By T. Sean Schulze
U.S. Forces Liaison Officer Baden-Wuerttemberg
German Army Brig. Gen. Markus Laubenthal, U.S. Army Europe’s chief of staff, spoke to over 200 German Armed Forces active and reserve Soldiers, U.S. and Allied Forces members and other distinguished guests in Stuttgart Jan. 11.
The Bundeswehr State Command for Baden-Wuerttemberg invited Laubenthal to speak about “U.S. Army Europe’s Contribution to Peace and Stability in Europe,” as part of the State Command’s annual Winter Lecture Series.
When introducing Laubenthal, German Army Col. Dieter Bohnert, deputy commander of the State Command, emphasized Laubenthal’s position as USAREUR’S first German chief of staff, and the responsibilities that came with that position. Bohnert remarked that not since Baron von Steuben trained American Soldiers at Valley Forge 236 years ago, had a German general led American troops.
Laubenthal assumed his historic assignment Aug. 2014 and has been implementing the Strong Europe vision ever since. Laubenthal’s multimedia presentation highlighted the five pillars that are at the core of USAREUR’s mission and the importance of working closely with allies and partners
As he nears the end of his command with USAREUR later this month, Laubenthal reflected about the rapid increase in the number of multinational exercises in Europe in the past two years. He pointed out that every one of his slides in the presentation showed U.S. Army Soldiers and their allies and partners working together. The ability to work together, he said, is essential to assuring NATO partners and deterring aggression.
The Bundeswehr State Command for Baden-Wuerttemberg’s Winter Lecture Series features lectures by prominent government and private-sector experts on topics relevant to security policy. Past lecturers include a former German Federal President, a former President of the European Parliament, and the Chinese Ambassador to Germany.