On Friday, 16 April 24, a student exchange between St. Matthias-Schule, St.-Willibrord-Gymnasium Bitburg and Spangdahlem High School entered its final phase for this year. Upon arrival to the air base high school, we were offered a base tour followed by pizza party, and a pep rally.
First, we met the students and together we proceeded to the Security Forces Squadron, where the trainers demonstrated how they work as a team with the service dogs. We saw how the German Shepherd Axel pursued and halted a suspect or released a suspect upon command.
The next highlight was a visit to the air traffic control tower and radar station. Three groups took turns to explore the tower where the personnel on duty explained how they accomplish their mission. With a loud roar, several F-16 jets departed under a clear blue sky, which we were able to observe up close. The work in the radar station was also interesting to see. The Airmen there, control the airspace via electronic screens. They even take written notes so that they know the approximate position of the aircraft in the event of an emergency such as a power failure.
After a brief tour of the airpark and the 9/11 Memorial, we drove back to the high school. It was almost time for lunch, and after a short round of the game “City – Country – River” with German-American teams, we had pizza and shared the sweets we had brought with us for dessert.
In the afternoon, a special feature of American schools awaited us that we hadn’t really imagined before, a pep rally. This serves to strengthen the sense of community and can vary depending on the size of the school and the program. At Spangdahlem High School, “The Home of the Sabers”, the whole school community met in the gym and played a few games under the moderation of the student representative team, such as the egg race or musical chairs. The teams were formed from different class levels or according to which sports team they belonged to. The fighting spirit was particularly impressive to see, as the teams played with full physical commitment regardless of the outcome. Some German exchange students were also able to take part and put their athletic skills to the test.
All in all, it was another exciting day with many insights into the culture of our American neighbors.
We would like to thank the Host Nation Council for their generous support!
