Welcome to the Bavarian Millitary Community Grafenwöhr • Vilseck • Hohenfels • Garmisch-Partenkirchen BAVARIA – the Garrison
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1 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. You are now living in one of the Army's best kept secrets. Not only will the Bavaria Military Communities offer you a great variety of quality programs and facilities, but our local host nation communities will amaze you with their great hospitality, and abundance of culture, traditions and History. Friendship and togetherness are two of the key words that define living and working at this installation. Our friendly German neighbors will make it easy for you to enjoy Bavaria and we can assure you that this assignment will be one of the best in your entire military career. Therefore, we encourage all of you to go out to meet your neighbors, join the local clubs, and participate in the many local events and festivities. Learn about your neigh- bors’ culture and tell them about yours. Become a member of the Bavarian region. Please take a moment to read this publication, offered by our neighborhood German communities. The brochure will help you to find your way around this great region. Again please take advantage of the many, many programs and activities offered by our German friends. We truly feel a home here and we hope that all of you will feel the same way soon. On behalf of the entire U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, we wish you, your family and friends a great stay in our area. U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria
2 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr.
3 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria 1 History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area 4 Medical Care from the Heart – Barmherzige Brüder, Klinik St. Hedwig Regensburg 27 Grafenwoehr – Your Home away from Home 29 Welcome to Vilseck your German-American town in Bavaria 33 Windischeschenbach – Nature, culture and coziness 35 Eschenbach i.d. OPf. – a livable and loveable town 36 Welcome to the District of Neustadt an der Waldnaab! 38 Please allow us to briefly introduce our District of Neustadt an der Waldnaab (NEW for short) 41 Total recreation at the “White Giant” Monte Kaolino sand hill in Hirschau 42 Market Town of Hohenfels 44 Hospitals with human touch and professional competence – the communally owened Amberg-Sulzbach County Clinics 46 health. humanity. hand in hand. Hospital St. Marien Amberg 48 Welcome to the Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz 51 The Perfect Alpine Holiday 52 In collaboration with: U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwöhr Editorial views are not necessarily those oft he Department of the Army. The broschure is prepared and issued by the local counties and communities. Responsible for the advertisement: mediaprint infoverlag gmbh – Goran Petrasevic Photo Credits: Cover photo in the front: City Grafenwoehr, Photographer: Renate Gradl Cover photos right side: U.S. Army. Photos in the History section, page 4, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28: U.S. Army. Information according to Art. 8 Abs. 3 BayPrG: Sole proprietor of the mediaprint infoverlag gmbh is Media-Print Group GmbH, Paderborn IMPRESS 92655098/7th Issue/2023 Print: wicher.print.medien.service. (haftungsbeschränkt) Schloßstraße 8, 07545 Gera Paper: Cover: 250 g Image Printing, dispersion-varnished Content: 115g, white, mat, free of chlorine and acid Publisher: mediaprint infoverlag gmbh Lechstr. 2, 86415 Mering Registry court: Augsburg, HRB 27606 VATNo.: DE 118515205 Management: Ulf Stornebel Phone: 08233 384-0 Fax: 08233 384-247 info@mediaprint.info Title, cover design as well as type and arrangement of contents are copyright favour of the respective proprietor of these rights protected. Reprint or translations in Print and Online – even in extracts – are prohibited. Content
4 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area 1910 Grafenwoehr’s first Commander, General Oskar Menzel arrives at the new training area. General Menzel begins the fi rst of many internal improvements and lays-out ranges and fields of fire for testing artillery, and areas for infantry maneuvers. Establishment of the Bavarian Military Forest Office at Grafenwoehr. The iconic Grafenwoehr water tower is completed. On June 30th the first artillery shell is fired at the GTA from a 150 mm Field Howitzer. 1911 By January 1911, more than 10,000 Bavarian soldiers are training at the GTA. The typical Bavarian Infantry Soldier was 18 years old, literate, and from a long tradition of military service. He wore a heavy grey jacket, and wool pants, utility and ammo belt and leather boots. Around his neck, he wore a signal flashlight, which was considered “modern” addition to his kit. His pointed helmet is an allied propaganda icon by the end of World War I. 1912 Bavarian Army Headquarters, based in Munich authorizes training with a new and modern weapon, the machine gun. Other “modern” weapons introduced at the training area, during this time are Balloons and C-type biplanes to assist with observation and fire-direction. 1913 By 1913, the Grafenwoehr airfield, named “Airfield Hammergmuend” is a fully operational facility for the new science of military aeronautics. April Grafenwoehr hosts one of the largest military exercises prior to World War I, with more than 12,000 soldiers, 540 officers, 1,000 horses, 60 machine guns and 16 aircraft taking part. 1914 June Archduke Ferdinand of Austria is murdered by an assassin in Sarajevo. Within weeks, all European powers begin mobilization. July World War I begins. Grafenwoehr becomes a major Prisoner of War (POW) camp. The prisoners create an enduring legacy. They establish a military cemetery for soldiers of all nations at Grafenwoehr. 1915 In early 1915 a second general officer, General Ferdinand Hocheder is assigned to the training area as Commander of POWs. The POW population at Grafenwoehr, by the end of 1915, is more than 15,000 men. Hocheder is a conscientious and honorable warden. The prisoners at Grafenwoehr were healthy, active and productive. The POWs built places of worship, created sculptures and drawings, staged theatricals, formed concert bands and even established their own bakery. 1916 January Trench warfare leads to stalemate and carnage as the Allies – Great Britain, France, Russia- and the Central Powers-Germany, the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires incur huge casualties everyday with no advantage for the attacker. 1917 April The U.S. Declares war on Germany. June General John J. Pershing and the first troops of the American expeditionary Force (AEF) arrive in France. In September AEF soldiers are assigned to the trenches; the tide turns in favor of the Allies as AEF troops attack along the western front. It would take 28 years and another world war before U.S. forces would finally arrive at the gates of Grafenwoehr. 1918 April The POW camp at the training area is closed. During the war the training area detained soldiers of all Allied nations, but larger numbers of French, Russians and Romanians. May thru October WWI brought uncertainty, civil unrest, and revolution in Germany. The Kaiser abdicates. In November a Republic is proclaimed in Berlin. On November 11 an Armistice is signed in Compiegne, France, and a ceasefire is declared, effectively ending the war. The Grafenwoehr Training Area is converted into a demobilization point.
