Everest Expedition Leader to Visit U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria

American300 Public Affairs - 7/10/15
Hohenfels Germany -  American300 returns to U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria Hohenfels, this month with high altitude expedition leader Chris Klinke.  

“Our goal is to bring likable, relevant and relatable guests to units and allow for quality interactions to occur.” says Major Jesse Stuart a retired Army Ranger and Wounded Warrior, who serves as a board member with the nonprofit, “What Chris has done in the mountains with teams of climbers is nothing short of amazing, being a leader responsible for the lives of others is completely in line with what our Service Members experience on a daily basis.”  

Hohenfels Military Community is home to the U.S. Army Joint Multinational Readiness Center, located just north of Munich, Germany.  With an operational calendar which is never ending, soldiers are training international coalition forces alongside American Troops throughout the year.  Key elements to successfully training soldiers aren’t all that different then those which make high altitude expeditions successful.

For Klinke, achieving success in the mountains boils down to mental toughness.  Other factors such as physical, logistics, individual and team skill and even luck with mother nature all play into the equation, but mental stamina is where he points his finger most often when talking about successful missions.  “If you don’t have the physical skills and logistics wired you don’t belong on the mountain to begin with.” 

The similarities between the climbing world and our military have been recognized by the military for decades.  So similar are the two that the USMC created the mountain leadership course to utilize compartmentalized terrain movement and high altitude environs together in an effort to push leadership practices to a whole new level... extreme, many years ago. 

“Chris has stood on top of the world’s tallest peaks and done so most often as a leader rather then follower.  His dedication to teamwork in the mountains is in line with that of our service members.” says Robi Powers, founder of American300 who will travel to Hohenfels with Klinke. 

While this will be Klinke’s first visit to US Army Garrison Bavaria, it’s not his first American300 Tour.  “My experiences with visiting the USMC Mountain Warfare Training Center two years ago gave me a heightened awareness and appreciation for the sacrifices our military make for us everyday,” says Klinke, adding, “One night I was sitting around a squad’s campfire surrounded by snow caves high in the mountains and we delved into a discussion about the friends we’ve all lost. The similarities between those Marine Snipers and the mountaineering community are extraordinary in size and scope of people involved.  The difference being that the sacrifices made in the military far outweigh any in the civilian world.” 

Bringing together individuals with amazing backgrounds and allowing them to connect on a personal level is the bedrock of American300 programming.   In the case of Chris Klinke, Soldiers will have the opportunity to not only catch a glimpse of what it’s like to operate on the highest slopes on the planet, but to gather valuable life lessons on strategic and tactical decision making.  “ 99% of the accidents that happen in the mountains can be linked back to one or two bad leadership decisions,” says Klinke, adding, “recognizing and respecting the processes goes a long ways towards making better choices in the mountains and in life.” 

more information about American300 Never Quit Tours visit: www.American300.org American300 is a all volunteer nonprofit dedicated to supporting the U.S. Department of Defense's Comprehensive Service Member Fitness Programs.   No federal endorsement of sponsors or nonprofit is intended or implied - American300.org