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Light shone through a large window one late afternoon, reflecting off the many plaques, awards and gifts set on a table for one man with a distinguished career.
That man, Lt. Col. Dieter Biedekarken, inspector general of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 7th Civil Support Command on Daenner Kaserne, has served for more than 27 years in the military.
The scene was set for his retirement ceremony, an event conducted to recognize his dedication to the military and nation. Although Colonel Biedekarken does not officially retire until Monday, he submitted his terminal leave to prepare for his life after retirement.
Colonel Biedekarken, a native of Cologne, Germany, said he enjoyed his career because it involved people from all over the world.
“What I enjoyed the most in military life was the sense of camaraderie and closeness with my fellow Soldiers,” he said. “I don’t think you can ever find anything close to that in civilian life. The variety of different jobs that I had in the Army and the moving around the world made for a most interesting life.”
His first significant assignment exposed him to many challenging, but beneficial, times, he said.
“My platoon was made up of the best tankers in Europe,” Colonel Biedekarken said. “I had literally interviewed and handpicked the 15 members of my platoon as we had been selected to participate in the Canadian Army Trophy Team competition. This was at the time (of) the most prestigious NATO tank shooting competition.”
Then came the period when Saddam Hussein and his regime invaded Kuwait. Colonel Biedekarken was ordered to deploy with his unit for the planned invasion of Iraq.
“I was deployed in Desert Storm as a tank platoon leader with the 2nd Armored Division (Forward) from Garlstedt, Germany,” he said. “The war prevented us from participating in the shooting match, but I still got to keep my hand-selected crews.”
Later, Colonel Biedekarken came back to Germany and didn’t see war for more than a decade until he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 1st Armored Division Rear Operations Center out of Wiesbaden, Germany.
“I was the full-time active Guard Reserve operations officer of the unit at the time,” he said. “Both experiences taught me how extraordinary situations really bring out the best in human beings.”
Then, he moved up to serve as the deputy inspector general for the 7th Army Reserve Command, a headquarters element that recently transformed and activated as the 7th CSC in October 2008. For the last year of his tour, he was the command’s inspector general.
“A Soldier retires. Such a simple statement,” said Brig. Gen. Jimmie Jaye Wells, 7th CSC commanding general and guest speaker at the retirement ceremony. “Yet a lifetime of service to our country just passed. As news of troop surges and massive movements of Soldiers become passé in our daily news, it’s easy to lose sight of who ‘troops’ are. We’re America’s sons and daughters as well as from other countries.”
General Wells said he felt privileged to have been a part of Colonel Biedekarken’s retirement ceremony.
“At the end of a decade in which our Army has been on point for our nation it is also the end of a Soldier’s career,” General Wells said. “He, like most of us, is no hero. Yet he is an American Soldier with a unique story worth knowing.”
Colonel Biedekarken now lives in California, where he has started working on his new life.
“I don’t think it has really registered yet that I have more time now,” he said. “My wife and I have been extremely busy settling matters here in San Diego … plus, we are enjoying immensely the wonderful weather and being able to be
outdoors here in Southern California.”
Colonel Biedekarken said if he had the opportunity he would tell first-term Soldiers to keep a positive outlook regardless of the situation.
“A military career with the right attitude can be the most rewarding time in your life with experiences that no civilian career could ever give you,” he said. “And where else can you retire in your best years and still enjoy the rest of your life?”
