Speech by Federal Minister of Defense during the funeral service in the Evangelical Church Salzungen Bad Bad Salzungen, 02.07.2009.
Dear Brunn family, ladies and Meilinger family, ladies and family veil Nick, soldiers of the Panzer Grenadier Battalion 391 and the paratrooper battalion 263, Dear Mr. Prime Minister, Sir Wehrbeauftragter, Madam Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Bundestag, honorable members of the Bundestag and the provincial assemblies, Sir General Schneiderhan, honorable mourning community!
We take farewell today. Farewell to the Son, the brother, the friend and comrade. Main Corporal Martin Brunn, Chief Corporal Oleg Meilinger and Main Corporal Nick Alexander veils are on 23 Kunduz in June when for peace fallen.
We are deeply saddened and shocked by the loss of these good soldiers. He leads us clearly just what a high price we pay, so that we in Germany in peace and freedom can live. You, the next of kin, the comrades and friends, I speak my sincere sympathy and my deepest sympathy from.
I do this also on behalf of the Federal Government, at the head of our Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel.
Oleg Meilinger is the youngest among the dead. He was only 21 years old. He also graduated first civilian training, as a retail merchant, before it on 1 October 2007 in the German Army arrived. In Panzer Grenadier Battalion 391 in Bath, he was appointed Salzungen trained sniper.
Main Corporal Oleg Meilinger was a friendly and helpful young man and an avid soccer player active. He also was with his comrades very popular. His superiors appreciated his positive attitude to the occupation soldiers and his great official engagement.
The three soldiers, whose loss we mourn today, all belong to the protection of company in Afghanistan, which the Regional Reconstruction Team in Kunduz supported. On 23 June gave the company the protection order, to the west of the river Kunduz enlighten.
The soldiers should play a major traffic road to hidden booby traps check so that people in the region, this road can drive safely again. Here our soldiers came under attack. The patrol returned the fire. In the course of battle tanks fell transport off the road. He slipped into a moat, fell to and remained on the roof lie.
Four soldiers of the seven crew were able to salvage from the vehicle. For the three fallen soldiers came all help too late. The Hauptgefreiten Martin Brunn, Nick Alexander and Oleg veil Meilinger died during a mission of protecting the lives of others should be.
They were the heart torn from the life: in the aftermath of an insidious and criminal attack! Her death tears a gap in our lives. Nobody can direct parents and relatives about this loss hinwegtrösten. And the friends and soldiers, especially in Bad Salzungen and two bridges, the missing comrades by their side.
The violent death of these three young people confronts us all with the question of the meaning of this operation in Afghanistan. We, the members of the Federal Government and the members of the Bundestag, the soldiers sent to Afghanistan.
We bear the responsibility, and we are with you today a response guilty. My answer is clear: We are in Afghanistan, because we have the security of the citizens to protect Germany. That is our duty and our constitutional order.
In the words of the preamble of our Constitution: "Conscious of its responsibility before God and men, inspired by the desire, as an equal member in a united Europe the peace of the world to serve." In Afghanistan, we serve the peace of the world by the evil of terrorism at its source combat.
We have it with a cynical and ruthless enemies to do for the human life does not count. They are abusing the civilian population as human shields and shoot himself to paramedics.
And they seek the public opinion in Germany to influence, so we withdraw and their criminal objective. This will not succeed. Unfortunately, some have denied us this danger to our security.
In the mourning for the loss, we must not look on in Afghanistan can be achieved adjusting. Afghanistan was the training camp and home to international terrorism. We have Afghanistan by the terrorist regime of the Taliban liberated. We are helping the Afghans in the process of achieving stability and security back into their own hands.
The goal of our use of stabilization is clear: a stable and secure Afghan state.
We are committed to Afghanistan for a box, which is its internal and external enemies as well as terrorism and organized crime can help. Those who now think of retreat, would Afghanistan back into the hands of the Taliban give. That is what the Taliban are trying to achieve.
