BAUMHOLDER, Germany -- For most people, the holidays are full of joyful family time and cheer between close friends, but for some Soldiers stationed overseas, this is not always the case.
To help make the holidays more enjoyable for these Soldiers, the Baumholder Military Community sponsors Operation Good Cheer. The program introduces Soldiers who would otherwise be alone during the holidays to host-nation families who invite the Soldiers into their homes for the holiday season.
This year, Operation Good Cheer connected about a dozen Soldiers with German families who live in villages and towns near U.S. military installations in Baumholder, to include the towns of Baumholder, Sensweiler, Idar Oberstein and Traben Trarbach, among others. The program existed for more than 30 years, but because of increased operational support and deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, it was on put on hold in 2005 and not reinstated until 10 years later in 2015.
Klaus and Angelika Hettrich started participating in Operation Good Cheer in 1993. From 1993 to 2005, as well as 2015, they hosted a different U.S. Soldier in their home every year. Last year, Spcs. Rashawn and Brianne James visited their home for the holidays, and a close bond was immediately formed.
"We've asked for Rashawn and Brianne again this year. Sadly (for us), Brianne and their 7-month-old son Dezmond will be visiting family in California, but knowing that Rashawn will be here alone during that time -- we of course asked him to come to our home," Klaus said.
Klaus said for him and his family, it's easy to build close friendships with the U.S. Soldiers stationed in Germany. For example, one Soldier they invited to their home for the holidays more than 10 years ago is still one of their closest friends.
"We went to his wedding in Colorado in 2012, and his two young daughters now have a German grandpa," he said.
"I suppose in my case it's something in my blood," said Klaus, whose father was a U.S. Soldier in Baumholder from 1954 to 1958. "My father went back to the U.S. when I was only 2 years old, and I never saw him again. I think I feel such a closeness to American Soldiers because of this."
Two Soldiers the retired furniture maker and his wife now feel very close to are Rashawn, a small arms repair technician, and Brianne, a generator mechanic. Both are assigned to the 317th Maintenance Company, 18th Combat Service and Support Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade, and both said they feel a strong connection to Klaus and Angelika and their son, Geronimo.
"We didn't know what to expect last year when we went over to their house during the holidays for dinner," said Rashawn. "To this day, we are very close. They take us sightseeing, to city fests and invite us over for birthdays and barbeques. They have even babysat our son on short notice."
For the Neumann family from Idar Oberstein, this will be their first year participating in the Operation Good Cheer program. They read about it in their city newspaper and decided to sign up. The local ad was one of several announcements for the program overseen by U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz's Baumholder Host Nation Adviser with the Public Affairs Office, Bernd Mai.
"Celebrating Christmas alone in a foreign country must be one of the worst things imaginable. And now some U.S. soldiers from Baumholder can experience the spirit of a family atmosphere this Christmas. These Soldiers are provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Mai, creator of the Operation Good Cheer program. "It is very nice that German families open their hearts and homes for our Soldiers. Many of the Soldiers are in a foreign country for the first time and have to celebrate the holidays away from their loved ones. With the host families taking part in this superb program, Soliders are able to become familiar with a new culture and make new memories to take back home."
Mai said he was glad to bring the program back after it lapsed for a decade.
"After a break of 10 years, we revitalized the program in 2015. Last year, we had three interested Soldiers, and this year, we have 10," he said. "Hopefully in the future, it will continue to improve. We, here at Baumholder, put a lot of work in this program, and seeing the happy faces of the Soldiers and hearing their spirited conversations at the pre-meeting is something that makes me happy."
For Steffan and Claudia Neumann, international exchange programs and good will toward other cultures and nationalities is part of who they are. Their daughter was in the U.S. as an exchange student for a year, their son is attending American University on a soccer scholarship and they hosted a Chinese student in their home for two weeks last year.
But bringing a U.S. Soldier into their home is something new and something the whole family looks forward to, said Tessa Nuemann, a 17-year-old student and the daughter of Steffan and Claudia. When Steffan, Claudia and Tessa were introduced to Pfc. Darius Isaac at the meet and greet event Dec. 8, there were immediate smiles and friendly conversation. They seemed to instantly connect with the utilities and equipment repair Soldier assigned to Service Company, 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment.
Isaac, who has only been in Germany for about two months, asked the Nuemann family what interesting things there are to visit and see while in Germany, specifically in their town. Tessa after suggesting a few places, to include a traditional German Christmas market, said it will be fun when her brother visits for the holidays since he's coming from the U.S.
"I'm interested in learning about different cultures, our whole family is," Tessa said. "This gives us another opportunity to do so. And my aunt always goes crazy when she cooks for Christmas, so there'll be plenty of food," she added.
After the initial meeting Dec. 8 at the Warrior Zone to introduce the Soldiers and German families, plans were made and dates were set for when the Soldiers would spend time in the opened homes of their German hosts during the holidays.
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