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This service keeps you on the right track. At Autohaus Lell, our employees offer you reliable service and the highest level of professionalism so that you can enjoy unlimited driving pleasure. Our qualified English-speaking service consultants Mr. Pyka, Mr. Hartmann and Mr. Kölbl are available to you in our car dealerships in Kümmersbruck, Weiden and Schwandorf. Autohaus J. B. Lell e.K., Industriestraße 18 + 20, 92421 Schwandorf Autohaus J. B. Lell GmbH & Co. KG, Vilstalstraße 25-29, 92245 Kümmersbruck Autohaus J. B. Lell GmbH & Co. KG, Zur Centralwerkstätte 5, 92637 Weiden ▪ Good, fair service ▪ Competent consultants ▪ Service replacement vehicle ▪ Vehicle preparation /full preparation ▪ Window tinting ▪ Smart Repair ▪ Rim repair ▪ Accident maintenance ▪ Top terms ▪ Purchase without tax through the “VAT form” ▪ BMW and MINI Service Alexander Pyka / BMW service consultant Kümmersbruck dealership +49 (0)9621/7710-11 alexander.pyka@lell-bmw.de Johannes Hartmann / BMW service consultant Weiden dealership +49 (0)961/3003-55 info.wen@lell-bmw.de The Lell service package includes: Tobias Kölbl / BMW service consultant Schwandorf dealership +49 (0)9431/7444-0 tobias.koelbl@lell-bmw.de Service contact: LELL´S SERVICE. FAIR. RELIABLE. FAST.
8 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. 1919 June The Treaty of Versailles limits the German army to 100,000 men and officers. Because of drastic military cuts in spending the existence and future of the Grafenwoehr Training Area falls into speculation. The total Allied casualties by the end of the war top 22 million, or 52 percent of all soldiers mobilized. The Central Powers – Germany and Austria – fighting on two fronts east and west, sustained more than 37 million casualties, about 66 percent of all forces mobilized. Later, all combatant soldiers of the war would come to be known cumulatively thereafter and forever, as “The Lost Generation.” 1920 January Following the German defeat in World War I, and the harsh terms imposed by the Allies, the Grafenwoehr Training Area almost closes for good in 1919. In fact, so many soldiers left Grafenwoehr, the local city government used empty barracks to house 74 homeless families. In spring, a dynamic new officer takes command of the German National Army, General Hans von Seeckt. He introduces a new sense of camaraderie in the German ranks, and begins to train the army on the lessons-learned from World War I and promotes new thinking and new tactics. He sees Grafenwoehr as vital to rebuilding the German army. 1922 May Seeckt replaces the political GTA commandant who had been elected two years earlier, with the WWI veteran Oberst Fritz Krummel. 1923 August Due to inflation and currency devaluation a Soldier’s pay reaches 2 million Reichsmarks, as the currency loses its value daily. By October, Grafenwoehr citizens burn the worthless paper money in their stoves to warm their homes. November Less than 200 miles south of the GTA an attempted coup d’état, the Munich Beer Hall Putsch by the fledgling Nazi Party, led by General Erich Ludendorff and Adolf Hitler, is put-down, after days of brutal street fighting. 1924 An early advocate of armored mechanized warfare, and fast moving mobile armored units, Captain Heinz Guderian explores the use of tanks in an offensive role at the Grafenwoehr Training Area. Guderain becomes a familiar figure at the training area, during the next 20 years. His concept of tank warfare, is later published in 1936 under the title “Achtung! Panzer!", a seminal work in modern offensive tank warfare. May Training activities at the GTA accelerate. Seeckt appoints Oberst Hoffman as the new GTA commander. 1925 April Wooden Tanks! Following WWI, the German Army was prohibited from building or training with armored or tracked vehicles, but as early as 1923 the rebuilt German Army began experiments with “simulated” tanks made of bailing wire and pressboard! 1926 In the spring of 1926 General Hans von Seeckt observes an exercise with one tenth of the entire German Army, with more than 600 officers and 8,300 troops at the GTA. Seeckt retires shortly thereafter. His legacy, keeping the most elite soldiers in the ranks when the allied terms of the Versailles Treaty forced the Reichswehr to purge some 20,000 of its officers in the 1920s. In 1926, of the 100,000 men permitted to serve in the army 40,000 were NCOs, and each of these were regarded as potential officer material. The Artillery Observation tower at Schwartzenberg Hill, known today as the Bleidorn Tower is complete. History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area
9 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. 1927 The GTA hosted many young soldiers through-out the decade, Captain Walther von Reichenau, Majors Heinz Guderian and Erich von Manstein, Lieutenant Colonel Franz Halder and Colonel Gerd von Rundstedt, amongst others – all of whom would invent, or go on to perfect, the strategies and tactics of Blitzkrieg, in great part on the ranges of the GTA. In 1927 Lieutenant Claus von Stauffenberg, a key leader of the German resistance to Hitler, is training on the ranges of Grafenwoehr. 1928 In the parliamentary elections of 1928 less than three-percent of Germans vote for the National Socialist “Nazi” Party. U.S. War Department officials request Congress fund a Regular Army with an enlisted strength of 150,000 Soldiers. 1929 January The world economic crisis at the end of the decade critically destabilizes the government of the Weimar Republic. Various extreme political parties emerge from the civil unrest. A world-wide Great Depression begins which will last more than a decade. 