Norfolk, Virginia – The German Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Dr. Eva Högl, visited NATO Allied Command Transformation and NATO Joint Force Command, Norfolk, and met with many of the 80 members of the German military on these staffs. Speaking with members of the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces of Germany) is a critical part of her duties. She holds a unique position in the parliamentary system, serving as both an advocate for service personnel and a supplementary body to the Bundestag (German Federal Parliament) for overseeing the armed forces.
In her capacity as the Commissioner, Dr. Högl is charged with protecting the rights of service personnel and the principles of “Innere Führung” (the guiding principle of leadership of the Bundeswehr). The Commissioner documents her findings on the conditions within the Bundeswehr in an extensive report, presented annually to the German Bundestag.
In order to gain insight and understand the current issues facing members of the German military, the Commissioner gathers information through field visits, whether scheduled or unannounced, as well as through personal conversations and the submissions she receives from individuals within the German Military.
Throughout her visit to NATO Allied Command Transformation, she was able to engage with and receive direct feedback from members of the German contingent in order to understand their perspectives. “Being on the other side of the Atlantic from our own country sometimes makes it feel like we are out of touch, which is why a visit from Dr. Högl, in her position as the German Parliamentary Commissioner of the Armed Forces, means a lot to those of us here from the German delegation at NATO ACT,” said Lieutenant Colonel Oliver Flues, German Army, a member of the Protocol Branch at the command. “Her presence here demonstrated that we are not forgotten and that she truly wanted to hear feedback directly from us.”
Dr. Högl also met with the senior-most member of the German community, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation General Chris Badia, German Air Force, who is the second in command at NATO Allied Command Transformation. In a fitting conclusion to her trip, she was able to celebrate German Unity Day (officially October 3rd) a few days early with her fellow Germans at a reception here in the United States.
