defense
Steinmeier thanks US troops for deployment in Germany
Military vehicles of the US armed forces are parked on the grounds of the Grafenwöhr military training area. Today Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier wants to visit the US Army in the Upper Palatinate. Photo: Armin Weigel/dpa
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Tens of thousands of US soldiers have been permanently stationed in Germany since the end of the Second World War. They last received a visit from a Federal President more than 25 years ago.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier thanked the US Army for its decades of service in Germany. “What you, what each and every one of you do here is of existential importance for the security of my country, my compatriots, our continent and our alliance,” said Steinmeier during the visit of the US armed forces in Grafenwoehr in north-eastern Bavaria. Generations of courageous Americans were stationed in Germany. “We as Germans owe all these people our thanks.”
With a view to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, Steinmeier invoked the strength of the transatlantic alliance in his speech to soldiers. “We are united and determined to defend freedom, democracy and international law. We are united in our support for Ukraine,” he said. Unity and determination have never been more important than in the face of Russian aggression.
Steinmeier: Germany stands by its commitments
The Federal President assured that Germany would do everything possible to maintain this unity. “Just as we rely on you, we can also be relied on,” he emphasized. Germany stands by its alliance obligations and knows that it has to do more to achieve it. “We will invest more, provide more troops on NATO’s eastern flank and comprehensively modernize the German armed forces.”
Steinmeier was the first German head of state to visit US troops stationed in Germany in more than 25 years. He was greeted with military honors at the start of his visit by US Ambassador Amy Gutmann and General Darryl Williams, Commander in Chief US Land Forces Europe/Africa. The US Army has a good 12,500 soldiers stationed in Grafenwöhr and in neighboring Vilseck. It is one of their largest locations in Europe.