Ed’s BarGrafenwöhr, 2014
“Mom”Grafenwöhr, 2014
“I joined the Army August 7 2012. I always wantedto - ever since I was a kid I was running around inan Army uniform and a BB gun. My parents al-ways knew I was gonna join. I wanted to serve mycountry in the best way I could. After basic train-ing I came to Germany and deployed from here toAfghanistan.” – Jay
Jay, 20 South Carolina Grafenwöhr, 2014
Deutsch-Amerikanisches Volksfest #1 Grafenwöhr, 2015
Die US Army Garnison Grafenwöhr und derDeutsch-Amerikanische Gemeinsame Aus-schuss Grafenwöhr (DAGA) veranstalten jedesJahr das „Deutsch-Amerikanisches Volksfest“.Hierfür wird ein Teil des Truppenübungsplatzes,jedoch nicht die Kaserne, für die Öffentlichkeitzugänglich gemacht. Neben Fahrgeschäften undEssensständen mit meist amerikanischen Lecke-reien werden auch Konzerte auf dem Geländeveranstaltet, sowie eine Waffen-, Fahrzeug- undGeräteschau der deutschen Bundeswehr und derUS Army. Auch auf anderen Stützpunkten wer-den ähnliche Volksfeste veranstaltet. Auf demVolksfest gibt es neben deutschem Bier auchimportiertes amerikanisches Bier. Der gesam-te Erlös des Volksfestes wird ausschließlich fürgute Zwecke verwendet, wie zum Beispiel füreinen Jugend- und Studentenaustausch zwischenDeutschland und den USA. Mit über 100.000 Be-suchern ist das Volksfest einer der größten Treff-punkte deutsch-amerikanischer Freundschaft.Zu diesem Fest kommen nicht nur Angehörigeder US Army, sondern auch amerikanische Zivi-listen aus ganz Bayern und deutsche Freunde des„American way of life“.
Deutsch-Amerikanisches Volksfest #2 Grafenwöhr, 2015
Deutsch-Amerikanisches Volksfest #3Grafenwöhr, 2015
Deutsch-Amerikanisches Volksfest #4 Grafenwöhr, 2015
Thanksgiving Stammtisch Kontakt Club Ansbach Ansbach, 2014
Um die Integration in die Gemeinde der Gast-geberstadt zu erleichtern und einen Austauschzwischen Deutschen und Amerikanern zu schaf-fen, gibt es sogenannte “Deutsch-AmerikanischeKontakt Clubs”. Diese veranstalten eine Viel-zahl von Unternehmungen sowie regelmäßigeStammtische und fördern dadurch die deutsch-amerikanische Freundschaft und den kulturellenAustausch. Vor allem für Neuankömmlinge istdies ein Weg in Deutschland und der Stadt Fußzu fassen und Deutsche kennenzulernen.
Kontakt Club Grafenwöhr Grafenwöhr, 2014
„Moving allows people to reinvent themselves, tostart from scratch, and to get out of the comfortzone. Travel broadens the mental horizons as aperson copes with culture shock and new experi-ences. As a person that does not like being in oneplace for too long, travel is perfect.The biggest hardship of military life is separationfrom family and friends, whether during deploy-ments or moving to another bases. With eachperson that you lose touch with due to time anddistance, a piece of your heart seems to crumb-le. Trying to maintain a healthy relationship is astruggle. It is easy to develop feelings for a person,a challenge to continue to develop love over timewhen you are together, an absolute struggle tonourish those feelings when you are separated forweeks, months, or years, and a nightmare to watchthe embers of the fire fade and die one by one asyou desperately attempt to hold on to the memoryof the warmth that you once enjoyed.“ – Joshua
Joshua, 31 MontanaKontakt Club Ansbach, 2014
Interview – Joshua, 31 aus MontanaSeit fünf Jahren Soldat, davon 16 Monate in Deutschland stationiert.How long do you usually live on one base? If there is a glacier-peaked mountain overlooking al-2 - 3 years pine valleys, plenty of solitude, and trails to explore, then I am home. In America there are a couple of plac-How many times have you been relocated? es that I love: the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia and3 Glacier National Park in Montana. They are peaceful, pristine, isolated, challenging.Do you have control over where you will bemoving next? What do you need in order to feel at home?Sometimes you can make requests, but true control is Home as in Heimat: Peace, natural beauty, isolationan illusion. from the bustling cities. Home as in a place to “hang my hat”: A little privacy,Do you have friends in the German community? a place to curl up into a ball and sleep, My toothbrush,How did you meet? and my iPhone.Most of my German friends have been made through Home as in the place you look forward to going everyjoint training. I normally work too much to make day: Your other