And we must also be in the interest of our security does not allow. We will therefore not diminish our commitment and we continue to go hand in hand with the international community and the Afghan army and Afghan police henchmen of terrorism in its way.
We owe Martin Brunn, Nick Alexander and Oleg veil Meilinger guilty!
Government and soldiers are by mutual loyalty linked. This obliges us all. Our soldiers swear in their oath, the Federal Republic of Germany and faithful to serve the right and the freedom of the German people to defend bravely. The soldiers of the Bundeswehr are on this Eid.
They perform their dangerous mission in the firm conviction, so that the protection and safety of the citizens of our country to serve. Also, the Hauptgefreiten Martin Brunn, Nick Alexander and Oleg veil Meilinger had come to Afghanistan to this commitment.
They were good soldiers and real patriots!
Not a word of popularity can, in this grave hour of farewell and mourning to consolation. We are all gathered here to offer you, the families, friends and comrades to show: You are your pain is not alone.
I wish especially to parents, siblings and lives of our fellow fallen soldiers, that you in this difficult time people in their vicinity, you give strength and support.
On behalf of the Federal Republic, I bow in gratitude and recognition to Martin Brunn, Nick Alexander and Oleg veil Meilinger, which for our country fallen. May they rest in peace.
(translated from German)
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From the German Ministry of Defense ~
The pain is not alone
Berlin, 02.07.2009.
More than 900 people with an ecumenical service in the church Salzungen farewell taken from the three Army soldiers killed. Among the funeral guests were Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung, the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, General Wolfgang Schneiderhan and the Defense Commissioner of the Bundestag, Reinhold Robbe, and Prime Minister of Thuringia Dieter Althaus. "They were good men and true patriots," Jung said in his funeral speech.
Jung said at the funeral Mass Speech (Source: Getty Images / Vedder) View Larger Image "We are deeply saddened and shocked by the loss of these good soldiers. He leads us clearly just what a high price we pay, so that we in Germany live in peace and freedom, "said young guests to the funeral.
The soldiers were from Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg, and was on 23 June with a joint operation of German and Afghan security forces near Kunduz come under fire.
In the case of a crash avoidance maneuvers transport tank in a river bed. Two soldiers were killed instantly, another a little later succumbed to his severe injuries. The dead, three Hauptgefreite aged 21 to 23 years, belonged to the Panzer Grenadier Battalion 391 in Bath Salzungen that from the approximately 160 soldiers currently deployed in Afghanistan are.
One of the men was killed shortly before the deployment of paratroopers battalion Zweibrücken in Rhineland-Palatinate to Thuringia abkommandiert been.
More than 900 people took farewell (Source: Getty Images / Vedder) Larger Image anzeige sense of using
"The Hauptgefreiten Martin Brunn, Nick Alexander and Oleg veil Meilinger died during a mission, the lives of others should protect," said Jung. "The violent death of these three young people confronts us all with the question of the meaning of this operation in Afghanistan," said the minister.
The members of the Federal Government and the members of the Bundestag, the soldiers sent to Afghanistan: "We bear the responsibility, and we are today, you owe an answer." The Army is in Afghanistan because it is the safety of the citizens of Germany protects so young. "It is our duty and our constitutional order."
At the same time he put out with vigor: "Those who now think of retreat, would Afghanistan back into the hands of the Taliban give. That is what the Taliban are trying to achieve. And we must also be in the interest of our security does not allow. "
Bow before the soldiers
Consequently, Jung noted that "we can not slacken our efforts and we continue to go hand in hand with the international community and the Afghan army and Afghan police henchmen of terrorism in its way."
The three soldiers had done. "We are all gathered here to offer you, the families, friends and comrades to show you are in pain your not alone," stressed the Minister and bowed in gratitude and appreciation on behalf of the Federal Republic before the three soldiers who died for Germany fallen.
"May you rest in peace."
(translated from German)
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A Photo Gallery of the church funeral service is available at the following link ~
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