For once, there was no sports for the soldiers in the large sports hall of the Schweppermann barracks on this Monday. Instead, there were numerous stretchers, six medical specialists and three doctors available for the soldiers. The Logistics Battalion 472 had called for a blood donation drive. The occasion was an anniversary.
The Bundeswehr barracks have been located in Gärmersdorf, which is part of the municipality of Kümmersbruck, on the B85 since 1959. In 1964, the location of the Panzer Pioneers 120 and the Panzer Brigades 123 and 124, previously known as the Panzer Barracks, was renamed the Schweppermann Barracks. Today, 60 years later, both the Panzer Brigades 123 and 124 and the Pioneer Brigade have long since been disbanded. 30 years ago, in 1994, the Logistics Battalion 472 moved into the Gämersdorf Barracks.
The logistics battalion organized several events to mark its 60th anniversary. Last weekend, the Army Music Corps from Veitshöchheim played on the market square in Amberg, there was a family festival for the soldiers’ families, and there was also a bike tour from Neumarkt to Gärmersdorf. And at the end of September, a daycare center will also be inaugurated.
Lieutenant Colonel Martin Hillebrand, commander of the 472nd Logistics Battalion, was one of the first to have 500 milliliters of blood drawn on Monday morning. “With this campaign, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the naming of the Schweppermann barracks, we want to give something back to the people here in the region for their enormous support,” the commander explained the intention of the blood donation campaign. Around 140 soldiers had registered for the donation campaign. In addition to having their blood drawn, they were also able to have their bone marrow typed for the campaign and have the data entered into a worldwide database.
“We need around 2,000 cans every day for our hospitals in Bavaria,” said Rainer Endres, who was in charge of the campaign as a regional representative of the Bavarian Blood Donation Service (BSB). He is very grateful to the Bundeswehr commander for this blood donation campaign.
“We have a lot of young soldiers here who are first-time donors. On average, every second one comes back,” he knows from experience. But only a few will probably reach the commander’s record, because for Lieutenant Colonel Martin Hillebrand, this Monday was already his 73rd blood donation.
