Katalin Birta interviewed me in May 2010 for an article in the Bundeswehr aktuell, which then also appeared on page 25 of issue 2010 on May 20, 3.
International soldier family
13 German soldiers are also taking part in the EU training mission "EUTM Somalia" in Uganda.
On May 1st, the European Union launched its 14th ongoing mission: the training mission for the Somali armed forces “EUTM Somalia”. Thirteen German soldiers will take part in this mission in Uganda, six are already on site. One of them is Lieutenant Colonel Heinrich Kümmerle from the Operational Command and Response Forces Command (KdoOpFüEingrKr) in Ulm. The Senior German Officer (DDO) is stationed as a Staff Officer at Headquarters in Kampala and is expected to remain there until November. aktuell spoke to him about his first impressions and the work on site.
What is the mandate of the EU mission?
The non-executive mission "EUTM Somalia" is intended to strengthen the Somali transitional government by training its own security forces in Uganda and to support the Ugandan training of these Somali security forces that is already taking place with an EU training mission.
And what are the tasks of the German soldiers?
First of all, we have a training assignment - and that's why we're deployed in Uganda. Three of the comrades are part of a German-Hungarian training team designed to train future Somali non-commissioned officers. From August there will be seven more soldiers, so that we will be complete. These will ensure the telecommunications training provided for in the training program. We also deployed two soldiers as “real life supporters”. These ensure that all of our comrades at the Bihanga location have accommodation, food and access to other amenities in their limited free time.
My main task as the staff officer of "EUTM Somalia" is to ensure that we always have enough well-trained and operational soldiers on site to be able to fulfill the mission.
Who are the local German soldiers reporting to?
As members of "EUTM Somalia" we all report to the Colonel Ricardo Silvestre Gonzalez Elul, the Spanish Mission Commander. The soldiers in Bihanga also report to an Italian lieutenant colonel who is responsible for on-site training.
What conditions did you find when you arrived in Uganda?
The headquarters have moved into quarters in the northeast of Kampala in a small hotel complex. The EU training camp is located within a Ugandan military camp in Bihanga. Both properties are well suited for order fulfillment, even if not all the necessary construction work has yet been completed due to the rainy season. We either brought our equipment with us or, as in the case of the vehicles, bought it on site. We receive food and other everyday items from civilian companies.
The Ugandan population welcomed us very friendly and gladly welcomed us into their midst. The work with our Ugandan partners runs quite smoothly and harmoniously. However, the climate in general and the weather in particular pose a challenge for all of us – it is still the rainy season here at the moment. A very interesting experience for a camp in the making and its inhabitants, and also for the soldiers in permanent quarters.
How were you prepared for the mission?
As a member of the KdoOpFüEingrKr, I am mainly involved in the preparation and implementation of exercises and operations of the EU. My job, which I do in Ulm, in other headquarters, on training grounds or in action, differs mainly only in the location of the workplace.
I received the necessary information by e-mail in advance for my assignment at "EUTM Somalia", so that I could get in touch with my comrades immediately. We then received a one-week briefing from the Operations Command in Potsdam. I also had the opportunity to meet many of my comrades in Brussels.
Has the training of the Somali soldiers already started?
Unfortunately, not yet, to our great regret. At the moment we are still waiting for our Ugandan comrades to hand over the soldiers they have already pre-trained and selected to us for further training.
And what challenges do you expect when training these soldiers?
The majority of our instructors are very experienced soldiers. We also ensure training through “training teams”. That's why we don't see any major challenges ahead.
It is also ensured that there is a Kenyan translator in each training group. Just as each training team is reinforced by two Ugandan trainers who were previously involved in the basic training of the Somali soldiers. We also have a number of instructors who speak the local languages. If some of the Somalis are even illiterate, we have taken this into account and tailored our training concepts accordingly. Mainly, however, we apply the well-established "VENÜ" principle: demonstrate, explain, imitate, practice.
Which nations are you working with and how does the cooperation work?
A total of 14 EU nations are involved in the mission. We are also supported by Kenyans who act as translators and Ugandan soldiers.
The cooperation in our "small" contingent is going extremely well. One would almost be tempted to say that we are a “family” here. Each of us is needed, but none of us can work alone. The working and leisure language is English. Because it hardly ever happens that soldiers of a nation are among themselves. English is spoken again in the third sentence at the latest. For the British and Irish among us, however, this is a bit of a challenge from time to time.
“This is a military operation. Nothing ever goes according to plan."
Terence Stamp as Colonel General Ludwig Beck in Valkyrie (2008)