1930/31 The U.S. Armed Forces was limited in the 1920s and 1930s, following the Great Depression. By 1939, in response to the rise of Nazism and Japanese expansion, the U.S. Army grew considerably, but was not well-equipped or trained for war. The U.S. Army Air Corps was reorganized in June 1941, as the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF), but remained subordinate to ground commanders. By June 1941, shortly before the United States was drawn into WWII, the Army had grown to nearly 1.5 million. MUSEUM The museum offers an exciting trip through time from the tertiary and the Middle Ages to the present. Entertaining facts inform you about Parkstein and the volcanic landscape of Bavaria-Bohemia. Short films provide a glimpse into the origins of the basalt cone and the town’s colorful history. The highlight of our exhibit is a volcanic eruption across three floors. A few minutes before the top of every hour, you can experience the once fiery mountain erupt first hand! WELCOME TO THE PARKSTEIN VOLCANO EXPERIENCE! The Parkstein Basalt Cone presides majestically over the hilly landscape of the Upper Palatinate Forest. lt has born witness to a natural spectacle for millions of years. You will find traces of volcanism all over town: At the impressive basalt wall made of hexagonal pillars, at the glittering rock exhibits, and at the mysterious rock cellars at the foot of the extinct volcano. Visit our modern museum for an unforgettable experience. Not only will our multi-media exhibit impress you - where eise can you set foot into the vent of a fiery mountain and safely witness a volcanic eruption? Explore the traces of Bavaria’s southernmost volcano and immerse yourself in the Parkstein Volcano Experience! EXPERIENCE YOUR FIRST ERUPTION! Vulkanerlebnis Parkstein Schlossgasse 5 92711 Parkstein www.vulkanerlebnis-parkstein.de OPENING HOURS: April to October: Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 5 pm November to March: Thursday – Sunday 1 pm – 5 pm History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area
10 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. 1932 January The German government announces it will no longer adhere to the limitations set forth by the Versailles Treaty. In the summer of 1932, General Heinz Guderian tests his theories of mobility and maneuverability, and the possibilities of coordinated tank maneuvers with infantry and air power. 1933 January Hitler is elected Chancellor. The German National Socialist Party is on the rise. 1934 August German President Hindenberg dies. Hitler, as Reich Chancellor, transfers the president‘s powers to himself and appropriates authority of the German states. Bavaria, and all of its military posts, including the Grafenwoehr Training Area, are now directly under his authority. 1935 February Heavy Artillery fi ring at the Training Area commences. March Hitler reintroduces mandatory military service in the German Reich and the army is increased from 100,000 to 550,00 troops, and its name is changed from “Reichswehr” to “Wehrmacht”. The scope and tempo of training at the GTA grows exponentially. 1936 January The second great expansion of Grafenwoehr takes place by order of the War Ministry in Berlin. The GTA doubles by 35,000 acres to the west of the existing camp to accommodate the stupendous growth of the resurgent Wehrmacht, more than 3,500 civilians are relocated outside the training area. March 30,000 German soldiers march into the demilitarized Rhineland border region. The French back-down in the face or well-trained German troops. 1937 June The German Stuka, a ground attack aircraft and form of aerial artillery, is regularly participating in tank and infantry maneuvers at the GTA. The Stuka is a key element in the early success of the German Wehrmacht attacks across Europe, beginning in 1939. History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area
11 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. 1938 March Hitler occupies Austria. June Hitler visits Grafenwoehr and observes a obstacle breaching exercise. By this time the GTA is second to none in rifle and machine-gun ranges, combat infantry and armor ranges, and possesses an authentic bunker/pillbox system for training overcoming defensive obstacles. September Hitler occupies the Czech Sudetenland. November Hitler orders Kristallnacht, an anti-semitic program of hate and violence against Jews all across Germany. 1939 September Hitler attacks Poland, while the Soviet Union closes in to occupy large areas of eastern Poland. Britain and France declare war on Germany. World War II begins. 1940 May Blitzkrieg tactics, in part developed and tested at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, enable the German Army to defeat and occupy Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland. The French Army, considered the best in Europe is swept aside and the British Expeditionary Force is routed, narrowly escaping capture at Dunkirk, less than one month after Wehrmacht combat operations begin. July The Battle of Britain begins. In September, sustained Luftwaffe bombing attacks are launched against UK cities. 1941 June Hitler invades Russia. More than 4.5 million Axis troops drive east surrounding and capturing large numbers of Soviet troops on four active fronts. Initial breakthroughs prove deceptive as Soviet forces regroup later in the year, and slow or stop Wehrmacht advances into the Russian interior. December The United States enters WWII after being attacked by Japanese forces at Pearl Harbor on December 7th. Four days later Hitler, declares war on the United States. 1942 The Spanish “Blue Legion”, more than 18,000 Spanish soldiers, many of who are combat veterans of the Spanish Civil War, swear an oath to fight for Germany. They arrive at the GTA for their uniforms, equipment and training prior to leaving for the Russia. Like many foreign troops trained at the GTA, The Blue Legion will see action at the Siege of Leningrad and elsewhere all along the Russian Front. The new Burger Bar located at „Zum Südlager“ Restaurant at the entrance of Sorghof/Vilseck is recently a popular location. Apart of the welcoming dining area it also offers a large beer garden with 50 outside seating and a large parking area. The Restaurant impresses its customers with the quality of there food. Each sauce of the 15 different handmade beef burgers is homemade. Address: Telephone: Kürmreuther Straße 57, 92249 Vilseck/Sorghof 09662 70 13 956 Mon - Sun 17:00 - 23:00 · Tuesday Closed http://www.facebook.com/Zum-Südlager-Burger-Bar-269054703447780/ Contact: Kürmreutherstrasse 2 92249 Vilseck/Sorghof Phone: 09662 7012014 Opening hours: Tue - Thursday 17:00 - 22:00 Fri & Sat 17:00 - 23:00 Sun 17:00 - 22:00 ZUM SÜDLAGER BURGER BAR Rollstuhltransporte Großraum-Bus Kurierfahrten 7 Seat Van and Airport Shuttle TAXI IN VILSECK History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area
