlisted Leader’s Corner 02 job well done to the members of the command on Allied Force Command Heidelberg says farewell to NRF Stand-by who stood ready to support possible 03 NATO operations. Maj. Gen. Rossmanith Since this is the last Commander’s Corner, I am OUP NATO Medals Ceremony 04 proud of the many accomplishments of the organiza- tion and individuals. Throughout the past year, as the Land-Maritime Workshop 05 NATO Command Structure transformed, Force Com- mand Heidelberg supported NATO operational deploy- Passing On Logistical Expertise 06 ments, served on NATO response force standby, exe- cuted a demanding certification schedule and all the Allied Force Command Heidelberg passes on land while transitioned land expertise and knowledge to 07 command expertise the newly activated Allied Land Command. Effective 1 January 2013, Force Command Heidel- Allied Force Command Heidelberg celebrates holidays 08 berg enters a new phase focused on the command’s with dinner/dance event deactivation and subsequent closure. As we move forward with our preparations to close this headquar- Allied Force Command Heidelberg gets recognition 09 ters, we remain vigilant to help Land Command within our means and capabilities. Christmas, a time for fellowship and festivities 10 Overall, it’s been a great team effort. I am grateful for your selfless dedication, hardwork and commit- Training / Holidays / NSC Calendars 11 ment to the Alliance’s success. May God protect and bless you, your families, your Nations and the Alli- Things to do around Heidelberg 12-13 ance. Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays! Christmas market / WWT Promotion 14 01 Senior Enlisted Leader’s Corner DISCLOSURE : Serving the military, civilians and family members of Headquarters Allied Force Command Heidelberg LTG John W. Morgan III, Commander Lt. Col. Götz Haffke Lt. Col. Randy Martin Editors Lt. Col. Cyrille Zimmer Assistant Editor Maj. Peter Mientus Assistant Editor ADC Fabien LeCamus, FCHD Senior Enlisted Leader Capt. Tamara Gonzales The NATO soldier : a typical lifestyle Assistant Editor Even though some of us have been serving in the NATO community for a certain Adj. Aurélie Auzas number of years, either in one tour in one HQ, or with different tours in different Layout and Design HQs, for everyone it is a unique experience, which we don’t really think about when we join the military. Staff Sgt. Dwight Chaney Photographer What does serving in the NATO community mean for soldiers? This is an authorized, unofficial publication. Its aim is Whatever the part of the technique, manpower, through its competency, its spirit, to inform headquarters personnel and their families. its morals and human qualities is called “savoir-être” and serves as the heart of the Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the Army. By the exemplarity of his behavior, the professional soldier is part of the effi- authors and do not reflect official policy. ciency and influence of his unit. The respect of the mission and the sense of the discipline are qualities that belong to the military. Nevertheless, the current context Suggestions for articles, comments and contributions in which a soldier fulfills his duties is changing and requires more than ever from a are welcome and should be directed to the editor. The professional soldier, adaptability, initiative and an open mind. editor reserves the right to edit submissions. Serving in the NATO community means a permanent availability for deployments Public Affairs Office and missions. It means being ready from a professional point of view (physical, Postfach 102620 medical, skills and competencies) as well as personal (family and psychological) to D-69016 Heidelberg deploy to any theatre and for any mission at any time, sometimes on short notice (Bldg. 8, Campbell Barracks) (e.g. OUP). Phone: 06221-398-5316 Fax: 06221-398-5349 The adaptability, should allow the NATO soldier to face complex and sometimes Email: [email protected]. unusual situations on deployment. Exemplifying from his predecessors, he first seeks to dip into his own resources and then among his brothers in arms, solutions to difficulties and obstacles, even the more disconcerting. The NATO soldier is very open minded which allows him to discover and under- stand the others, meaning those who think, live and believe in a different way from Visit our website at his own. Friendship and confidence are drawn by a worthy and respectful behavior. www.nato.int/fchd His state of mind contributes to a style of command based on mutual esteem, com- bining a necessary demand and great care towards the subordinates, confidence, and even fraternity among all, far beyond hierarchical references. Last, but not least, the NATO soldier is the custodian of a certain military human- ism, gained through deployments and missions, and maintained by simple and Like us at Facebook: warm human relations between comrades in arms. This is something we should Headquarters Allied Force share with others once we return to our home nations, thus showing that even though Force Command Heidelberg has been deactivated, the NATO spirit is still Command Heidelberg alive. Return to cover 02 Allied Force Command Heidelberg says farewell to Maj. Gen. Rossmanith Maj. Gen. Richard Rossmanith, Allied Force Command Heidelberg chief of staff transition, receives the U.S. Meritorious Service Medal from LTG John W. Morgan III, commander Allied Force Command Heidelberg, for his service in support of International Security Assistance Force – Afghanistan from September 2010 to January 2012. The command bid farewell to MG Rossmanith December 10th at Campbell Barracks, Heidelberg, Germany. “Major General Rossmanith is very reliable, he knows what he “I liked working with him a lot because he is a man of his word and wants and won’t stop until he has it,” said Sgt. Maj. Ralf Theobald with him, what you see is what you get,” said Sgt. Veronika Nowak who who serves as MG Rossmanith’s staff assistant. “He is a passionate serves primarily as Maj. Gen. Rossmanith’s driver and has worked for Soldier who serves great under pressure.” him since July 2010. Sgt. Nowak was one of many from the headquar- ters who were deployed with MG Rossmanith to Afghanistan. Allied Force Command Heidelberg said farewell to Maj. Gen. Rich- ard Rossmanith during a farewell ceremony held on Monday, De- After his return from Afghanistan, MG Rossmanith became the FC HD cember 10th, at Campbell Barracks, Heidelberg, Germany. chief of staff transition with the responsibility of transitioning land com- petency and expertise to the Land Command in Izmir. Additionally, he Maj. Gen. Rossmanith started his assignment at the command oversaw the planning and coordination of the headquarters’ deactivation with a jump start in November 2009 with an exercise at the Allied and closure. Rapid Reaction Corps. From this time until September of 2010 he served as the chief of staff for the Deployable Joint Staff Element 1. “We wish you all the success in your next posting as the commander, Headquarters Response Forces Operations Command,” said LTG John W. He then deployed for 16 months as the deputy chief of staff, sta- Morgan III, commander Allied Force Command Heidelberg. “A sincere bility with Headquarters International Security Assistance Force. thank you for your service and I want to wish you all the best in the fu- ture.” “I remember very well my deployment to ISAF,” said Maj. Gen. Rossmanith. “It was one of the most impressive experiences in my As he said farewell, Maj. Gen. Rossmanith reviewed his career in NATO life.” with this assignment serving as his fourth. During the ceremony, Maj. Gen. Rossmanith received the U.S. “NATO is a cornerstone of the architecture of the world, dedicated to Meritorious Service Medal for his time served while deployed, giving security and freedom of the western world,” said Maj. Gen. Rossmanith. him credit for managing programs to improve security, implementing “We contributed to that and for that we can be proud.” development projects, building ministerial capacity in the Afghan government and playing a key role in advancements on border man- agement strategy. Article by Capt. Tamara Gonzales Photos by Adj. Aurélie Auzas Return to cover 03 OUP NATO Medals Ceremony LTG John W. Morgan III, commander Allied Force Com- mand Heidelberg, presents Italian Capt. Paolo Can- dreva with the NATO Non-Article 5 Medal for serving as an Air Defense Analyst during Operation Unified Protec- tor.