KAISERSLAUTERN, German - Each workday at 8 a.m., Paul Lindemer adds a little milk to his coffee and engages in small talk with coworkers starts at U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz's public work's directorate.
For Lindemer, 65, who leads the facility engineering division, it's a tradition he kept for more than three decades. In mid-July 2015, dozens of garrison staff members, local city officials and other colleague joined Lindemer in nearby Hohenecken to celebrate his retirement and honor his service to the U.S. Army.
His presence will be missed, said Marcus Jung, his assistant chief.
"Paul's very personal and he's funny. That's good for the team spirit here" said Jung, who has worked closely with Lindemer for a decade. "We are like a family."
Over the past 33 years, Lindemer served in DPW in a variety of roles. Since the mid-1990's, he served as chief of the DPW's facilities engineering division. He also serves as the DPW contact for work done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and German construction companies.
Raised in nearby Bann, Lindemer studied aircraft engineering and served for 12 years in the German Air Force. Afterward, while working for a private firm, a relative mentioned available positions with the U.S. Army. In 1982, he began work with the U.S. Army in Pirmasens. In 1995, he moved to Kaiserslautern in 1995.
"It's important to keep good relations with others, to make them feel to be welcome in a family and a team," Lindemer said. "I'm a strong believer in team work."
His work is often challenged by budget constraints, increased operational tempo, and U.S. Army transformation in Europe. Throughout his many years of service, his colleagues have known Lindemer to be fair, friendly and firm.
"He makes everything a little friendly. It's better than coming in and being serious," said Rainer Schimmel, a garrison engineering technician who has known Lindemer for more than three decades. "This is the way it should be."
They once worked together at Husterhoeh Kaserne, a U.S. Army post in Pirmasens. While Schimmel considers Lindemer a friend and a colleague, and he's quick to recall friendly times with Lindemer, he Schimmel knows his serious side too.
"Paul is very tough and very strict when he has to be. He tells everyone what he needs to have," Schimmel said. "If you're right, he tells you. If something is going wrong he tells you too. It's necessary."
Having support kept Lindemer motivated over the years, he said.
"You can change things," Lindemer said. "You can really make things better."
The garrison's public works directorate provides base operation supports to the Rheinland-Pfalz Army Community, part of the largest U.S. military community overseas. They serve Army posts in Kaiserslautern, Landstuhl, Miesau, Sembach, Germersheim, Gruenstadt, Baumholder and Pirmasens.
Since 2005, Lindemer's efforts helped relocate U.S. Army Europe units displaced by the closure of other U.S. bases in Europe. He often faced short timelines and budget constraints, but always found ways to renovate buildings for Soldiers to occupy. But, he liked the challenges.
"Everything can fly you just have t put enough thrust to it," Lindemer said, harkening back to his days in aviation. "There's always a solution."
When the U.S. Navy wanted to move its Warrior Transition Processing center from Kuwait to Sembach Kaserne, Lindemer quickly turned the $10 million project into reality. They moved in six months later.
Lindemer's demonstrated leadership traits recently won him the Department of the Army's Engineering and Planning Executive of the Year Award, said William Holz, the garrison's former public works director. His knowledge of construction, design, planning, and the various construction contract vehicles has made him a major contributor to quality of life of the Soldiers, families, and civilians living and working at the U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, Holz wrote of Lindemer in the award nomination.
"He's simply the finest engineer that I've ever worked with and he is truly deserving of this recognition for his years of hard work and service to the Army," Holz said.
Lindemer's legacy also endures on the rooftops of the garrison's warehouse rooftops, where photovoltaic panels contribute to renewable energy and conservation efforts that Lindemer helped spearhead. The garrison receives an offset on electrical consumption and maintenance of the roofs for the next 20 years.
"In another organization, I couldn't have done this," said Lindemer, adding that the U.S. Army empowers employees, supports them and allows them to do great things.
Recently, Lindemer delayed his retirement to support the directorate. Lindemer now hopes to spend more time on his motorcycle and the on the golf course. Looking back, he's very satisfied with his career, he said.
"It was never ever boring for me in the U.S Army" Lindemer said. "It was a fantastic and challenging job."
Social Sharing