US defense secretary says Germany is ‘highly valued’ station for American troops Staff and wire report January 28 Paratroopers from U.S. Special Operations Commands Africa and Europe board a U.S. Air Force C-130, at Malmsheim Airfield, Germany, May 23, 2019. BERLIN — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Germany’s Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer in his first conversation with her since taking up his new post that Germany is “highly valued” as a station for American soldiers, the Defense Ministry said Thursday. German officials have hoped that order will be rescinded by the new administration, and the German Defense Ministry said that in his call with Kramp-Karrenbauer on Wednesday, Austin “emphasized that Germany is highly valued as a station and that American soldiers feel very comfortable here.”