Military Personnel Exchange Program

Photo By Tony Sweeney | Nearly 50 exchange Soldiers attended the annual Military Personnel Exchange Program conference in Wiesbaden, German. The program consists of 59 officers and non-commissioned officers, ranging from staff sergeant to brigadier general. Participants are stationed in five different countries in the U.S. Army Europe footprint. The program, a security cooperation program, is the largest in the U.S. Army, larger than all other Army Service Component Commands combined.  

WIESBADEN, HESSEN, GERMANY

09.21.2018

Courtesy Story

U.S. Army Europe and Africa     

Nearly 50 exchange Soldiers attended the annual Military Personnel Exchange Program conference in Wiesbaden, German.

The program consists of 59 officers and non-commissioned officers, ranging from staff sergeant to brigadier general. Participants are stationed in five different countries in the U.S. Army Europe footprint. The program, a security cooperation program, is the largest in the U.S. Army, larger than all other Army Service Component Commands combined.

"The portfolio continues to grow and morph to meet the current and future operational environment," said Lee Fennema, the U.S. Army Europe program manager. "We remain committed to our existing relationships, which we foster and nurture but we are also forging new ones with other allies and partners."

"The conference, attended by all exchange Soldiers in Europe, offered a unique chance to exchange ideas about how to best integrate into our host Nations forces,” said Brig. Gen. Matthew Van Wagenen. “The opportunity no doubt made us all better exchange officers and better prepared us for the challenges that come with these isolated and critical assignments." Van Wagenen currently serves as the deputy commanding general for 3 UK Division.

Van Wagenen is assigned as the deputy commanding general of a British division and the highest ranking MPEP in the Army. He is one of 59 officers and noncommissioned offers from the U.S. Army serving in positions in foreign militaries as MPEPS.

"The MPEP Conference brought together officers and NCOs from across the USAREUR enterprise to collaborate, connect, and learn from each other,” said Lt. Col. Arnel David, an exchange officer working for the Chief of Staff of the U.K. Army. “In a first, this group of Soldiers are self-organizing to capture the vast amounts of connections, relationships, and data to illuminate the robust network of the MPEP program. This web of networks not only builds partner capacity but provides points of influence and increases interoperability, and ultimately, is a source of competitive advantage to be leveraged in support of USAREUR objectives and goals."

Exchange personnel, known as 'MPEPs', were provided updated guidance and direction from senior Army Europe leaders, including Maj. Gen. Andrew Rohling the U.S. Army Europe Deputy Commanding General and the new U.S. Army Europe chief of staff, Brigadier General Renk. Renk is an MPEP from the German Bundeswehr and assigned to the Army Europe headquarters in Wiesbaden, Germany.

"The greatest challenge we face is sourcing folks who speak a foreign language or have the capability to learn one," said Fennema. “Half the positions are in the UK, where the language requirement is non-existent, but the others require language trained individuals. Soldiers who do not speak the language are sent to the Defense Language Institute if they meet the prerequisites.”

If you are interested in joining the program, please contact your Human Resource office through your individual unit.

• Date Taken: 09.21.2018
• Date Posted: 09.21.2018 05:41
• Story ID: 293817
• Location: WIESBADEN, HESSEN, DE