The Federal Minister of Defense Dr. Franz Josef Jung retires Detlev Petry, President of the Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement with a solemn serenade
Koblenz, 09/30/2008.
On Monday, 29 September 2008, Detlev Petry, the President of the Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (BWB), was retired by Dr. Franz Josef Jung, Federal Minister of Defense, at the Saal des Heeres at the Falckenstein-Barracks in Koblenz. Mr. Petry had been President of the Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement for almost eleven years.
Distinguished guests from parliament, communities and the region as well as representatives from the military and the defense industry were present at this solemn celebration. Konsul Friedrich Lürßen, chairperson of the Committee of Defense Industry of the Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (BDI) and also Regierungsoberamtsrätin Ms. Susanne Genss, head of the local staff council at the BWB, offered a few words of welcome.
In his address, the Federal Minister of Defense thanked Mr. Petry for the years of service he dedicated to the Federal Republic of Germany and the Bundeswehr. He honored Petry as an experienced manager and a man of action, who tackles problems in a cooperative and communicative manner. With his experience, creativity and his open-mindedness he has left his mark on the BWB. Dr. Jung also underlined the fact that the BWB, as the office responsible for the evaluation and procurement of defense technology and defense services, has an immediate impact on the mission accomplishment of our troops. Thus, the BWB contributes decisively to ensuring that the Bundeswehr can fulfill Germany's security commitments as a NATO and EU partner.
In his farewell address, President Petry expressed his gratitude towards all the friends and comrades who accompanied and supported him during his time as President. He pointed out that his time in office had been mainly characterized by organizational restructuring and staff reduction. During that period, staff had to be reduced from 14,500 down to 9,500 while maintaining a nearly constant workload. All the more he was proud of his staff who, despite increasing pressure and requirements, always found a way to ensure the timely procurement of state-of-the-art defense technology on the one hand and the vital operability and safety testing of this materiel on the other hand. With reference to his function, President Petry quoted former Minister of Defense Franz-Josef Strauß who already in the 1950s perfectly described the particular situation of the “head of the procurement office” in Koblenz: He had one of the most difficult jobs in the Federal Republic. Because the only way to handle all the wishes, orders and interventions he was confronted with from all sides was to strictly focus on his mandate and to shut out all external interference.
Thereafter, he and the Minister of Defense listened to the serenade. The Bundeswehr Band Siegburg elated the audience with three compositions in the illustrious atmosphere in front of the Saal des Heeres. After the march “Frei Weg!“ by Carl Latann and the overture of Georg Friedrich Händel’s Royal Fireworks Music, the last piece of music – the Schängellied– performed by Gerd Kesseler, was Mr. Petry’s tribute to his deep bonds with the city and region of Koblenz.
