Robert Lowenstein

Farewell to the Air Force (2016)

Robert Michael Thomas Löwenstein (born December 18, 1953 in Brühl ) is a major general a. D. of the Air Force of the German Armed Forces and until July 7, 2016 was the last deputy of the Commanding General and Chief of Staff Air Force Troop Command in Cologne-Wahn .

Military career

Training and first uses

Löwenstein joined the Bundeswehr as an officer candidate in Fürstenfeldbruck in 1972 . From 1972 to 1974 officer training followed at the Air Force Officer School in Neubiberg . From 1974 to 1977 he studied electrical engineering at the University of the Bundeswehr in Munich . After graduating as Dipl.-Ing. (FH) followed a training as an anti-aircraft missile officer on the Nike Hercules weapon system at the Air Force Missile School in El Paso (Texas) , in order to go through two assignments in the anti-aircraft missile battalion 21 (later anti-aircraft missile group 21 ) in Möhnesee - Echtrop from 1979 to 1983 . From 1983 to 1985 Löwenstein was head of the command post and training group at the 3rd of the anti-aircraft missile battalion 26 in Wiesmoor .

General staff training and service as a staff officer

After taking part in the 30th General Staff course at the command academy of the German Armed Forces in Hamburg from 1985 to 1987, Löwenstein was transferred to the command of the 2nd Air Force Division in Birkenfeld (Nahe) as department head A2 . From 1988 to 1990 he took on the duties of Head of Division A3a in the same command staff. From 1990 to 1993 two ministerial assignments followed as a consultant in the air force command (Fü L VI 1 and Fü L III 1) of the Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg) in Bonn. In 1993 another speaker position followed in the policy branch of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) near Mons in Belgium. In 1996, in preparation for further deployment of the troops, specialist training for the MIM-23 HAWK and MIM-104 Patriot weapon systems followed at the Air Force missile school in Fort Bliss (USA).

In 1997 Löwenstein was transferred to Burbach (Siegerland) as deputy commodore to anti-aircraft missile squadron 4 , in order to take over the leadership of the association as commodore until 2001 in the same year. From 2001 to 2007 two ministerial assignments followed in the air force command of the Federal Ministry of Defense, first until 2004 as head of department Fü S III 2 (military strategy) in Berlin, then until March 2007 as department head Fü L III 2 (international cooperation air force) in Bonn.

General uses

Commander DEU contingent and chief of staff at EUFOR HQ, Operation Althea (August 2008)

From April 2007 to June 2010 Löwenstein was deputy commander of the 4th Air Force Division in Aurich . During this time, Löwenstein also had two EUFOR missions as part of Operation Althea , in 2008 and 2009 for 6 months each as commander of the German EUFOR contingent and chief of staff at the EUFOR headquarters in Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina .

From January 2010 to June 2010 Löwenstein was deployed as chief of staff in the Air Force Command in Cologne-Wahn . On June 18, 2010, he then took over command of the 1st Air Force Division in Fürstenfeldbruck from Major General Dieter Naskrent. Because of the restructuring of the Bundeswehr, he also led the 2nd and 4th Air Force Divisions from January 1, 2013 until they were dissolved. In addition, Löwenstein was deputy commander of the Air Force Command from January 1, 2013 until its dissolution on June 30, 2013.

On July 1, 2013, Löwenstein became deputy commander and commander of ground-based units in the Luftwaffe commando . After the Luftwaffe commando was dissolved, he became deputy to the commanding general and chief of staff in the air force command in Cologne-Wahn on July 1, 2015. On July 7, 2016, he handed over his post to his successor Brigadier General Lutz Kohlhaus . On July 31, 2016, Löwenstein retired after 44 years of service.

Activities in retirement

Volunteering

Following a five-week Alpine crossing on the dream path Munich-Venice , Löwenstein began various voluntary activities in the field of school and extracurricular support in Aschaffenburg in autumn 2016 , which he continues to pursue. In addition, he is involved in reservist work and was Chairman of the Advisory Board for Reservist Work at the Association of Reservists of the German Federal Armed Forces from November 30, 2017 to February 29, 2020 . V.

Civil professional activity

Löwenstein has been running the military and security policy consultancy ABConsulting since January 2017.

Web links

• Deputy of the Commanding General and Chief of Staff at the Air Force Command on the official Luftwaffe.de homepage

Individual evidence

1. ↑ "Your commitment and your work will last for a long time". In: www.luftwaffe.de. Retrieved July 14, 2016 . 
2. ^ Federal Ministry of Defense, Press and Information Staff : Personnel changes in top military and civilian positions. Bundeswehr, July 10, 2013, accessed on July 11, 2013 .