FMWR Director receives significant honor with a special personal meaning

WIESBADEN, Germany - In 1979, as a new 19-year-old Soldier who had grown up as an Army brat, Pvt. Jeff Wertz began his Army career as a legal clerk on Drake Edwards Kaserne in Frankfurt. After five years and then a short break in service, he rejoined as a postal clerk in nearby Offenbach.

"All I did was offload mail trucks in Offenbach, Germany," he said, until he received a European out 1989 and did the same job as a civilian. "On Friday, I was offloading mail trucks in uniform, and on Monday I was offloading mail trucks as a civilian.

Wertz, since 2020 the Director of Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation for IMCOM-Europe, was awarded the Norman H. Marcus Award, Aug. 28, at the IMCOM-Europe Garrison Leaders' Working Group.

"Jeff is a great teammate to each and every one of us," said Tommy Mize, IMCOM-Europe Director, before presenting the award to Wertz in the presence of all nine garrison command teams, headquarters directors, emerging IMCOM-Europe leaders, and Wertz's staff. "There is no one more responsive and receptive to helping all of you."

The Norman H. Marcus Award, a high honor for professionals in Army FMWR, holds special meaning for Wertz.

Recounting the story of an MWR Director in Italy who persisted with three phone calls until Wertz, at the time working as a community manager in Aschaffenburg, accepted a job to come down and help him fix a struggling youth services program in Italy.

"That phone call led to an amazing career. And that phone call was from Norm Marcus," Wertz said. "And now I get an award in his name. It's absolutely incredible for me. That phone call changed my life."

Wertz went on to become the MWR Director at Camp Darby, Italy, followed by assignments as the Deputy Garrison Commander in Bamberg, Germany; the MWR Director for the 98th Area Support Group in Wuerzburg, Germany; MWR Director at USAG Japan, Deputy Garrison Commander at USAG Japan; and MWR Director at Camp Yongsan, Korea.

In the latter role, he met Mize, who had recently retired from the Army to serve as the deputy garrison commander, his first job as an Army civilian.

"On day one, shortly after I assumed my new job as a Deputy Garrison Commander at Seoul, Korea, Jeff came into my office and said, 'We're going to help you with this,'" Mize said, echoing the sentiment of many who have benefitted as mentees to Wertz. "He gives of himself to benefit others in a way that is unmatched."

For Wertz, the best part of his job is … all of it.

"I cannot imagine doing anything else other than taking care of Soldiers and their families. I grew up as an Army Brat, in the Army overseas," and even started early with MWR as a roller-skating rink guard as a young Soldier on Betts Kaserne in Frankfurt.

"There's nothing that makes me feel better, especially as a garrison MWR Director, than going in to work thinking, 'Who am I going to help today?' I wouldn't want to do anything else," he said.

Wertz has a reputation around IMCOM-Europe as an open book. He's written one of those and is actually working on the outline for a second. And if you run into him, ask him about the rap duo he managed and guided to record an album.

"I've had a lot of lucky breaks career-wise. I never thought I'd be in the different jobs that I have had over the years and really owe my career to the many outstanding Army and MWR professionals who supported and me throughout the years. My career could not have been possible without these amazing people.