12 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. April Regiment “Nordland”, three foreign SS Scandinavian units arrive in Grafenwoehr to form the core of a new SS volunteer Panzer-grenadier division. Volunteers are chiefly from Northern Europe but more than 1,200 Romanians are added to their strength. 1943 February The Battle of Stalingrad, which began in July 1942, ends with the surrender of the German 6th Army. It is a major turning point in the war. At the same time, Minister of Armaments Albert Speer visits the GTA to observe testing of Germany‘s heaviest and most powerful tank built to date. May General Heinz Guderian, as Chief Inspector for Panzer Corps, visits Grafenwoehr to evaluate 250 Panther tanks before their deployment to the eastern fronts. June The 12,000-man Italian San Marco Division begins training at the GTA. 1944 May Mussolini visits the GTA to and observe its training. June The Longest Day: The largest invasion in history commences on the Normandy beaches of France. American, British and Canadian forces establish a beachhead after breaching Hitler’s “Fortress Europe”. After fierce fighting they drive east to take Paris. Reichsführer-SS Himmler, overseer of the extermination camps and commander of the Gestapo visits SS units in Grafenwoehr. His speech, delivered in the local theater promotes loyalty to the regime. 1945 January The Battle of the Bulge: Hitler sends a quarter of a million troops into the Allied western front, in deadly winter weather. More than 76,000 U.S. Soldiers are casualties of the onslaught, but win the battle, counterattack and drive on. April Two allied bombing raids take place on the town and post. U.S. 3rd Army Soldiers fighting their way through Bavaria arrive to accept the surrender of the GTA 10 days later. April/May Hitler commits suicide. The Red Army takes Berlin. Germany surrenders. 1946 January Americans start training at Grafenwoehr. Tankers attend courses at the 7th Army Tank Training Center near Vilseck, Germany, while artillery and infantry units train at both the GTA and at Wildflecken training areas. In the aftermath of the war, and in the ruins of the main camp, a Prisoner of War collection point is established, while some 8,000 members of the German SS are sent to prison in Bernreuth. 1947 June U.S. General George Marshall as Secretary of State announces a comprehensive program of American assistance to help rebuild Europe. Germany defeated is divided by the Allies into four zones. The American zone consists of Bavaria and Hessen, Southern Germany, and the northern portions of the present day state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. The U.S. Constabulary establishes a training area for the newly activated 370th and 371st Infantry Battalions. The area between Grafenwoehr and Vilseck will be used. In 1948, the U.S. Tank Training Center HQ is established at Rose Barracks, until war damage at Grafenwoehr is repaired. History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area
13 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. 1948 February Soviet coup d‘état in Czechoslovakia. June The Cold War Begins. The Soviet Union cuts-off land routes to the Allied zones of Berlin, prompting the Berlin Airlift – U.S. and British forces provide a lifeline of food and fuel to the beleaguered city, until the Soviets yield, and lift the blockade a year later. The U.S. Army officially re-opens Grafenwoehr for unit training. 1949 April NATO is established with a headquarters in Brussels. The organization constitutes a system of collective defense whereby its member states agree to mutual defense. May Formed from the three western zones of occupation and West Berlin. The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) divides from the Soviet sphere of occupation and establishes its capital in Bonn. August The Soviet Union explodes its first atom bomb. October The East German Democratic Republic (GDR) is formed and claims as its capital Berlin. 1950 May General Dwight D. Eisenhower visits the GTA in his final weeks as NATO Commander. One month later, he returns to the U.S. to campaign for President. June The Korean War begins as Communist forces invade South Korea. November The U.S. Seventh Army, deactivated in 1947, is reactivated. 1951 June V and VII Corps arrive in Europe and are assigned to Seventh Army. From 1950 to 1953 large construction projects change the face of the Training Area. The Barracks “Tunisia”, “Cheb”, “Kasserine”, and Camps Aachen, Algiers and Normandy are added. These facilities combined Gosselin Auerbach Leonie 5 - 91275 Auerbach - Germany Contact: +49 9643 / 92280 get in touch Your local Gosselin mover info@gtrans-auerbach.de History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area
14 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. are capable of housing more than 42,000 troops. Developed in the early 1950s, the Honest John Rocket, the first U.S. battlefield, close support nuclear weapon was fired with weighted dummy warheads. 1953 March Soviet General Secretary and Premier Joseph Stalin dies. 1954 January U.S. Soldiers at the GTA are regularly shown government training films at the local movie theater throughout the Cold War years. 1955 May The Soviet Union creates The Warsaw Pact, a military-treaty organization of eight nations initiated and sponsored by the Soviets. It is the Communist Bloc counter to NATO. November The German Bundeswehr is officially established. West Germany joins NATO. 1956 July West Germany introduces conscription, and activates the Bundeswehr (German Armed forces). One month later, the first German Bundeswehr soldiers arrive and are billeted at Camp Normandy at GTA. Although early plans for the Bundeswehr called for separate bases, the U.S. establishes a co-use agreement for Camps Algiers and Normandy for joint training and maneuvers. October The Soviet Union invades Hungary occupying the capital, Budapest, following Hungary’s decision to withdraw from the Warsaw Pact. Hungarian resistance is crushed by Soviet troops and tanks. 