German soldiers brought more than 5,300 people from 45 countries to safety under the most difficult of conditions. Brigadier General Jens Arlt has now received a Federal Cross of Merit.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid tribute to the performance of the German soldiers on the dangerous evacuation mission in Kabul.
His commander, Brigadier General Jens Arlt, was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit on behalf of everyone. “Herr General, you stand for the best of the Bundeswehr – and our country owes you thanks,” Steinmeier said on Friday at a ceremony at Bellevue Palace in Berlin. At the same time, he called for honest answers to the many “painful questions” left by the 20-year Afghanistan mission after the Taliban came to power.
The German evacuation operation in the Afghan capital Kabul and the Uzbek capital Tashkent brought more than 5,300 people from 45 countries to safety under the most difficult conditions, Steinmeier said. “We appreciate a commitment that demanded a lot from those involved, more than most people can even imagine.” Everyone involved at the airport in Kabul “not only achieved great things, they also experienced terrible things”.
Steinmeier also included the staff of the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Intelligence Service, the Federal Police, the crisis support teams and the international partners in his thanks. Addressing Brigadier General Arlt, he said: “You have carried out the military evacuation under exceptional danger in an exemplary manner. You performed this performance under constant threat, in a confusing environment, in extreme physical and psychological conditions and, last but not least, under intensive observation by the media, politics and the population. “
Arlt, who is the commander of Airborne Brigade 1, emphasized in a short reply that it was a “team effort”. He will accept the award on behalf of everyone “whom I was allowed to lead”. At the same time he said: “It was an honor for me to lead this association.” Arlt also thanked the families of his soldiers who gave them their backs during such operations.
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