half - the person that can distract youfriends otherwise. from the stresses of the day, that accepts you for the flawed human being you are, and that can deal withDo you feel integrated and welcome in the town of the uncertainties and separation inherent in the ArmyAnsbach and its community? Why? lifestyle.I like Ansbach. I know my way around the surround-ing communities and feel at home here. From what Which items do you need to feel at home and keepI have gathered, the Franconians are very similar to moving them from one place to another?people I grew up with. My most “sacred” personnel items are my iPhone, my toothbrush, Internet, my car, and sunglasses. I likeGermans have the word “Heimat” which loosely having my computer and iPad. But, like my bicycle,translates to “home” or “homeland” – it doesn’t they are secondary.necessarily mean the place you were born rather aplace or culture where you belong or feel grounded Name 3 rituals are essential to you?in. The English phrase which would relate to it best A hot morning shower. My equivalent of drinking cof-would probably be “Home is where the heart is” – fee. Mapping out all that I need to accomplish each day.where is your “Heimat”? Destressing and reflecting on the day before going to sleep.
How do you perceive the two “worlds” or nations cultures. If one were to compare the typical Bavarianthat you live in? family to the typical non-military American family, inI honestly perceive the two worlds as one. There is no both cases one would see people that are doing theirfear or trepidation when I leave base. Sometimes I best to take care of their families. Every group will havehave adventures trying to communicate, but that is my rotten eggs, and individuals may have their own indul-fault. As a whole both communities attempt to reach gences, vices, bad manners, etc. there may be differentout to each other to make everyone’s lives easier. fashion trends and individual holidays. But we are all people. In this case both cultures are Eurocentric. IfWould you consider living in the housing of USAG anything the Americans are more used to convenience.Ansbach as living in the US or abroad by how it In the US many stores are open 24/7.feels?Living in the barracks is like living in the barracks back But the military has its own unique subculture that ex-in the US. I had my own place back in the US strictly to ists strictly because of necessity. The demands placedhave privacy. That is not an option for me here, but it on families and service members almost universallyis not the end of the world. At least I am not sleeping in shape our thinking. We have a programmed sense ofa tent on metal cots with another soldier a foot away. being invincible. We have to have that type of resilienceBut at the end of the day, living on the kasernes them- because of the job. And family members have to have itselves subconsciously feels like living in America. But to convince themselves that, no matter what, everyonethat is principally due to everyone speaking English. is coming home safely. Otherwise, we would all be par- alyzed by fear and unable to accomplish our missions.Is the fence/the border a struggle or at least anissue in your everyday life?The only issue is waiting to get on post. I have to gothrough the gates to three kasernes each day. But aftera few weeks here, that becomes normal.What would you say is the biggest differencebetween the Bavarians and the members andfamilies of the US Army Garrison?The easiest answer would be the language. But theBavarians and the military represent two separate
Dank | AcknowledgementsAndreas Kreuzer and staff at Public Affairs Office USAG Bavaria/ GrafenwöhrStephen Baack and staff at Public Affairs Office USAG AnsbachInfante FamilyGertrud LeiatoJoshua NoblesAnne TorzaProf. Thomas GüntherRoland & Sabine HartigMoritz KienastFranziska SchrödingerPaul KrehanFamilie KienastArndt WittenbergStiftung Bayerisches Amerikahaus gGmbHU.S. Consulate General in Munichund den vielen anderen, die dieses Projekt und dessen Realisation unterstützt haben.and to all the others who supported the project and its feasibility.München 2015 © Lila Hartig | lilaheart.com | facebook.com/51stStateLilaHartigDruck: wirmachendruck.deDieses Projekt entstand als Abschlussarbeit im Studiengang Fotodesign an der Hochschule München
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