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By U.S. Army National Guard Spc. Melissa Shaw
100 Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
BAUMHOLDER, Germany - Supporting nearly 1400 participants and the more than 1400 who visited Combined Endeavor 2008 is all in a day's work for members of its Combined Visitor Bureau from German Joint Support Service, U.S. European Command and the California National Guard assigned there.
More than 40 nations use CE 08 to plan, prepare and practice a full range of communications, equipment, policies and procedures prior to deploying for NATO missions and emerging real world crisis.
One key responsibility of the German Joint Support Service team members contending with the many visitors that come to see this extraordinary event, said Capt. Torsten Troger, commander of the German troops supporting CE 08.
Last year, the Convention and Visitors Bureau processed about 1500 visitors and more than 200 distinguished visitors.
Two types of visitors come to experience CE training missions. The first includes, military leaders interested in the exercise, the communication equipment manufacture representatives and, on occasion, family members of the military personnel participating in the training mission.
"These visitors have just a few basic needs - transportation, identification badges, food and guides," said German army 1st Lt. Christoph Hoop, deputy chief of the Combined Endeavor Visitors Bureau. "These are usually very easy to accommodate."
The second are distinguished visitors. These include traveling dignitaries, politicians, and military leaders with an interest in the results of the testing.
"The planning and arrangements for the DVs retains the same basic components as those needed by regular visitors to include the need for food, housing, transportation and guides. However, with the high profiles of these individuals there is quite a bit more personal catering to contend with. This includes the precise timing of flight arrivals to lessen any time a four-star general might be left waiting, completing any and all hotel accommodation arrangements and assuring the dinner hosted for the DVs is meticulously arranged to keep all parties happy, " said California Army National Guard Maj. Gilbert Granado, one of the CVB DV coordinators.
Coordinating a visit begins with the delegation chief notifying the CVB staff which visitor is coming, when they will arrive and what they will need for their stay.
The German support planners are known for their attention to detail and already had a template in place which makes dealing everyday events and the inevitable problems that much easier, said Granado.
Regardless if the person coming to CE 08 is a 10-year veteran of the event or a first-year newcomer, they are treated as hospitably as possible. The German support staff seeks to make sure that all visitors always leave as a friend.
| Date Taken: | 05.12.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 05.19.2008 10:32 |
| Story ID: | 19583 |
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| Web Views: | 214 |
| Downloads: | 204 |
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