1957 January U.S. Forces across central Europe, including those stationed in France, are using the Grafenwoehr Training Area by this time. August Bundeswehr tanks and soldiers take to the Grafenwoehr Ranges. 1958 November Pvt. Elvis Presley, the King of Rock & Roll, visits Grafenwoehr for six weeks of winter training with his unit. 1958 through 1959 A newly remodeled Grafenwoehr Post becomes the headquarters of the Seventh Army Training Center. In addition to the Grafenwoehr Training Area, the Hohenfels Training Area is consolidated under the command. The Seventh Army Training Center becomes the largest training complex in Germany. Rose Barracks becomes the home of the Seventh Army Combined Arms School. 1960 February Elvis Presley returns to Grafenwoehr to train and participate in the NATO exercise “Winter Shield”. Maneuvers involve 60,000 men of the U.S. Army and German Bundeswehr. Elvis, now a sergeant, shuns exceptional treatment and duty. In his free time Elvis occasionally visits local taverns in the city of Grafenwoehr, just past the front gate, where he signs countless autographs and patiently sits for photos with his German fans. History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area
15 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. 1961 August At midnight, August 12, units of the East German army install barbed-wire fences along the 124 miles of Allied sectors in Berlin. October High Noon: Soviet and American tanks face-off at Allied Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin. Third Armored Division’s General Creighton Abrams photographed in Grafenwoehr for the cover of TIME magazine. June U.S. Army Europe reaches its peak strength of 277,342 personnel. October President John F. Kennedy speaks to the world in a televised speech from the Oval Office at the height of the Cuban missile crisis. U.S. and NATO military forces in Europe go to the highest state of alert. 1963 July The stone and barbed-wire barricades that dividing Berlin since 1961 are replaced by a permanent, 18 foot high wall around allied sectors that make-up West Berlin. 1964 October Communist Party First Secretary Nikita Khruschev is deposed by the Russian government as leader of the Soviet Union. Leonid Brezhnev and Alexi Kosygin assume power over the state. 1965 Beginning in the mid-1960s, U.S. Army Europe contributes to the car in Vietnam, by providing personnel. The GTA offers jungle and counter guerilla training for personnel deploying to Vietnam. 1966 January Charles de Gaulle, leader of the French government, says he will withdraw military forces from NATO. The United States must vacate its bases in France by the end of the year. Consequently, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army Headquarters merge at Heidelberg in 1967. December Allies then, Allies now: Bundeswehr Forces welcome United States Army units restationed from France into Germany. History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area
16 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. 1967 March President Johnson announces plans to withdraw two divisions from Europe. 1968 August Approximately 200,000 Warsaw Pact soldiers, led by the Soviet Union invade Czechoslovakia, for the second time. The soldiers were sent to stop political reforms and freedoms and set-up a new government more closely aligned with the Kremlin. 1969 January The largest NATO Exercise to take place in Europe, the first Exercise REFORGER [from return of Forces to Germany] begins. About 12,000 Soldiers come from the U.S. to join the 220,000-man, U.S. Seventh Army in West Germany. In addition, 96 F-4 fighter bombers attend from Stateside to participate. The Soviet news agency, Izvestia, describes REFORGER as, “a new western plot directed at increasing tension in Europe”. The exercise is hosted in Bavaria at Grafenwoehr, 50 miles from the Czechoslovak border. 1970 President Nixon’s Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird visits Grafenwoehr, where he meets Helmut Schmidt. Schmidt will later become Chancellor of West Germany. Historical note: Every Cold War West German Chancellor with the exception of one, Konrad Adenauer visits the Grafenwoehr Training Area in one capacity or another from 1947 to 1991. May The M-16AI rifle, the TOW anti-tank weapon, the AH-1G Cobra and the OH-58A observation helicopter are added to U.S. Army Europe’s arsenal. 1971 November A Pentagon reorganization study proposes adding more combat units to USAREUR. 1972 April V Corps Headquarters and the Terrace Club in Frankfurt are bombed by terrorist group Red Army Faction (RAF). The RAF would bomb USA-EUR headquarters in Heidelberg one month later. 1972 to 1973: The Seventh Army Training Center’s responsibilities dramatically expand. It is now responsible for all U.S. Army training activities in Europe. Combat support courses from the Combat Support Training Center in Oberammergau are moved to Rose Barracks. 1975 January The 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry is activated at Lee Barracks in Mainz, and moves to Vicenza, Italy. At the same time, the 8th Infantry Division‘s 1st and 2nd Battalions, 509th Infantry were discontinued and replaced by two mechanized battalions, making the division fully mechanized. The USAREUR Soldier in the mid 1980s was many things. More than any other institution, the Army had become America’s great melting pot. As a member of an all-volunteer Army the Soldiers assigned to U.S. Army Europe experienced cohesion, teamwork and esprit de corps in picturesque Europe, and by 1987 the Army’s recruitment slogan, “Be All You Can Be” was an open invitation to talent from every part of the country, and to individuals from every social or ethnic background. History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area
