The Bundeswehr Service Relief Association Trustee of the General Adolf Heusinger Foundation th 50 anniversary of the Bundeswehr Service Relief Association Bundeswehr The Bundeswehr Service Relief Association Trustee of the General Adolf Heusinger Foundation Contact Office address Bundesministerium der Verteidigung th Fontainengraben 150 / Building No. 620 / 6 floor 53123 Bonn Postal address Soldatenhilfswerk der Bundeswehr e.V. Postfach 1328 53003 Bonn, Germany Parcel address Bundesministerium der Verteidigung Fontainengraben 150 / Haus 620 / 6. Stock 53123 Bonn, Germany Telephone Civilian phone: +49-(0)-228-12 43 91 Military phone: 3400/4391 E-mail [email protected] Hours Tuesdays to Thursdays from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm Internet www.bundeswehr.de Soziales Soldatenhilfswerk Intr@net aktuell Startseite Gesellschaft Soziales weiterführende Links Soldatenhilfswerk Banking details Postbank Köln Bank code: 37 01 00 50 Account No.: 13 05 50 03 The editor would like to express his thanks to the staff of the central printing shop of the Federal Office of Defense Administration in Cologne/Bonn for their assistance in the preparation of this brochure on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Bundeswehr Service Relief Association. Imprint Editor Soldatenhilfswerk der Bundeswehr e.V. Text and layout LTC (ret.) Ingo Schadt Design, typesetting, print and binding Federal Office of Defense Administration – Central printing shop Cologne/Bonn 50th anniversary of the Bundeswehr Service Relief Association th 50 anniversary of the Bundeswehr Service Relief Association Bundeswehr Board and Management Chairman Deputy Chairman Chief of Staff, Bundeswehr Lieutenant General, Medical Corps General Wolfgang Schneiderhan Dr. Kurt Bernhard Nakath Managing Director Secretary Lieutenant Colonel (ret.) Michael Egbers Lieutenant Colonel (ret.) Ingo Schadt Military phone: 3400 / 6342 Military phone: 3400 / 5981 [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer Lieutenant Colonel (ret.) Udo Krämer Military phone: 3400 / 4400 [email protected] 50th anniversary of the Bundeswehr Service Relief Association The Bundeswehr Service Relief Association Trustee of the General Adolf Heusinger Foundation Contents 1. Introductory remarks by the Chief of Staff, Bundeswehr, and Chairman of the Bundeswehr Service Relief Association 2. The origin: Accident in the Iller River on 3 June 1957 3. Streamlined organization: Board and office address 4. Active participation: the Donations Committee 5. Honoring donors at the General Meeting 6. Principles for the provision of comradely support 7. Beneficiaries of comradely support 8. Cases in which support will be granted 9. Filing a request for comradely support 10. Financial basis of comradely support 11. Good ideas and fund-raising efforts: soldiers help soldiers 12. The General Adolf Heusinger Foundation 13. Partners in a supportive network 14. The past 50 years – facts and figures 15. The chairmen of the Service Relief Association 50th anniversary of the Bundeswehr Service Relief Association 3 The Bundeswehr Service Relief Association Trustee of the General Adolf Heusinger Foundation Annex A Excerpt from the charter of the Bundeswehr Service Relief Association B Details to be provided by the requesting person C Documentation of the economic situation D Reimbursement of travel expenses F Example of a request for the reimbursement of visiting costs 4 1. Introductory remarks by the Chief of Staff, Bundeswehr, and Chairman of the Bundeswehr Service Relief Association Through an accident or a serious illness every one of us can get into emergency situations which pose a threat to our existence. Those affected are often pushed to their physical, mental and financial limits. This holds especially true for young people that have just started a family and have no financial reserves. In general, helping these people is an act of human solidarity; for soldiers it is a commitment of comradeship. The decision to found a self-help association for soldiers dates back to the first major tragic accident in the history of the Bundeswehr. On 3 June 1957, 15 soldiers of 19 Paratroop Battalion, which was stationed in the town of Kempten in the Allgäu region, lost their lives when they tried to cross the Iller River. They were the first age- group to be conscripted and, at that time, had only been soldiers for a few weeks. Their comrades spontaneously collected money for the victims’ families. There were people collecting and donating money and this act of solidarity bred the idea of founding a relief organization. It has ever since The Chairman of the Service provided self-organized aid in cases that are not Relief Association, General Schneiderhan (yet) covered by government programs or Source: Bundeswehr/Modes insurances. This guideline is as up-to-date as it was in 1957 when the Bundeswehr Service Relief Association was founded. Now that the Bundeswehr is facing new challenges as an Army on Operations, there has been some improvement in welfare benefits offered by the army. Still, unbureaucratic and fast help is absolutely necessary because he who helps quickly helps twice. However, fast help can only be provided by an independent and unbureaucratic organization. 