WIESBADEN, Germany -- With his three-year overseas tour as the Installation Management Command-Europe International Relations Advisor nearing an end, Kurt Simmons said he will miss the diversity of his portfolio – “I’m not sure I’ll find anything like this going forward.”
Simmons arrived to the region headquarters in March 2022 with the primary responsibilities to identify the correct host nation officials to assist IMCOM-E leadership, senior staff, and Garrison Commanders (if required) in accomplishing their missions; clarify the correct host nation process for addressing any issues;
and to ensure Army leaders are prepared to enter meetings or one-on-one discussions with their host nation counterparts.
“My portfolio includes all of our host nation partners outside of Germany, but I do support my colleague who covers Germany when needed,” he explained. “I’ve also picked up the role of coordinating US-US strategic engagements (such as State Department or Congressional visits to IMCOM-E installations) and ensuring our strategic messaging is synched with USAREUR-AF.”
It wasn’t a huge leap for Simmons, when he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Army after 25-plus years, where he had been working in the Civil Affairs career field, following time as a combat engineer.
“My military background was in Civil Affairs and my doctorate work focused on International Relations, so this job allows me to continue to work in field I’m passionate about,” he said. “The most interesting part of my job is being able to work on a wide variety of issues across so many different countries.”
Conversely, the most challenging part of his job is learning fast and on the go: “I always find that for someone with a specialized background it’s difficult to get invited into a discussion unless there’s a problem that needs to be solved; that means it takes time to catch up on things before I can really advise on a viable solution.”
One of the major programs Simmons has been involved in here include being part of the USAG Poland staffing requirements development; where he subsequently helped plan the first meeting between IMCOM-Europe Director Tommy Mize, the Polish Minister of Defense, the U.S. Ambassador to Poland, and the V Corps commander. He also helped plan and execute the 75th Berlin Airlift Anniversary VIP Reception, which IMCOM-E hosted, and he’s served as the lead for shaping over twenty DOD and Army Senior Leader engagements for IMCOM-E.
“As a trained political scientist, the ability to observe changes in the political atmosphere across Europe firsthand, particularly when you consider the impact of the events in Ukraine and the change of administrations in the US, is amazing,” said Simmons. “Most experts in the U.S. only get to see this through the lens of the media or talk show pundits, we have the opportunity to see how these changes are affecting the host nation partners we work with and the communities we live in.”
Simmons said the most gratifying part of his job has been serving Soldiers, civilians, retirees, and family members – “I’d like to think I contributed to that effort.”
Although he will miss the unique aspects of his international relations mission, he has been working here as a geo-bachelor and looks forward to getting back to his family in the states: his wife Kimberly and their daughters Rachel and Lillian.
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