YARS welcomes visiting German military Reserve officers Published July 1, 2010 By Master Sgt. Bob Barko Jr. 910th Airlift Wing Public Affairs YOUNGSTOWN AIR RESERVE STATION, Ohio -- Two German Air Force Reserve officers visited the 910th Airlift Wing and Youngstown Air Reserve Station (YARS) to exchange ideas and experiences with their U.S. Air Force Reserve counterparts. They visited here as part of the Department of Defense Reserve Officers Foreign Exchange Program. The visiting officers, Lt. Col. Stefan Bernreider and Lt. Col. Patrick Hofmann arrived in the Mahoning Valley on June 12 and departed on June 26. In addition to learning about the 910th's overall mission, Colonel Bernreider, a German Air Force Reserve officer, had the opportunity to work in his career field as a Judge Advocate while Colonel Hofmann, a Reserve officer assigned to the German joint Support Service, had the chance to work in his career field of Public Affairs. The visiting officers also delivered a briefing about the German Military Reserve to the senior leaders at YARS. One of the highlights of the trip for the Reservists was a firefighting demonstration by the 910th Civil Engineer Fire Department to be held at YARS, Thursday, June 17. During their stay in the Mahoning Valley, the colonels had the opportunity to take in some of the sights of the Northeastern U.S. as trips to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers minor league baseball team home opener, the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio and the Niagara Falls area were part of their itinerary. "This is a great opportunity to enhance international relations and gain experience from foreign officers," said Capt. Christopher Brown, a pilot with the 773rd Airlift Squadron, who acted as a host base escort for the visiting officers during their stay. Captain Brown said the 910th is hoping to send officers to a German C-130 unit as part of the program in the near future. The primary purpose of the DoD Reserve Officers Foreign Exchange Program is to provide National Guard and Reserve officers training associated with mobilization duties while enhancing their ability to work and communicate with the military individuals of the host nation. Reserve officers who participate in the exchange program receive valuable training, which they are able to share with their home units. They gain an appreciation of allied Reserve forces, which facilitates an effective working relationship with those forces upon mobilization. The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Reserve Affairs) oversees this program since its inception in 1985.