17 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. The year 1975 marked the end the Army’s largest logistical organization, the U.S. Theater Army Support Command. The Command has more than 69,000 U.S. and local national civilians, supporting over 400,000 U.S. Soldiers in Europe and the Middle East. 1976 July The Seventh Army Training Center becomes the 7th Army Training Command (7th ATC). Established on July 1, 1976, the command is responsible for the Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels Training Areas, the Combined Arms Training Center at Rose Barracks, near Vilseck, and the Training Support Activity, Europe. The 7th ATC facilitates and manages training, including the development of concepts, requirements, and the evaluation of training readiness. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which is critical to moving data on the modern Internet, is introduced in 1976. 1977 January RAF terrorists bomb U.S. Army barracks of the 42nd Artillery Brigade at Giessen. Several RAF members are killed in the ensuing firefight. August The first A-10 attack aircraft arrive in Europe and are put through their paces at the Grafenwoehr Training Area for the international press The A-10, affectionately known as “the Warthog” is a deadly tank killer thatsupports the infantry. 1979 December The Soviet Army invades Afghanistan. 1980 November Operation “Real Train” begins at the Hohenfels Training Area. Participating M603A Tanks are the most advanced of the M60 series, but are later replaced by the M1 Abrams in 1984. LEAVE IT TO US, TO BRING IT TO YOU Trans Global Logistics Europe GmbH Hochheimer Straße 111 D-55246 Mainz - Kostheim Tel.: +49 (0) 6134 - 58444-0 0800 - 2277447 info@tglog.eu www.transglobal-logistics.eu For a free quote please contact us toll free within Germany World Wide Car Shipping Domestic Delivery within US and Europe: Marine Insurance · Customs Clearance History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area
18 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. 1981 From 1981 to 1993, the U.S. Army extends and enlarges Rose Barracks, the southern tip of the Grafenwoehr Training Area. The total cost of renovations and enlargement exceeds one billion U.S. dollars. September The Red Army Faction (RAF) carry out an unsuccessful rocket propelled grenade attack against the car carrying the U.S. Army’s West German Commander Frederick J. Kroesen in Heidelberg. 1982 From the July 1982 Spearhead magazine: “An eight-inch howitzer from the 1st Bn., 40th Field Artillery fires from underneath its camo at the Grafenwoehr Training Area before rumbling down the range road to another firing point.” 1983 First M2/3 and M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System is fi red at Grafenwoehr. The M270 is a mobile unit, well-suited for the shoot-and scoot tactic it can fire its rockets rapidly, and quickly move-away to avoid returning counter battery fire. 1984/85 The first M1A1 Tanks arrive for trials at Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels. 1985 August Major upgrades are completed at Grafenwoehr facilities, and the ranges are renumbered. SIMNET, a wide area network with vehicle simulators and displays for real-time distributed combat simulation is released for testing in 1985, by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. SIMNET is subsequently fielded in 1987, and was used for training until successor programs came online in the 1990s. 1986 April The nuclear reactor at Chernobyl in the Soviet Union melts-down and explodes releasing a cloud of radioactivity into the atmosphere over Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. 1987 July Soviet Forces withdraw from Afghanistan. Civil war erupts among tribesmen and multiple rival factions seeking control of the country. 1988 The Combat Maneuver Training Center (CMTC) is activated at Hohenfels. The CMTC mission is to provide realistic combined arms training for U.S. Army Europe, and Seventh Army’s maneuver battalion task forces in force-on-force exercises. 1989 November Freedom Prevails: After weeks of civil unrest the East German government announces its citizens will be allowed to visit West Berlin, causing a flood of East Germans to the west, and bringing about the fall of the Berlin Wall, more than a quarter century after it was erected. History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area
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20 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. 1990 January Communist governments fall in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, and Romania, signaling the end of the Soviet empire in Europe. Latvia and Estonia declare independence five months later. “Centurion Shield”, the last REFORGER is hosted 60 miles west of Grafenwoehr. August Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait. The U.S. responds with Operation Desert Shield. Seventh Army Training Command begins training units for deployment. VII Corps deploys to the region in Nov. where it plays a key role in the “100 Hour War” that liberates Kuwait in February 1991. 1991 February Operation Desert Storm begins. In one week, the U.S. led coalition pushes Iraqi forces out of Kuwait and across the border into Iraq, where the coalition halts 150 miles south of Baghdad. June Yugoslavia begins to break apart. The Dayton Accords end the ethnic war, five years later, in December 1995. August The Seventh U.S. Army Noncommissioned Officer Academy relocates and becomes a tenant unit of the GTA. December Soviet Premier Gorbachev announces the break-up of the Soviet Union. 1992 U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) begins reducing forces in Germany, closing facilities and communities. Area Support Teams in Amberg and Bindlach are closed as part of the USAREUR-wide draw down. 1993 NATO’s Allied Land Forces Central Europe becomes operational at U.S. Army Europe’s headquarters in Heidelberg with a staff of seven nations: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. The troops of these armies become regular fixtures on the GTA ranges in years to come. History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area
