An official website of the United States government Here's how you know

21st TSC participates in third annual Sankt Goar community clean-up

By Master Sgt. Terysa KingMay 6, 2024

Sankt Goar 2024 Cleanup
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Kenny Thai (left), finance officer, with the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, and Bundeswehr Stabsunteroffizier John Teixeira (right), with the 7th Company of Medical Regiment 2, lift a long out of the waterway at the Sankt Goar cleanup in Sankt Goar, Germany, on April 26, 2024. Clearing the waterways saved the city from potential overflow issues in the future and allowed U.S forces to strengthen their ties with the city. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Scott Sparks) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Scott Sparks) VIEW ORIGINAL

SANKT GOAR, Germany – U.S. Army Soldiers with the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, in partnership with the Bundeswehr Sanitatsregiment 2, teamed up in the third annual Sankt Goar community clean-up project April 26, 2024.

This project started in July 2022 to build positive joint military and community relations and clean the town of Sankt Goar, which is a significant World War II site. Sankt Goar hosted U.S. Armed forces during World War II during a time when U.S. forces were based in Sankt Goar and fought against Nazis occupying nearby towns.

“We adopted this town two years ago, and we’re just continuing to build upon this relationship,” said Lt. Col. Roydrego V. Lavant, 21st TSC adjutant general. “The Army’s ties to this community goes back to World War II, when we had the 89th Division here fighting against the Nazis. We’re continuing with those ties, and with that legacy.”

The 21st TSC was hosted by the Mayor of Sankt Goar, Mr. Falko Hoenisch, and several members of the German Army’s medical unit based in Falckenstein Kaserne in Kolbenz, Germany. The participants broke into teams to remove forest debris from five different locations that were blocking the steady flow of water into the Rhine River. Each team was led by an experienced public works city worker who was familiar with the uneven terrain.

“It’s very important to clear these creeks in the event we have strong rains and other possible things that can happen,” said Hoenisch. “[It’s important] that the creeks are empty and that the water can actually run all the way to the Rhine without having any congestion on the way there.”

After the clean-up, everyone came together for a barbeque hosted by the USO to build upon the existing relationship between the U.S. Army and the residents of Sankt Goar.

“These types of joint operations are extremely important,” said Lavant. “Not only do they bring us together to build an alliance. They serve a higher purpose of helping to maintain that alliance and making it even stronger. When we, the U.S. military, get the opportunity to coming together with our German allies, we gain a better understanding of their culture and a better appreciation for their country’s history.”

Sankt Goar was the site of a major U.S. offensive during World War II. The 89th Infantry Division conducted a large-scale nighttime water crossing across the Rhine River. Through intense combat conditions and many casualties, the division succeeded in securing a beachhead for U.S. forces to cross the Rhine and expedite the war’s conclusion.