MANNHEIM, Germany -- A platoon and a three-Soldier color guard from the 527th Military Police Company, 709th MP Battalion, 18th MP Brigade had the privilege of participating in a Feldjaeger Change of Command ceremony Nov. 2 at Castle Schleissheim in Munich, Germany.
Command of Feldjaeger Battalion 451 was passed from German Lt. Col. Kai Hadlich to German Lt. Col. Thomas Speck.
Feldjaegers are the German equivalent of U.S. Army military police. The U.S. and German forces have created a tradition of working closely with one another, a tradition which was strengthened with the participation of MPs in the Feldjaeger ceremony.
The ceremony was presided over by German Brig. Gen. Johann Berger, deputy commander, Defense Command IV, and attended by members of the royal family of Bavaria, 18th MP Bde. leadership, former commanders of Feldjaeger Battalion 451, friends, family and political and business representatives from the local community.
With a level of pageantry unique to German ceremonies, the scene of the event-the garden of Castle Schleissheim-was made more grand by the many traditional German elements that were a part of the ceremony.
The bold and decorative uniforms of the Royal Bavarian (Infantry) Household Regiment stood out prominently through the morning fog with their striking colors and ornate decorations. Also adding to the distinctiveness of the ceremony was the presence of a civilian salute battery dressed in traditional garb, who carried traditional, large-caliber, Bavarian guns, which they used at the end of the ceremony to render honors. A German Armed Forces band from Garmisch-Partenkirchen also dressed in traditional clothes and provided remarkable performances during the ceremony's marches and national anthems.
For the U.S. servicemembers in attendance, despite the many difference between a U.S. and a German ceremony, there were elements that were noticeably shared by the two services. The passing of the unit's colors from Berger to the incoming commander was a familiar sight, as was the pass and review of the troops by the outgoing and incoming commanders.
For the Soldiers of the 527th MP Co. this ceremony was a unique opportunity to stand beside their counterparts and strengthen the partnership between U.S. and German forces while joining together in recognizing the accomplishments that have been made with past leadership as well as those to come under the new leadership.
Following the ceremony, a reception was held inside the castle where MPs and Feldjaegers were able to interact with one another less formally and where Col. Thomas Evans, the 18th MP Bde. commander, presented Hadlich with a plaque in appreciation of the partnership Hadlich has helped to maintain between the Feldjaegers and the MPs.
Events such as this Change of Command are one of the many ways that the MPs and the Feldjaegers are able to strengthen their partnership and cement their commitment to its continued growth.
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