Commentary: Police President Michael Denne

Ladies and Gentlemen,

“70 years Air Base Ramstein,” a reason to celebrate! On behalf of the employees of the Rheinland- Pfalz Police, Headquarters Westpfalz Kaiserslautern, I would like to congratulate you on this accomplishment.

Through the Ramstein gateway, the U.S. Air Force made a significant contribution to the stability and security of Germany, its NATO allies in Europe and beyond. Together, our nations stand for a strong transatlantic alliance, which is also reflected regionally here in the Westpfalz. People with different ethnical or cultural backgrounds interacted to preserve a free democratic basic order.

The region is influenced positively by your presence. Friendships and trust have been built.

As a regional employer, the Air Base Ramstein is an economic key factor to this region. It fills many people with pride to work in this international environment.

In the past decades, the Police of Rheinland-Pfalz has worked closely with the Air Base Ramstein and its organizations to ensure safety of the community. Joint German-American downtown patrols in the city of Kaiserslautern are a common sight and provide additional safety. The German Police Liaison Office on Ramstein Air Base is another proof of our long term partnership. This partnership has also stood its test in difficult times — for example during Operation Allies Refuge.

This special partnership is built on reliability and trust. I would like to thank you, the responsible people assigned to Ramstein Air Base, for your work and commitment and I look forward to many more years of excellent cooperation and friendship.

Michael Denne

Police President

Polizeipräsidium Westpfalz