Bamberg, GERMANY (July 19, 2013) -- The last American Soldier will leave Bamberg no later than September 2014. German employees will have to find new employment as termination notices for the local national workforce will be issued a full year in advance, in September 2013.
"This will be an emotional milestone on our path to closure," said Garrison Commander Lt. Col. Michelle L. Bienias. "Standortschliessung," or "Base Closure" is currently the number one topic for her and Eduard Mayer. Mayer is the chairperson of the works council at U.S. Army Garrison Bamberg. The almost 260 German employees at USAG Bamberg are preparing for their "time after the U.S. Army."
"Closure is a big mission. We need to stand shoulder to shoulder, helping each other and trusting that we will be there for each other," said Col. Christopher Benson, U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach commander and supervising the closure process of the Franconian garrisons in Bamberg and Schweinfurt. "My agenda is to take care of Soldiers and Families and the workforce. The more we can do to prepare now, the better prepared we are for last minute challenges."
"We are doing our best to prepare local national employees for the local job market. In cooperation with the works council and the labor agency, our German employees can get necessary qualifications and trainings while they are still employed with the U.S. garrison; We are giving our employees 12 months notice, so they have enough time to look for new employment opportunities, coordinate internships with potential employers and training they may need in their new job," Bienias said.
Ed Mayer is another key player in this process. Mayer has traveled to over 25 communities surrounding Bamberg, talking to mayors and potential employers, to solicit support.
"Our German workforce is highly qualified and they possess great skills and competencies; however, the average employee is too young to retire, but seems to be too old for the job market," Mayer says. "The only thing that counts for us is an employment after the Army has left."
Mayer has a very detailed list of his fellow employees; he knows the problem in detail, has a list with their names, addresses, age and education. Most of the remaining local national employees have a commercial education background and work as administrative clerks; 20 percent are qualified crafters, working as electricians, carpenters, masons or plumbers; about twelve percent have an academic degree and occupy positions as engineers, teachers or legal assistance providers. Others work in the dining facility or as cashiers. Over 40 employees have stated that they'd like to stay employed with the U.S. Army at other garrisons; some have already been transferred.
"We know very well that our German workforce is and has been the backbone and stabilizing force of this garrison. As one of the most deployed garrisons within Europe, our workforce is always in motion, welcoming new Families, fare-welling Soldiers into deployments, and keeping Soldiers ready for whatever mission they are given. Hundreds of thousands of American Soldiers have been processed through this garrison since World War II. This would not have been possible without the hard work, dedication, and expertise of our German employees through all these years," said Bienias.
Mayer commends the cooperation with the city of Bamberg, the local labor agency and the garrison leadership.
"The Works Council, representing the entire host nation workforce, is a permanent member of the city's Round Table, whose intent is to create a positive environment with job perspectives for the affected employees. We work in close contact, partnership alike, with the German Federal labor agency, which supports us with training and qualifications. In addition, the Garrison leadership provides us with invaluable help to keep employees motivated and prepare for changing capability and capacity needs for the relocation of troops and Families while approaching a smooth transition to the local job market."
"We made sure that all our employees had as much information as possible and as early as possible. The closure is not a surprise and everybody had time to prepare - wherever their future lies," said Bienias in an interview.
Two thirds of the local national employees have already contacted the labor agency and received a counseling interview. They will receive training on application processes and how to prepare for job interviews. If necessary, the labor agency will help them with additional certification training to gain skills that are needed in today's job market.
"Our employees have extensive experience in their specific field; they are usually bilingual and have worked in a customer oriented market. They use modern means of communication, bring multi-cultural skills and are used to achieve high quotas and expectations," said Mayer, describing the advantages the local national employees bring to the job market on the local economy.
Keeping employees motivated was one of the main topics at a conference in Schweinfurt just recently. Benson asked leaders to apply the golden rule and treat others the same way they would like to be treated. Being engaged with the workforce and knowing employees' future plans after closure is the minimum expectation.
Ed Mayer guesses that another 50 to 60 German employees will find a new job before the garrison finally closes in 2014. He will have to update his "base closure" file several times by then, hoping that the number of his fellow co-workers who haven't found a new job is as small as possible.
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