WEBVTT 02:19.550 --> 02:23.405 In the spirit of our common effort and appreciation of your [inaudible] 02:23.516 --> 02:25.206 of the Federal Republic of Germany. 04:51.028 --> 04:54.864 Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes the ceremony. Thank you for attending. 04:58.111 --> 05:01.349 And pretty much the entire interview just kind of look at me. 05:01.459 --> 05:03.511 Okay, I will not look at the camera. 05:05.424 --> 05:08.547 First question - can you give me your first and last name, spell them out with 05:08.657 --> 05:09.864 your rank and duty title. 05:10.108 --> 05:13.460 Okay, Azizi Westmiller. A-Z-I-Z-I. 05:13.828 --> 05:16.711 Westmiller. W-E-ST-M-I-L-L-E-R. 05:17.191 --> 05:22.944 I'm a Captain, Flight Company Commander in 5158 Aviation Regimen. 05:23.794 --> 05:25.458 So can you tell me what happened here today? 05:25.713 --> 05:31.461 The German President attended a - came here to mass and awarded 5158 and 1st of 05:31.581 --> 05:36.630 the 211th which is Task Force Ready and Task Force Pirate the Presidential Unit 05:36.746 --> 05:41.539 Citation from Germany which is significant. And why is it significant? 05:41.909 --> 05:48.259 It basically identifies the contribution that our US units have given to RC-North 05:48.382 --> 05:51.982 which is led by the Germans and to the German soldiers and the support 05:52.117 --> 06:01.114 and relationship that continues to nourish as we operate together here in the Northern 06:01.114 --> 06:02.909 African-Afghan region. 06:03.883 --> 06:06.379 And what was that mission? 06:07.360 --> 06:14.313 It's an ISAF Mission so we are handing over the mission to the Afghans to help 06:14.433 --> 06:15.983 for the future born in Afghanistan. 06:16.714 --> 06:18.865 So how does this tie in with that? 06:19.712 --> 06:28.709 It ties in because it just recognizes the teamwork that both units, both countries 06:28.944 --> 06:34.832 have participated in to make the mission happen, the ISAF Mission overall. 06:38.084 --> 06:41.183 So you guys were helping them with the helicopters, correct? 06:41.432 --> 06:45.263 Our units are both aviation units. Both of our units are aviation units 06:45.378 --> 06:49.711 and so we have flown not only ISAF Forces but specifically German forces all over 06:49.947 --> 06:54.977 Northern Afghanistan. We do everything from VIP, we take the 06:55.108 --> 06:59.774 RC-North Commander to meetings, very important key leader meetings across 06:59.908 --> 07:04.580 Northern Afghanistan as well as soldiers on air assaults, air movements, we help 07:04.982 --> 07:08.584 retrograde when they bring back or close down a FOB. 07:09.134 --> 07:17.538 Right now we are helping move soldiers out to an isolated area so they can do key 07:17.654 --> 07:20.654 leader engagements. So we support the Germans in their 07:20.771 --> 07:24.486 mission up here as well. And how did it feel to get this award? 07:24.990 --> 07:26.538 It feels significant. 07:27.269 --> 07:32.050 It is an honor to continue to build our relationship with the Germans. 07:33.276 --> 07:36.375 5158 being [inaudible] 07:37.935 --> 07:41.656 in Germany, it's a special relationship that we already have with the Germans 07:41.772 --> 07:47.286 and it only increases that relationship and makes it stronger. 07:53.845 --> 07:57.429 So where do you say you were from? I work from [inaudible] 07:57.539 --> 08:02.394 Germany, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade. Right now we fall under 101st Combat 08:02.394 --> 08:03.712 Aviation Brigade as well. 08:04.444 --> 08:08.740 But we're organically out of Germany and Task Force Pirate which is 1st at 211 08:08.858 --> 08:14.737 is out of the Utah Guard so two different units. 08:15.361 --> 08:21.109 12th CAB is used to working with the Germans so we come from a unit where we 08:21.109 --> 08:22.660 worked with them in the past back in 08:22.910 --> 08:26.510 garrison so it's nice to get to continue our relationship and our friendship here in 08:26.744 --> 08:27.947 RC-North. 08:48.000 --> 08:50.863 What else? Would you like me to focus on something? 08:51.233 --> 08:53.982 Try not to say the same thing over and over again. 08:54.114 --> 08:56.260 Oh that's sincerely fine. Sometimes it helps if you say something 08:56.378 --> 08:59.747 over and over again to figure out something that you forgot to say. 09:01.567 --> 09:05.630 Can you explain to me again how this ties in to the ISAF Mission? 09:06.234 --> 09:11.141 How this citation, how this award ties in? Yes, what's the importance of it? 09:11.262 --> 09:17.034 Because the general focus right now of AFN is the handing over of 09:17.142 --> 09:23.512 responsibilities from NATO to the Afghan National Army, the whole army forces. 09:26.027 --> 09:29.379 So what's the significance and how does it tie in? 09:30.361 --> 09:33.116 Does it even tie in? Because if it doesn't it doesn't. 09:33.575 --> 09:39.467 No, I mean really the significance of the award is the recognition of the support 09:39.709 --> 09:45.458 that our US Forces have given and contributed to the Germans. 09:45.710 --> 09:49.784 And as General Pfeffer, the RC-North Commander who's German, is in charge of 09:49.916 --> 09:51.233 the mission in Northern Afghanistan.