German, U.S. military support base transparency, compliance

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Clay Murray
  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany --  As evidenced by military operations and humanitarian efforts across the entire globe, the U.S. has an important military role at the international level. Along with this role come responsibilities in treaties, agreements and conventions.

As part of NATO with a presence on the European continent, for example, the U.S. has important responsibilities under the Vienna Agreement of 1999.

The Vienna Agreement is a review of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe's confidence and security-building measures, and according to www.dod.gov, the agreement is a politically-binding measure designed to promote mutual trust and dispel concern about military activities by encouraging openness and transparency.

German inspectors visited the base Sept. 22 and 23 for a bilateral training event where they played the role of foreign inspectors escorted by U.S. military.

"I work for the verification center of the German armed forces, and as such I'm responsible for the implementation of the Vienna Document," said German Lt. Col. Lutz Hecker, a German treaty verification agency team chief. "In particular I'm responsible for the escorts on German territory."

"In this case, [they are] playing the opposite role [they] would normally play," said Army Lt. Col. Renee Underwood, a Defense Threat Reduction Agency team chief. "He was the evaluator, and we were the escorts. Basically, they were playing the role of perhaps a Russian inspector who would come to the 52nd FW and conduct an evaluation of the wing under the Vienna Document."

Compliance with USAFE requirements calls for an annual inspection or evaluation exercise. Very often a Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe is the case, said David Ehnis, 52nd Fighter Wing treaty compliance officer, but for this instance the Vienna Document of 1999 was used. It is very important to realize, he added, that not only is it a major command requirement, but the wing is susceptible at anytime.

The foreign inspection team was escorted to many units and given a tour of Spangdahlem. Led by Colonel Hecker, they stopped at hangars, static aircraft displays, dormitories, Airman Leadership School and the wing headquarters. The inspection team was made up of a handful of German joint military members.

"Usually an evaluation team consists of three inspectors and one interpreter is allowed to accompany the team. This time we have agreed with our American friends that we are also allowed to bring a driver and a commander who is here for training purposes as well. In Germany, it is of utmost importantance to demonstrate openness and transparency, and that's why we really like the fact that [Spangdahlem and the U.S.] show the same amount of openness and transparency to us."

Colonel Hecker is very new in this specific role as an escort on German soil, but he has extensive agreement and treaty experience. Starting in 1988, he escorted American inspectors in former East Germany, and after the German reunification he accompanied Russian inspection teams to American facilities. From 1995-2007, he was responsible for the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Conventions for Germany. During 2007-2010, Colonel Luzeka was the military advisor at the OSCE Vienna for Germany where he dealt mainly with CFE and the Vienna Document.

"I would just like to say thank you very much again to the 52nd FW for the excellent preparation they did to make this happen - from the excellent briefings, to answering all of our questions and trying to respond to what we asked the escort team to have us look at," Colonel Hecker said. "They put every effort [forward] to make it happen."