The Schongau-Altenstadt comradeship of the German Bundeswehr Association recently met for its annual meeting. Long-standing members were also honored on this occasion.
Altenstadt – At the annual meeting of the Schongau-Altenstadt Comradeship of the German Armed Forces Association, the current 150 members are always kept up to date with the latest information. This time this task was taken on by Bernhard Hauber, chairman of the Southern Germany regional association, Lieutenant Colonel Martin Holle, commander of the airborne and air transport school, and the local chairman of the Schongau-Altenstadt comradeship, Hans-Henning Runge. The most recent meeting also included the election of the new board and the honoring of long-standing members.
Since the dissolution of Training Battalion 3, the infrastructure of the Franz Josef Strauß barracks has had to be further developed. Internal moves are not enough to use the available infrastructure for other purposes. Because immigration is in sight: On the one hand, the Bundeswehr's sports support groups need to be permanently accommodated in Altenstadt. One thinks of up to 80 sports soldiers, hoped Martin Holle, who has also taken on the role of site senior since the FU battalion was disbanded.
The Schongau-Altenstadt Comradeship of the German Bundeswehr Association had a meeting
Another 100 soldiers come to Altenstadt with a military police company from Munich. “This is how the location continues to develop,” said Holle and switched to the topic of dropping off heavy loads from the C-130 transport aircraft (we reported).
Senior Staff Sergeant (ret.) Bernhard Hauber is state chairman for the Southern Germany area of the Bundeswehr Association and is therefore responsible for 72 comradeships with a total of 52,000 members. He has promised that the association will endeavor to shorten waiting times for the reimbursement of submitted medical bills. There is currently a sine wave of between ten days and up to six weeks for each refund application submitted. The plan is to shorten the period to ten days.
Previously, invoices had to be submitted within twelve months. In the future, this period will be extended retroactively to 36 months.
Hauber also recalled that wives of deceased members are entitled to a 50 percent allowance and that widows are entitled to death benefits equal to twice their last salary.
Honoring long-time members
Hans-Henning Runge, meanwhile, reflected on the last two years. This included nine board meetings and a closing ceremony. This year we plan to visit the mining museum in Peißenberg.
The election of the board for the next two years did not result in any changes to the previous board. Hans-Henning Runge remains the first chairman, his deputy StFw a. D. Klaus Hirsch. Gerhard Hampl remains the cash manager. Runge handles correspondence as a personal unit. The elected assessors are Peter Österle, Karl Stolz and Bernhard Mehr.
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The meeting also provided the appropriate backdrop to honor long-standing members. Senior Sergeant Gerhard Hampl has been loyal to the association for 40 years. Lieutenant Colonel Gerhard Brandt, retired Captain Helmut Schlecht and retired Captain Walter Kindlmann have already been members of the Bundeswehr Association for six decades. Everyone received loyalty certificates and magnificent pins. State chairman Bernhard Hauber pinned it to their lapels.