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On 9/3/2009 6:15:22 PM Colonel Franklin Childress, Director of Public Affairs wrote
Hope for Africa on 20th Anniversary of Germany's Reunification
I just returned from Berlin where I attended a Public Affairs Officers Conference. It was great to be back in the city after all these years. The last time I visited Berlin the year was 1988, the wall was up and West Berlin was in essence a western island surrounded by a sea of communism. My wife and I drove through the Helmstadt corridor from West Germany into East Germany to Berlin. It was like driving from a color photograph into black and white photo then back into color.
During the trip, I took a bus to the Alexander Platz in the former East Berlin. While there, my mind flashed back to 1988 when I was a young company commander of an infantry company in the U.S. Third Division. We drove our car into East through checkpoint Charlie. East Berlin at the time was a very sad place. In many places guards stood on street corners with sub-machine guns.
We had to wear our uniforms into the East. I was very proud of what the uniform represented to the people of the East: Freedom, Prosperity and Democracy. We were followed. The people were fearful of making eye contact, you could feel the oppression in the air. It was a trip that I am very glad I took.
It seemed that the status quo of poverty , oppression and communism would last forever; yet on 9 November 1989 about one year after I visited Berlin the people changed the course of history.
Now there is no wall, the East part of the city is prosperous, stores and upscale restaurants replace the mine fields and scrublands that existed when I was there.
The people are very excited to be celebrating their twentieth anniversary of freedom. I feel a part of their celebration because as a very young American officer I served here for three years facing 100 Russian and East German divisions each with powerful artillery and tactical nuclear weapons. I am proud that I, in a very small way, helped the Germans achieve reunification and I am overjoyed to see what has become of Berlin.
The hallmarks of our German engagement were: Sustained security engagement, long term partnership, encouraging the German military to be guardians and defenders of their constitution.
Every American should cheer and celebrate with our German friends on 9 November of this year. It will be a great party.
So you may ask what does all of this have to do with Africa?
That is a great question and one I seek to answer.
I have travelled extensively in Africa during the past year and have seen the ravages of civil war in places like Kigali - Rwanda, Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo, Monrovia Liberia. I have seen poverty and hopelessness in other parts of Africa but I have hope. My hope is that just like the Eastern part of Germany and indeed the Eastern part of Europe has risen from the ashes of war, in the twenty years so will the places I have visited in Africa rise up and become prosperous. I believe it can happen. I have seen it happen. It is my hope and prayer that in twenty years from now I can visit Africa and see a free prosperous place just like East Berlin.
Many critics of Africa Command have speculated about the military may do in Africa: militarize the continent, take over the work the work done by USAID and the State Department, build bases and bring large numbers of troops to garrison the continent. The good news is that despite the critics and the skeptics' words, what they say has not happened. What has happened is that everyday in Africa, American military servicemen and women and their civilian counterparts are helping Africans set the conditions for a brighter and prosperous future. The critics say it will never happen just like they said it would not happen in Berlin. But as an American soldier who has been to Africa many times I do believe it could happen in Africa. YES I DO. Because that's how we roll in the American military!
On 9/15/2009 1:33:42 PM Anonymous in Unspecified wrote With all due respect sir but I think you are comparing apples and oranges here
An African continent riddled with terrorism, piracy, poverty, disease, economic turmoil, ethnic fissures, natural disasters, etc... is very different from E. Germany under Russian control and Communist expansionism.
I just don't see the parallels in your essay at all
Let's just hope that in 20 years we'll see a self reliant Africa. Maybe a Marshall Plan - hat tip to General Marshall for Africa with generous funding.
However, I appreciate your optimism and will certainly be celebrating with the Germans.
V r
A proud soldier's spouse.
On 9/14/2009 11:09:54 AM Brandon in Germany wrote Excellent posting, sir. The parallels you've drawn are showing of great optimism toward the African mission. And you're right, that IS how we roll.
On 9/4/2009 2:50:08 PM Ernest in Madagascar wrote Allow me to take again the sentence for a better and prosperous futur, yes we can trust this for Africa and the world. Berlin was really a nightmar ,but a dream can become real.
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