Photo By Airman 1st Class Albert Morel | U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Sebastian Smith, 52nd Maintenance Squadron precision...... read more read more
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SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – In a powerful reminder of history and unity, German students from Trier and Polish students from Poznań gathered at Spangdahlem Air Base for an engaging installation tour, a continuing testament to the spirit of cultural exchange that been around since before the fall of the Iron Curtain.
On Oct. 8, the students received a unique first-hand look into how the U.S. military operates and strengthens the ever continuing cultural exchange between the U.S. and its host nation partners.
"The base receives many requests from school groups for visits, but this specific request stood out,” said Judith Mott, 52nd FW school liaison program manager. “It came from a school that had never visited before. They also wrote a very nice letter explaining that it would be German students and their Polish pen pals/exchange students."
Starting in 1985, the Bischöfliches Angela-Merici-Gymnasium in Trier, Germany, and the Zespół Szkół Urszulańskich in Poznań, Poland, have run a cultural exchange program where a group of German and Polish students aged 15-18 visit each others’ countries. This year is the program's 39th anniversary, making it the longest running of its kind in Rheinland-Pfalz.
The tour kicked off with a visit to Spangdahlem High School, where they received an initial brief, explored the class rooms and facilities and had the opportunity to interact with American students.
“I was surprised with how large and modern the school was compared to ours,” said Merweille Nkumba, a German student. “Overall, it was cool to see how different and similar our schools are.”
Soon after, an informative walkthrough of an F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet gave the students an opportunity to learn about its armaments and capabilities.
Pilots and maintainers assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron and 52nd Maintenance Squadron, respectively, taught the students about munitions like the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb and the aircraft’s advanced radar systems and aerial maneuverability.
“My favorite part of the tour was when the pilots and airmen were showing us the F-16,” said Hania Niklewicz, a Polish student. “They really tried to explain how the F-16s work and even talked about some of the struggles they run into.”
To wrap up their day, the 52nd Security Forces Squadron military working dog section provided the students with a live bite demonstration, a tour of the kennels and an explanation of the crucial role that MWDs play in fortifying base security.
The visit aimed to deepen the students' understanding of the U.S. Air Force's role in NATO and its mission in Germany and Poland.
Although the 52nd FW is based in Germany, its geographically separated unit, 52nd Operations Group Detachment 1, is a vital forward presence in Poland that enhances NATO's deterrence efforts. Established in November 2012, this team of Airmen operates from Łask and Powidz Air Bases near Poznań.
“We had a very interesting tour of Spangdahlem AB,” said Matthias Becker, teacher and head of the student exchange program at the Bischöfliches Angela-Merici-Gymnasium. “Our students had the unique experience to learn about the importance of NATO and the USA in Poland and in Germany in a truly wonderful way.”
| Date Taken: | 10.18.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.18.2024 10:49 |
| Story ID: | 483415 |
| Location: | SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, RHEINLAND-PFALZ, DE |
| Web Views: | 82 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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