21 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. September In an unusual statistical milestone, for the first time in U.S. history, Army retirees outnumber active-duty personnel because of radical downsizing of the U.S. Army. 1994 April The 283rd Base Support Battalion inactivates and the Wildflecken Training Area is returned to the German government. October 7th Army Training Center hosts the largest, most technologically complex, joint and combined computer-assisted training exercise in the U.S. Army to date, ATLANTIC RESOLVE 94, which replaces the annual REFORGER exercises. 1995 October The Nuremberg AST at Merrill Barracks is closed and returned to the German government. December To enforce a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in the Balkans, 20,000 U.S. Soldiers deploy to Bosnia for Operation Joint Endeavor. In the first three months, the U.S. Air Force flies 3,000 missions, more than 15,600 troops, and delivers more than 30,100 tons of cargo. Many of the combat and support elements are trained, then airlifted from the GTA directly to the Balkans. 1996 January 7th ATC participates in Task Force Eagle peace support certification operations prior to their departure for Operation Joint Endeavor. The JMTC maintains an active role in training units deploying to the Balkans as part of Operation Joint Guard, and deployments to Albania, Macedonia, and Kosovo for Operation Joint Guardian. June NATO deploys Kosovo Force (KFOR) to promote stability in the Balkans. USAREUR’s Task Force Falcon deploys as the main element of the Multinational Brigade. September After years of civil war Kabul and Afghanistan fall to the Taliban. 1997 1997 – 2000 The draw-down forces the closure of many USAREUR bases in Germany. With few exceptions the bases are turned over to the German government. Planning begins for the construction of a Multi-Purpose Range Complex at the Grafenwoehr Training Area. 1999 March Operation Allied Force, NATO combat operations against Serbia, commence. USAREUR deploys Task Force Hawk to Albania in support of the operation. May The GTA Range 117 modernization and expansion project is completed to meet the new gunnery requirements of the M1A2 Tank. Likewise, Range 204 is completed to meet the standards of the Operation Desert Storm Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Fielding of the new M109A6 Paladin Howitzer and German Howitzer 2000 results in new procedures and firing areas to allow realistic training with new artillery systems. NATO turns 50. 2000 September The Grafenwoehr Training Area is being assessed for possible closure. It’s strategic significance and importance to U.S. Army Europe are discussed at the highest levels of the Pentagon. 2001 On September 11th, a series of coordinated suicide attacks by Al-Qaeda against the United States by 19 terrorists who crash four airliners into the World Trade Center, The Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. October In response to the attacks, the United States launches Operation Enduring Freedom, (OEF) in Afghanistan. U.S. Army Europe units deploy in support of OEF including SETAF’s 173rd Airborne Brigade. 2003 March through April Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) begins as the U.S. Army and Marines attack Iraq from bases in Kuwait. The 173rd Airborne Brigade jumps into Iraq in the largest combat airdrop since WWII. Baghdad is captured only. 16 days after OIF begins. The 1st Armored Division deploys to Iraq for a 15-month combat tour. September USAREUR introduces Efficient Basing Grafenwoehr (EBG). The EBG initiative enhances training readiness, improves force protection, and provides new or renovated facilities for Soldiers and families. History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area
22 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. 2004 May The first Counter-Improvised Explosive Device training begins at Grafenwoehr. November Plans are announced to transform The Combat Maneuver Training Center (CMTC) at Hohenfels, into the Joint Multinational Readiness Center. The transformation will be complete in 2005. After years of study, the U.S. Army unveils a new uniform, dubbed the Army Combat Uniform (ACU). It becomes standard-issue for all deployed troops in the fall of 2005. 2005 April Rose Barracks begins a $600 million expansion. September The Seventh Army Training Command changes its name to the Joint Multinational Training Command (JMTC). The new name represents it's key role in supporting NATO and the U.S. European Command’s Theater Security Cooperation program. At the same time, CMTC transforms into the Joint Multinational Training Center. While, the 7th Army NCO Academy is training hundreds of allied and partner nation’s noncommissioned officers. 2006 April 3,500 soldiers of the 2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment move from Fort Lewis, Washington to Rose Barracks Vilseck. The influx of more than 3,500 2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment soldiers doubles the local population. 2007 September GTA is approved for a series of Department of the Army range projects under the Combined Arms MOUT Task Force initiative. Construction of an Urban Assault Course, a 360-degree livefire-shoot-house and an Urban Breach Facility begins, while the GTA live-fire assault building project is completed. October United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) is established. Training with the Shadow Unmanned Aerial System begins at the GTA. 2008 The Joint Multinational Simulation Center opens a state of the art 50,000 square-foof facility for digital models, simulations and virtual training. At this time the JMTC at Grafenwoehr employs close to 3,900 local German nationals. Current salary and wage payments total 160 million Euro per year and contracts with local businesses amount to 2550 million Euro annually. American private purchasing power in the region is approximately 35 million Euro. An additional 30 million Euro per year is spent on rents by American families. 2009 As Grafenwoehr prepares for its centennial, its ranges and facilities are fully operational and teeming with U.S. and multinational soldiers training for deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. While continuing to support combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Army Europe continues with its most comprehensive transformation program since the end of World War II. The GTA continues to adapt and shape itself to meet the needs of the soldiers preparing for current and future operations. June 30, 2010 In the spirit of cooperation and partnership that exists between the U.S. and the German militaries, 100 years after the first artillery round was fired at the Grafenwoehr Training Area from a 150 mm field howitzer on June 1910, a crew of German soldiers fired a ceremonial round to honor a century of training excellence. Also on this day, a U.S. crew fired a live-round “on target” to inaugurate the next 100 years. History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area
