I was assigned to units of the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Armored Division in Warner Barracks, Bamberg FRG from February 1973 to May 1977, serving in two companies of 1/54th IN (Mech), HHC 3rd Bde (twice), and two companies of 1/52nd IN (Mech) in 13 different duty positions.

As a 2LT and 1LT, I commanded or was the acting commander of C/1/54, HHC 3rd Bde, and Combat Support Company/1/52; was an Asst Bde S4 and Bamberg Community Property Book Officer; and as a Captain was the Brigade S-3 Air, PALNRAS Custodian, War Plans Officer, and Training Officer.

In those various capacities I made 14 deployments to Grafenwohr and Hohenfels for 25-62 days each, frequently interfaced with our supporting 1st/78th Field Artillery BN, the 2nd Sqn 2nd CAV Regt and Bamberg Airfield, HQ 1st Armored Division DISCOM in Montieth Bks, Erlangen and 123rd Maint Company, the Muna Ammunition Storage Site, Reese Range local training area, and because my wife was an Army Nurse (1LT/Red Cross Volunteer) the 88th Troop Medical Clinic in Bamberg and the 94th Army General Hospital in Nurnberg, where my first son was born.

In July 1973, as a Nuke Surety PRP member and Company XO, I helped supervise the out-loading of tactical Nukes on CH 47s to Pirmasens and Miesau.

In September 1973, I led the first infantry company C/1/54 IN guard mission of the consolidated tactical nukes stored at Pirmasens and Miesau, Germany for a month.

In October or November 1973, I again deployed the company by rail through East Germany to Berlin, where we underwent Combat in Cities training at Park Range as hosted by the Berlin Brigade - for approximately 3 weeks, during which we toured West and East Berlin as a unit.

The state of readiness, morale, and discipline were terrible at the time of my assignment, with rampant drug and racial problems.

Our Brigade Commanders were COL (later BG) Adams, COL Bobby J. Harris, COL Thomas F. Healy, and COL Charles Prather.

LTC Robert Sage was my first 1/54th IN Commander, followed by MAJ John Saunders. I do not recall those two after him.

In my last year (1976-1977) LTC Novak was the BN Cdr of 3rd/35th Armor, and MAJ (later GEN) Wesley Clark was the BN S3. LTCs Soland, and Gasulga were the BN Cdrs of 1/52nd IN.

As the S3 Air, I also commanded the Avn Detachment - 4 OH-58B helicopters.

Our brigade participated as either observer/evaluators or opposing units to REFORGER each year, Combined Exercise Grosse Roshade in 1975 with Bundeswehr Mech/Armor units, and conducted the first hands-on Skill Qualification Tests (SQT) and Task Force ARTEPs in the Army. We also were the Model NBC Battalion in the Army.

I designed 19 training facilities for Reese Range in Bamberg, most of which were constructed after I DEROSd to CONUS.

I also was the OIC of all 9 platoons of the Brigade Mortars each time they had a live fire at either Graf or Hohenfels - 81mm and 4.2in and was the Division Mortar Safety Officer/Evaluator for all 1st Armored Division mortars during the ARTEPS in the spring of 1977.

Although it was a terrible time in our Army after Vietnam, it formed the basis for my leadership, training, logistics, financial, UCMJ, and safety management skills and expertise throughout my 27 plus years of active duty. If you have questions about those units or locations, either I can help answer them, or refer them to two of my good friends and mentors - CSM (Ret) Edmund Devereaux and COL (Ret) Jan Beer, both of whom had two or more tours of duty in Germany.

As a LTC in 1992, I was assigned as the Chief of Defense Cooperation between the US and Germany in the US Embassy in Bonn, but was diverted before my arrive to form and command a joint contingency contracting command in Somalia to support Operation Restore Hope, so I never got to return to Germany while on active duty.
LTC (Ret) Michael M. Toler

We were there (Katterbach) for about two days and one of the things I heard once they found out where I was assigned to was “I feel sorry for you buddy”.  I gave it no thought since I did option for Germany and the 1st Armored Division.  We were assigned to the 3rd “Bulldog” Brigade (3rd BDE). It was about 1630 when we were escorted into the Company area and the first thing I heard the soldiers yelling was “Cruit, cruit, cruit” for new guy or Recruit. More or less a derogatory remark. 

I was assigned to room 305 with another guy from Hawaii by the name of Kaholi from Waimanalo, Hawaii. I got lucky as this was a two man room instead of those 6 to 8 man rooms or bays plus rooming with a “Homey”.  I was assigned to tank C-22 with Kaholi as the driver, a guy by the name of Baker as the loader and SSG Thornten as the Tank Commander (TC).  SSG Byrd was the Platoon Sergeant (PSG). 

It was a 5-tank platoon back then and we were the wing man of the light section with the Platoon leader’s tank bumper number C-26 while C-24 (PSG) along with C-23 and C-25 were the heavy section.  The total tanks within the Company was 17.  Five tanks per platoon plus two from the Headquarters section one of which was the Blade tank or dozer (C-65) while C-66 was the C.O.’s tank.  I was assigned as the tank gunner being the new guy I rode inside for most of the time.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
George also answered a question about the MUNA facility at Bamberg - see Overview Page, Ordnance section.