Former CSM Brett Waterhouse receives award

Donald Brett Waterhouse, former Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz until December 2020, is the first recipient of the WiR! Appreciation Award. WiR! is the acronym for the State Government Program “Willkommen in Rheinland-Pfalz!” (“Welcome to Rheinland-Pfalz!”) which also translates to “we” in English.

The award is presented annually to a select member of U.S. military leadership in Rheinland-Pfalz who demonstrated an exceptional commitment to promoting the local German-American exchange during his/her assignment.

Brett Waterhouse was a shining example of how the strong U.S. military host nation partnership is being cultivated on various levels. In the 2 1/2 years of his assignment he built bridges with the host nation community, advocating for service members to engage with the local population and to experience the German culture during their stay.

In his position as command sergeant major he constantly fostered the German-American understanding, always with a friendly ear for local civic leaders and encouraging close cooperation to the benefit of all community members. He was ever-present in the local community and attended countless social occasions on and off duty, showing his passion for intercultural exchange. With his open-mindedness he enriched German-American Stammtisch gatherings, local festivities, on-base events, etc. and made sure to help connect Americans with their neighbors.

Due to the current COVID situation and applying ordinances, an official award ceremony was not held. Instead, a virtual interview was conducted to discuss Mr. Waterhouse’s notion of the local German-American relationship, his experiences during his time in Germany and his most memorable moments. The video can be found on the program’s YouTube channel @Welcome to Rheinland-Pfalz.

The State Program “Welcome to Rheinland-Pfalz! Our Neighbors from the USA” is funded by the State Ministry of the Interior. The main goal is to support American service members to settle in the area and bring together Germans and Americans in the villages near U.S. military installations in Ramstein/Kaiserslautern, Baumholder and Spangdahlem, thus promoting an open and active German-American community.