On the initiative of the Commander of the Multinational Corps Northeast Lieutenant General Rainer Korff, a German-Polish meeting on assistance systems offered to soldiers wounded in missions was held in Baltic Barracks on 15 December 2011.
The German delegation was headed by Brigadier General Christof Munzlinger from the German Ministry of Defence, whereas the Polish side was represented by members of the Association of Wounded Soldiers Injured in Missions Abroad headed by Mr Daniel Kubas, the Chairman of the Association.
‘It is always worthwhile to exchange not only views but also to exchange experiences and to talk to each other,’ said Brigadier General Christof Munzlinger who is the Commissioner for all soldiers of the German Armed Forces who have been wounded physically or psychologically during missions abroad. ‘It was our first contact to the Polish colleagues and we are grateful to the Multinational Corps Northeast to host us here in this splendid manner,’ General Munzlinger added.
The bilateral talks were about exchanging experiences about various ways to efficiently support the wounded soldiers and families of the soldiers killed in missions. ‘The meeting combined two planes because the German delegation was from the Ministry of Defence whereas we are a non-governmental organisation that naturally acts on a different ground but we have common aims and this meeting has clearly proved that,’ said Mr Tomasz Kloc, the Deputy Chairman and Spokesperson of the Association of Wounded Soldiers Injured in Missions Abroad. ‘We should further exchange experiences and introduce good solutions used by others back at home,’ he said noticing the advantage of unifying the range of assistance offered to soldiers from different countries who serve together in missions abroad. ‘We will think about what we have heard and we will pave the way for others to come together,’ General Munzlinger said about the outcome of the meeting stressing two major ideas: synergy and sympathy. ‘It needs recognition of our societies all over the world what the military people do for their countries and for the better world to come; the personal sacrifices they offer should be honoured,’ General Munzlinger said.
Photo by SGT Maksymilian Halec, POL A
