By Charlotte Davis, BMW Center for German and European Studies, Georgetown University, Class of 2025

The past three months, I have been living in Germany and interning with three distinct but interconnected organizations. Having only been to Germany for a few days when I was a kid, this was such an immersive experience! I participated in the Rheinland-Pfalz Transatlantic Ambassador Internship Program this year, where I was able to work with the State Chancellery of Rheinland-Pfalz, the Atlantic Academy Rheinland-Pfalz, and the U.S. Forces Liaison Office (US FLO). This took me from Mainz to Kaiserslautern and beyond in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. Being that I am the fourth intern of this annual program, I was able to benefit from the adjustments and recommendation from the ones who came before me, but I was also able to add my own personal flare to the experience, which was moving to Kaiserslautern to work for the Atlantic Academy. Throughout the summer, I was exposed to how the bilateral German-American relationship functions at the local, state, and national levels within Germany as well as the international platform this relationship provides.

The State Chancellery

The internship began the first week of June, at the State Chancellery of Rheinland-Pfalz in Mainz. The first week was quite the introduction to the Chancellery as it was also a celebration week, where there were many events for the civil servants, including a tour of the citadel and a barbeque, where I was able to meet Minister President Malu Dreyer! Throughout the first part of the RP-TAIP, I was able to observe the relationship between the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz and the United States, the European Union, and the German federal government. This was supplemented by attending Plenary Sessions, which exhibited state-wide policy initiatives and politics, as well as a European Union session that showed some of the process of implementing European policy at the state level. During this part of the internship, I was able to attend notable events including the 75th Anniversary of the Berlin Airlift in Wiesbaden and the Großer Zapfenstreich. Throughout the internship I completed research on the U.S. Presidential Election and experienced a pivotal shift in state politics as EU elections occurred and Minister President Malu Dreyer announced her resignation. As this part of the internship came to a close, I prepared myself to move to Kaiserslautern for the next organization.

The Atlantic Academy

During the month of July, I completed the second part of the RP-TAIP internship with the Atlantic Academy in Kaiserslautern. The first two weeks at the Academy were filled with school visits around Rheinland-Pfalz, where I helped host a variety of lectures, including Sabine von Mering at the Umwelt Campus - Birkenfeld, Megan Shahi at the Burg Gymnasium Kaiserslautern, Sarah Wagner at Gymnasium Kirn and Burg Gymnasium Kaiserslautern, and Janna Uhry-Ganz in Kirchberg. During these events, I served in a variety of functions including helping with logistics such as taking attendance, distributing materials, collecting content for the Academy’s social media platforms, and even providing my perspective and experiences as an American to German students. It was really insightful being able to attend the school visits as I have studied parts of the German education system throughout my German courses and was finally able to gain an in-person experience.

During my time at the Academy, I helped to create external content for social media and assist colleagues with a variety of tasks such as finding event locations for “Welcome to Rheinland-Pfalz” and the 2024 Summer School. In preparation for the 2024 U.S. elections, the Academy hosted a variety of lectures on democracy, voting, and key issues which allowed me to perform some independent research on candidates while working on translating the 2023 Annual Report.

While in Kaiserslautern, I was able to attend the Summerfest hosted by the city of Kaiserslautern, the Army Change of Command for Colonel Furman and Colonel Higgins, and General Reagan’s barbeque. I was also able to engage with the Kaiserslautern community and work closely with my colleagues at the Academy. During these events, I met leaders in their respective fields, and we discussed a variety of international subjects.

The U.S. Forces Liaison Office (US FLO) Rheinland-Pfalz

The last week of July, I began working for the U.S. Forces Liaison Office (US FLO) while finishing my work with the Atlantic Academy in Kaiserslautern, before returning to Mainz. During the final part of the RP-TAIP, I engaged with the military communities in the Kaiserslautern Military Community and Wiesbaden. The work with US FLO was primarily focused on field work and developing a better understanding of U.S. defensive capabilities as well as diplomatic channels of the Frankfurt Consulate. Some key highlights of my time with the US FLO included visiting the Headquarters of Army Europe – Africa Government Relations Division, Ramstein Air Base, Wiesbaden Garrison Commander, 21st TSC, and the Frankfurt Consulate. During this final part of the internship, I did a variety of tasks and studied the NATO Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and supporting documents. Additionally, I met personally with diplomats, military personal, and the Consul General in Frankfurt Brian Heath to discuss the German-American relationship and global operations.

In Summary

This internship was a highlight of my Georgetown University Master’s degree and provided me opportunities that I would not have otherwise had. Throughout my time in Germany, it was sometimes hard to believe that I was in a foreign country, learning how to do business and navigate the professional field in-part using a second language. I am very pleased with my time in the RP-TAIP and highly recommend the program.