German engineer enjoys work detail at U.S. Army Tropic Regions Test Center

By Mr. Mark Schauer (ATEC)September 7, 2016

German engineer enjoys work detail at U.S. Army Tropic Regions Test Center
Assigned to U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground's Tropic Regions Test Center (TRTC) for one year, Martin Hummel, an engineer from the German military's Bundeswehr Technical Center for Protective and Special Technologies, is excited to have the opportunity,... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

YUMA PROVING GROUND, Ariz.-- As the Army's premier test facility, U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) has an international reputation and customer base.

It is fitting, then, that the proving ground also hosts engineers from partner foreign nations for long-term details as part of the Army's Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program.

Assigned to YPG's Tropic Regions Test Center (TRTC) for one year, Martin Hummel, an engineer from the German military's Bundeswehr Technical Center for Protective and Special Technologies, is excited to have the opportunity, for professional and personal reasons.

"Technical stuff and work details are important, but so is learning about the society, language and culture of allied countries," he said.

Hummel's work at TRTC isn't his first experience in the United States, though. He had been to Fresno, California to visit a brother who lived in the country for a year, and in 2008 he resided for five months in Alabama. Hummel says he finds his current American stint much more rewarding.

"In Alabama it was a German company with German workers, so you talked German to each other and had no chance to learn the language. That was a big disadvantage. It wasn't an actual exchange."

Hummel's branch of engineering, mechatronics, is a multidisciplinary combination of mechanical, electrical, and information technology. He describes his test center in Germany as similar in mission, but smaller in sheer geographic size than YPG. Likewise, the breadth of YPG's extreme climate testing, encompassing desert, cold, and tropical natural environments dwarfs his previous experience.

"Everything is brand new to me because we just have a temperate climate in Europe," he said. "There are a lot of things I didn't think about before that are very important. Hopefully when I return to Germany I can tell them how significant tropic testing is and that we should test some of our materials in a tropic environment."

Having met TRTC director Ernest Hugh at Bundeswehr during a visit there in 2015, Hummel requested to be assigned to TRTC when he applied for the exchange program. Granted his wish, there was plenty to do to prepare for his lengthy stay, from finding housing and furniture to getting an Arizona driver's license. Fortunately, Hummel had plenty of help from YPG personnel in negotiating the processes.

"Arriving at a new location, not to mention a cultural change, can be overwhelming" said Hugh. "The Hummel family transition and command group sponsorship was one of the smoothest and best I've witnessed, a model to follow."

Hummel and wife, Ursula, have taken advantage of their off-duty time to visit places like San Diego, Palm Springs and Tucson. Hummel hopes to someday host one or more of his YPG colleagues for a similar exchange in Germany, but looks forward to the several months he has left at TRTC.

"We enjoy each minute here," Hummel said. "We are a little sad about leaving at the end of the program."