50th anniversary of the Bundeswehr Service Relief Association 5 The Bundeswehr Service Relief Association Trustee of the General Adolf Heusinger Foundation th This year marks the 50 anniversary of the Bundeswehr Service Relief Association. In the past half century it has raised donations worth more than 25 million euros. There were about 34,000 cases, in which soldiers and their families who were affected by no- fault emergencies received financial support, thus giving them concrete help but also hope and optimism when facing hard times. For five decades our self-help association has reached out to comrades and their families who were affected by emergency situations through no fault of their own. In most cases helping them so they could help themselves also bred new hope. Apart from material support, the Bundeswehr Service Relief Association above all wants to spread the following message: No one is left behind when in need. Every one can count on the comradely support of his or her fellow soldiers. Half a century of successful charity work done by the Bundeswehr Service Relief Association is proof that the idea the Relief Association is based on is also an integral part of the culture of the Bundeswehr. It is in the nature of our good cause that the work of the Bundeswehr Service Relief Association never ends. And helping costs money! The Service relief Association can help others because you donate money. It does not receive money from the government or raise a membership fee. It only can fully commit itself to its beneficial task if the spirit of comradeship is kept alive. This is the reason why all of us should continue down the road of social commitment, which remains important in our society. Support the Service Relief Association with your donations, so it can continue to help the servicemen and servicewoman of the Bundeswehr and their families in the name of comradeship. I know well that in this respect I can fully rely on you, the servicemen and servicewomen of the Bundeswehr. Apart from that, I also put my trust in the commitment of many corporations and private citizens who do not just support a good cause by donating money, but also express their solidarity with the German Armed Forces. 6 The four interlocked hands in the coat of arms of the Service Relief Association symbolize the solidarity among soldiers and the helping hand reaching out to those in need through no fault of their own. Wolfgang Schneiderhan 50th anniversary of the Bundeswehr Service Relief Association 7 The Bundeswehr Service Relief Association Trustee of the General Adolf Heusinger Foundation 2. The origin: Accident in the Iller River on 3 June 1957 th 3 June 2007 marked the 50 anniversary of the accident in the Iller River near Kempten in the Allgäu region. Back then, in 1957, 15 Bundeswehr soldiers of 19 Paratroop Battalion drowned when they tried to cross the torrential river. Memories of a contemporary It is perceived as one of the most tragic accidents in the history of the Bundeswehr. “It was horrible and kind of unreal for all those involved,” explains Captain (retired) Peter Nellesen. He, who was born in 1934 and retired in 1989, can clearly remember what happened. Back then he was an NCO at the headquarters of the 19 Paratroop Battalion in Kempten on the Iller. He was employed in a personnel management function. At that time basic training was being conducted in the battalion. The soldiers were among the first conscripts of the Bundeswehr. Most of them had worked for the Federal Border Guard beforehand and were earmarked for further NCO training. Shortcut into disaster On said 3 June training on the shooting range and in the field were on schedule for the soldiers of the 2nd Company. The training area was situated beyond the river from the Prinz Franz Kaserne. After the end of the training they wanted to return into their billets quickly. Minister of Defense Franz Josef Strauß at the site of the accident in the evening of 3 June 1957 Source: Gebirgssanitätsregiment 42 8 “In commemoration of our dead comrades. 2nd Coy of 19 Paratroop Btl We will always remember you!” Source: Gebirgssanitätsregiment Thus the leader of the fourth Platoon decided to cut short. He gave his subordinates the order to cross the river. According to Captain (retired) Nellesen, back then some NCOs who had served in WW II were platoon leaders as the fledgling German Armed Forces did not have enough qualified officers. Chain reaction in the torrential river The platoon leader, a sergeant, picked up his baggage, shouldered the machine gun and stepped into the water. There had been heavy rainfalls for days and the water level of the Iller River had substantially increased. For some of the soldiers the water was chest deep.