Members of German NATO school pay visit to Travis

by Nick DeCicco
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

6/7/2013 - TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif, -- Approximately 50 students from a German NATO officer school visited Travis Monday as part of a four-site tour of America.

During the two-hour stop, the group sat for a briefing on the base's history, structure, deployments and mission before touring a C-5 Galaxy and KC-10 Extender.

The purpose of the visit was for them to see the capabilities and mission of Air Mobility Command as well as Travis' role as the gateway to the Pacific.

For many of the students, such as Maj. Martin Wrzos, seeing the massive mobility aircraft was the highlight of the trip.

"From my point of view, we don't have these kind of aircraft," Wrzos said. "Many of the people in our service don't see this in their whole life."

Wrzos was one of several officers who stood on the flightline near the C-5 taking photographs of himself with the plane as well as Travis' surroundings. The students explored the flight deck and boom operator seat on the KC-10 and the upper deck seating area in the back of the C-5.

Brig. Gen. Dirk Bachen, German Armed Forces Command and Staff College NATO defense attache, echoed Wrzos' comments about the planes.

"We are really keen to see your aircraft," Bachen said. "We are proud to have a chance to see America's first choice."

The primarily German students represent the top 10 percent of their class, said Capt. Roland LaFrance, 60th Logistics Readiness Squadron installation deployment officer, although officers are accepted from all participating NATO countries.

From Travis' perspective, LaFrance said it was an opportunity for Travis to demonstrate its location and versatility on a global scale.

"It's always good to be able to showcase your base," he said. "The U.S. military does not always act alone and it's interesting to work together with our allied nations."

Capt. Gereon Buchholz, who presented 60th Maintenance Group Commander Col. Mark Weber with a coin, emphasized that cooperation between the countries is an "integral part of the alliance."

The German Armed Forces Command and Staff College, located in Hamburg, Germany, is comparable to the Air Force's Air Command and Staff College. Both target mid-grade officers to improve and develop their skills in leadership and command.

NATO is a 28-nation pact to safeguard the freedom and security of its members through political and military means. These nations are primarily located in North America and Europe.

The other stops on the group's trip include San Diego, New York City and Washington D.C.

A second group of students is scheduled to visit Travis June 23.