WIESBADEN, Germany – Growing up in an area of the German state of Baden-Württemberg where the French military had forces stationed, Silke Gaiser did not have any connections to the Americans who were living throughout much of the rest Germany.
That changed when, during a short break in her studies in 2001, she took a small, four-week summer hire job with the U.S. Army.
“That started in Hohenfels, like two days after Sept. 11. We started as civilians on the battlefield, so that was the first contact, actually, and when I realized the U.S. forces had several garrisons in Germany,” Gaiser said.
“For me, it was new. To get in, it was more restrictive,” she said, coming in the immediate aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks. A few years, moves and jobs later, both with the Army and in the private sector, Gaiser, whose husband also works for the Army, continues on her career in a unique overseas position.
Gaiser is now the lead real estate specialist for Installation Management Command-Europe and was recently named the Region hero of the month.
Since joining IMCOM-Europe in September 2021, she has been twice promoted and “has worked tirelessly at 33 percent staff for the last 18 months,” said Katrina Cameron, Gaiser’s supervisor and chief of master planning, real property, and real estate.
Gaiser has a portfolio of 170,000 acres of land on 122 sites, with 32,000 assets, including 97 million square feet of buildings and a total value of $48 billion in plant replacement value. She is also involved in driving real estate requirements related to stationing actions.
“Her position (overseas) is uniquely unparalleled by any other Army real estate professional. She works across seven different countries, cultures and languages and navigates both the U.S. and foreign government officials with great sophistication,” Cameron said.
Contrasting her position at the region headquarters with her time at U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart, Gaiser appreciates having contact with all the garrisons.
“I like visiting other garrisons, because I can always compare what’s going on at different garrisons, how things are handled differently,” she said. “Every garrison has another focus.”
In her spare time, Gaiser likes spending time with her family, cycling and gardening.
“I’m trying vegetables now. And the great thing is that 10 or 15 years ago, someone planted asparagus,” she said, adding that her purple asparagus, while unusual in Germany, is more common in France. “This year I decided I’m going to take care of it, because it’s really fascinating.”
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