German Defense Attache to Speak
Brig. Gen. Dirk BackenLEXINGTON, Va., Nov. 21, 2012 – Brig. Gen. Dirk Backen, defense attaché of the Federal Republic of Germany in Washington, D.C., will speak in Pogue Auditorium at the Marshall Museum Monday, Nov. 26. The talk, “The Role of the Military in Modern German Culture and Policy,” will begin at 5 p.m.
The talk is part of the Washington and Lee University School of Law project on German Law in Context. VMI’s John C. Biggs ’30 Cincinnati Chair in Military History is a sponsor of the project, and VMI cadets and faculty are participating.
“After the horrors of World War II, German military forces were reconstituted under a set of unique legal, operational, and social conditions that still have relevance in places like Afghanistan today,” said Col. Geoffrey Jensen, who holds the Biggs Chair.
Bracken has served as adjutant to the chief of staff of the German Armed Forces and as commander of the Northern Regional Command (Afghanistan). He has been defense attache in the United States since September.
The talk is open to the public free of charge.
–VMI–