Linda Read, public affairs director for U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria and co-host of the "Better in Bavaria" podcast, interviews U.S. Consul General Timothy Liston in Munich on April 9, 2024. (U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria)
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — A U.S. Army garrison in Bavaria is aiming to reach listeners beyond the gates with a podcast that provides glimpses into the personalities of the people who serve.
Eight episodes of “Better in Bavaria,” which launched last year, are available for download from Apple and Spotify.
Defense Department podcasts tend to be “too tailored to soldiers, (DOD) civilians and families,” said Andreas Kreuzer, a German co-host of the podcast. “Most of (our) topics are interesting for all people in Europe.”
The first episode was titled “Top 10 Things to Know about Dining in Germany” and featured Franz Zeilmann, an Army community relations specialist.
Andreas Kreuzer, who co-hosts the "Better in Bavaria" podcast produced by U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, interviews diplomat Timothy Liston at the U.S. Consulate in Munich on April 9, 2024. (U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria)
Other episodes have included garrison commander Col. Kevin Poole recounting how G.I. Joe inspired him to join the Army and Consul General Timothy Liston talking about surfing in Munich.
Garrison public affairs director Linda Read, who previously hosted a cable access cooking show in Hawaii, got the idea to start the podcast after being exposed to them at an Army conference last year, she said.
She enlisted Kreuzer to co-host with her, as well as Kayla Overton, Natalie Simmel and Ella Haendel to produce and edit audio.
The idea was to afford guests the leeway to take unscripted paths, unlike the regimented command information products found on the American Forces Network, Read said.
The next episode, due next month, will feature another community relations specialist, Susanne Bartsch, discussing tips for off-base shopping.
In the future, the garrison hopes to release episodes more regularly, include German officials and also offer accompanying video.
U.S. military commands have produced dozens of podcasts in recent years, according to the Defense Department visual information website. However, the overwhelming majority closely resemble the command information typically released by the services.
“This is finding out about the leaders and those folks at the garrison who make things happen,” Read said. “It’s educational, but we also hope it’s informative and entertaining.”
