German Air Force to leave Texas for N.M.

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FORT BLISS, Texas, March 11 (UPI) -- The German Air Force Command for the United States and Canada announced it will be leaving Fort Bliss, Texas, Sept. 30 for a base in New Mexico.

The unit has been a presence at Fort Bliss since 1956.

The command will take its operations to Fort Holloman, N.M., said its commander, Col. Heinz-Josef Ferkinghoff.

Another part of the German presence, its Air Defense Center, will be transferred to Germany in three to five years, its commander, Lt. Col. Ingo Kresser, said.

The units have about 40 airmen and civilian employees stationed at Fort Bliss and have been a part of base operations since 11 years after the end of World War II, the El Paso (Texas) Times reported Monday.

"The U.S. has been our largest ally. It was natural to have that cooperative relationship. That's how it started," Kerkinghoff said.

The German military in Texas organizes an annual Oktoberfest celebration, the last of which will be this fall. For decades, it has operated two charitable foundations, Aid for the Needy and German Helping Hands, serving people on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, the newspaper noted.