Just got back from a week in Berlin attending a partnership seminar between the American and German Armies.  It was extremely interesting as we got an inside look at the decision making process of the German government when they deploy soldiers outside Germany itself.  Incidentally their troops in Afghanistan are now engaged in Germanies first ground combat since WWII.  They are very aware of the delicacy of German troops in combat given their history over the past 100 years.  It was a great trip and I became friends with a couple of my German Army comrades during the week.  We are already planning ways to meet and we will keep in contact via e-mail and phone.  The seminar was conducted in German with translation for those that dont speak the language.  I tried listening to the translation but found that I could understand it better by listening and speaking German.  Apparently my language skills are now good enough to understand technical language.  I was pleasantly surprised by how well I could speak the language in an immersed environment.  Berlin is also a cool town that anyone can have fun visiting.