With Nearly 60 Years of Service, KMCC Associate ‘Brightens Up a Room’

During her 59 years at the Exchange, Kaiserslautern Military Community Center Human Resources assistant Antje Zirkel, the Exchange’s longest-serving associate, has seen a lot of history—including the fall of the Berlin Wall and the technology boom of the 1990s.

Ms. Zirkel describes her experiences working with the Exchange as exciting and fulfilling. “I had a great start to my career here in Kaiserslautern,” she said. “Throughout the years, you end up working with people you’ve seen before in other places. It’s a small world.”

Ms. Zirkel was brought to Germany by her father, who enlisted in the Army after World War II. Her mother worked at Exchange headquarters as a secretary until 1952, then relocated to San Francisco and worked in the Presidio Base Exchange for several years. With her family, Ms. Zirkel moved to several cities across the United States and around the world, including San Francisco, Albuquerque, Taipei, El Paso, Frankfurt and Kaiserslautern, where she has remained since 1964.

Ms. Zirkel started as a personnel clerk working in Frankfurt. She recalls her first day at her new job: “I remember being very excited,” Ms. Zirkel said. “I was with a nice group of people, and I felt like an essential addition to the organization because the role required me to be bilingual, which I was.”

In February 1966, she advanced to the secretary of Automotive and Services. Beginning in September of the same year, Ms. Zirkel was the Secretary of Engineering until the title became deactivated in 1974. She then became secretary of the German Accounting Office until 1980. In 1980, she went to a part-time schedule as an operations clerk for Automotive and Services. Since 1989, Zirkel has worked in Human Resources.

Described by her supervisors as “spunky, dedicated and full of life,” Ms. Zirkel is a favorite associate and friend of her former supervisor, senior Human Resources program specialist Jadi Randell. “She brightens up a room,” Randell said. “Antje is one of the most supportive and attentive associates I have known. No job is ever too big for her.”

Ms. Zirkel recalls the fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9, 1989, which set West and East Germany on the road to becoming a united country.

“I was watching the news for days,” Ms. Zirkel said. “People were trying to flee by going to Prague, Czechoslovakia, and trying to get into the consulate. People were trying to get over the fence of the consulate and they were told the capacity is full. On the evening of Nov. 9, 1989, finally the federal foreign minister spoke from the consulate in Prague, announcing that the wall had fallen and everyone was free to leave for West Berlin. It was sensational that this was possible and to this day the Germans celebrate the Oct. 3 ‘Tag der Deutschen Einheit,’ or ‘German Unity Day.’”

Ms. Zirkel also remembers the introduction of computers into office life in 1995. “It took some getting used to,” Ms. Zirkel recalled. “It wasn’t easy to adjust because all of our work before was done manually on typewriters and by hand.”

Amid all of the changes she has seen in the workplace and the world, Ms. Zirkel has maintained her work ethic and commitment to the Exchange mission.

Exchange leaders have shown their appreciation and support for Ms. Zirkel in many ways throughout her career. Randell surprised Ms. Zirkel for her 50^th and 55^th anniversary working for the Exchange with an office party for both occasions. “She made it very special for me to celebrate my 50 years with the Exchange,” Ms. Zirkel said. She was surprised with cake, balloons, decorations, video conferences and Exchange award certificates.

Ms. Zirkel’s long and fruitful career shows just what is possible when working for the Exchange. Over 59 years, she established herself as an asset to the organization, forged strong bonds with associates and became an example dedication and hard work. Ms. Zirkel said she hopes to celebrate many more years with the Exchange.