23 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. September 11, 2011 A memorial ceremony was held at Rose Barracks Vilseck to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks to the New York Trade Center, the Washington Pentagon and Pennsylvania. A symbolic handover of an World Trade Center artifact, presented from soldiers of 2d Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment to their German military partners 122nd Panzer Grenadier Battalion was donated for a 9/11 Memorial in the city of Oberviechtach. The monument is dedicated to all those individuals who died that day as well as those German and American Soldiers, Firefighters and Rescue workers who selflessly dedicate their service to their communities. 2012 Saber Junction was the second Decisive Action Training Environment exercise in Europe and the first to feature the Stryker-based 2nd Cavalry Regiment. It was also the first major exercise in more than 20 years to expand beyond the borders of the Army's major training areas in southern Germany. 2013 172d Infantry Brigade was inactivated on May 31, 2013 at the Tower Barracks Parade Field, ending almost one-hundred years of unit history. Following the brigade’s inactivation, US Army units from Bamberg and Schweinfurt were relocated to Tower Barracks, Grafenwoehr. On September 24, 2013, U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr was redesignated as U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria to reflect its area of responsibility covering Grafenwoehr, Vilseck, Hohenfels and Garmisch U.S. military installations. Keynote speaker at the event was the Bavarian Deputy Minister President and State Minister for the Interior, Joachim Herrmann. Nice to advice you Veterinary Clinic Küke • X-Ray • Bloodtests • English Paperwork • Passport issue and implanting transponders • Dental treatment and rehabilitation • Health Check • Holistic treatment • Monitored anesthesia • and much more ... 09644 6890404 Nina Küke DVM Döllnitz Industriegebiet 12 92690 Pressath Tel.: 09644 6890404 Fax: 09644 6890405 E-Mail: info@tierarztpraxis-kueke.de www.tierarztpraxis-kueke.de Monday – Friday: 8:00 – 18:00 24/7 emergency treatment please call ahead Wir vermieten und verwalten in Eschenbach, Grafenwöhr, Pressath, Auerbach und Kirchenthumbach History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area
24 Welcome to the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr. 2014 USAG Grafenwoehr hosted Women’s Empowerment Day on Mar. 28, 2014 as part of Women’s History Month. Bavarian State Minister of Labor, Social and Family Affairs and Integration Emilia Müller was the keynote speaker, highlighting the status and accomplishments of women in today’s society. In March 2014, Russia illegally annexed the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a gross violation of international law and of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. This lead to a restructuring of NATO’s security posture in Europe. The European Activity Set (EAS) is a combined-arms, battalion-sized group of vehicles and equipment that is prepositioned in Europe to outfit U.S. Army Regionally Aligned Forces when they rotate into theatre for training or contingency operations. The EAS includes vehicle systems and equipment that would outfit a U.S. Army combined-arms battalion, such as M1A2 SEP v2 Abrams Main Battle Tanks and M2A3 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, as well as the standard array of tracked and wheeled support systems. The return of heavy armor means the U.S. Army has an armored force in Europe to train across the full-spectrum of unified land operations alongside allies and partners in the region. Those continuing engagements strengthen interoperability among partners, enhance trust and help build enduring relationships that will be the foundation for future security in the region. 2015 Soldiers of 3d Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment participated in Operation Atlantic Resolve in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland and completed the eleven-day, 1,800 kilometer “Dragoon Ride I” road march with their Stryker combat vehicles back to Vilseck, Germany on April 1, 2015. The ground movement was the longest by the U.S. Army in Europe since the end of World War II, highlighting NATO strategic access. Upon their return, Dragoon soldiers conducted a large military parade through Rose Barracks Vilseck and were welcomed home by the military community and German partners. A partnership tree was put up at Tower Barracks, Grafenwoehr on May 4, 2015. It is decorated with the crests of the units stationed at Tower and Rose Barracks and their German partner communities and units, as a symbol of German-American friendship and partnership. Swift Response 15 was the largest combined airborne training on the continent since the end of the Cold War. It was designed to integrate multiple allied nations’ high-readiness forces to operate as a cohesive team and demonstrate the alliance’s capacity to rapidly deploy and operate in support of maintaining a strong and secure Europe. Paratroopers from 11 NATO nations conducted a massive airborne combined joint forcible entry operation across four European nations during the U.S. Army-led exercise. On June 26, 2015, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter visited Grafenwoehr Training Area and the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command. History of the Grafenwoehr Training Area
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