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Staff from the University of Michigan - College of Engineering partake in their annual Staff Summer Party at the Michigan football stadium in Ann Arbor, MI on June 14, 2019.
Photo: Joseph Xu/Michigan Engineering, Communications & Marketing
Staff from the University of Michigan - College of Engineering partake in their annual Staff Summer Party at the Michigan football stadium in Ann Arbor, MI on June 14, 2019.
Photo: Joseph Xu/Michigan Engineering, Communications & Marketing
Soldiers’ teamwork creates symbol of German-American friendship
By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern
BRUCHMÜHLBACH-MIESAU, Germany – Soldiers at U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern recently transformed an ugly concrete wall at Miesau Army Depot into a mural honoring a longstanding friendship between Germans and Americans.
Last year, because of security concerns, the Army diverted depot traffic and built a blast-resistant wall, said Col. Richard Jordan, commander of the 212st Combat Support Hospital. Jordan knew the wall protected the nearby Child Development Center, a preschool program for Army families. But he never like the way it looked. He envisioned it covered with children’s artwork.
“We took advantage of the situation to paint a picture of unity that stands as a memento to our community,” Jordan said. “We’re saying ‘this belongs to us.’”
Jordan’s vision reached local German and American schools, where children drew ideas of friendship between their countries. Hans Schenkel, a local German artist, combined their sketches to design the mural, Jordan said.
Spc. Peter Oratowski, an operating room specialist with an art background, oversaw the painting. One night in late-May, Oratowski, of Brooklyn, N.Y., began the project using a computer projector to trace the concept onto the wall. Since then, volunteers from the 212th CSH and Soldiers from the garrison’s Better Opportunities For Single Soldiers program put in long hours, mostly during their free time after work.
“It’s been great to get my hands in paint again,” Oratowski said. “It’s been a real challenge to paint. But we’ve got a great team and it’s been a lot of fun.”
During a June 10 ceremony, U.S. and German officials unveiled the mural – a symbol of German and American friendship. Denise Miller, deputy to the garrison commander, said the effort says something important about those who serve in our Army.
“There’s a lot of hidden talent,” Miller said. “The whole team did a lot of work pulling all the different types of artwork together and that really stands out.”
For the past two years, Jordan’s unit was busy – redesigning their hospital to mobilize quickly and partnering with medical units from Britain, Germany, Bulgaria and Romania. The command’s relationship with the local community, however, remained a priority, Jordan said.
For decades, the Army maintained good relations with Bruchmühlbach-Miesau, to include longstanding support of the community’s annual horse show. Earlier this year, Jordan’s Soldiers raised money for a German kindergarten to by developmental toys.
Bruchmühlbach-Miesau Mayor Werner Holz said he welcomed Jordan’s idea to paint the blast wall.
“The fact that American and German students join together for an artistic event is a great expression of cooperation and a very suitable tool for fostering relationships.”
For the Soldiers who worked on the mural, the job was a chance to do something outside their normal duties.
Pfc. Patrick Crowe stumbled upon the painting crew one evening. The 25-year-old medic from Augusta, Ga., never painted before, Oratowski said.
“He grabbed a brush and has been coming out to help ever since,” Oratowski said.
Wearing faded desert camouflage cutoffs and a BOSS T-shirt, Spc. Nicholas Yoncher, 24, a Company B medic, grabbed a pizza slice in one hand and dipped his paintbrush with the other. He reminisced about murals he helped paint for church back home in Nikiski, Alaska.
“Art has always been an interest. Before now, I didn’t do it much in the Army,” Yoncher said. “We should do more things like this.”
Storm clouds were the Soldiers’ enemy. They defended their artwork from sudden rainstorms –scrambling over the wall to drape plastic sheeting over the emerging mural. Soaked amid sun showers, they laughed and joked with each other. Painting was tough at times, but each agreed that it was a lot fun.
Working through suppertime, the Soldiers frequented the pizzeria just outside the depot gate. There, they practiced speaking German and learned an important word, Mannschaft - the German word for “team.”
“It’s been a lot of hard work,” Oratowski said. “But we did it as a team.”
(Photo by Mark Heeter, U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern)
The Southern Idaho Draft Horse and Mule Association and Antique Tractor Club plowed and then planted oats in a field at Ritter Island State Park near Hagerman.
Staff from the University of Michigan - College of Engineering partake in their annual Staff Summer Party at the Michigan football stadium in Ann Arbor, MI on June 14, 2019.
Photo: Joseph Xu/Michigan Engineering, Communications & Marketing
Images from the Creative Teamwork course 2018. Led by Prof. Mikko Jalas, Kirsi Joenpolvi and Maria Joutsenvirta
©Abigail Garbett
A pair of RAF operated Boeing Chinooks working together at RAF Odiham during a photo shoot organised by Timeline events and the John egging Trust.
Staff from the University of Michigan - College of Engineering partake in their annual Staff Summer Party at the Michigan football stadium in Ann Arbor, MI on June 14, 2019.
Photo: Joseph Xu/Michigan Engineering, Communications & Marketing
Summer School Gruppe MINT. Frankfurt. September 2009. Wissenschaftlicher Leiter: Dr. Frank Martin von der Bundesagentur für Arbeit.
Warrior Diplomat Soldiers from HHC, 85th Civil Affairs Brigade work as teams to negotiate obstacles at the Leaders Reaction Course on Fort Hood Oct. 9. (Photo by Sgt. Mark Brejcha, 85th Civil Affairs Brigade Public Affairs)
Staff from the University of Michigan - College of Engineering partake in their annual Staff Summer Party at the Michigan football stadium in Ann Arbor, MI on June 14, 2019.
Photo: Joseph Xu/Michigan Engineering, Communications & Marketing
Staff from the University of Michigan - College of Engineering partake in their annual Staff Summer Party at the Michigan football stadium in Ann Arbor, MI on June 14, 2019.
Photo: Joseph Xu/Michigan Engineering, Communications & Marketing
Image of business people working at office. Busy businesswomen and businessmen sitting at conference desk in front of laptop and working on financial plan.
This was created for the Three Muses challenge of Two, but it's done in Braithwaite style.
Giraffe and background: Finecrafted Design
Staff from the University of Michigan - College of Engineering partake in their annual Staff Summer Party at the Michigan football stadium in Ann Arbor, MI on June 14, 2019.
Photo: Joseph Xu/Michigan Engineering, Communications & Marketing
Police fire tear gas in unison at protesters on a side street near Taksim Square in Istanbul.
Photo Credit: Arzu Geybullayeva
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Date: June 2013
Wannseeforum, Projektmanagment-Workshop mit Klaus-Volker Schulte zu Sodingen (Commerzbank AG). Schülerprojekt Zukunft MINT. Einführungswoche in und um Berlin. Juni 2012. Mehr Informationen unter: www.campus-of-excellence.com