You have some great photos on your site of 406, as well as 405, the mess hall which I remember well, and 401 to the right of that, which was the headquarters of the 3rd Brigade, housing the Commander's office, S-2, S-3, S-4 and other administrative offices. I was in the commo platoon, I was a teletype operator. There was a very secure room in that HQ (Building 401) on the second floor. This room was the communications center for the HQ. Our commo was teletype, and it was encrypted by "crypto" equipment. I held a "Top-Secret, Crypto" security clearance for the purposes of working this communications center.

The building shown in my photo of the tank is 406, the barracks. I had a two-man room on the first floor, far right, rear. The German/American boy who carried the STARS & STRIPES newspaper used to deliver mine to me through the window.

A few days ago I found some photos of those buildings, just a coincidental find on the web, taken by a guy who had done a motorcycle trip in Aschaffenburg. He photographed the same buildings, and the year was 2005. The buildings were crumbling and abandoned. He also had a photo of the community chapel across the street from Ready barracks, the very chapel in which my wife (A German Girl) and I were married in 1975. I contacted this guy and he responded, and if you would be interested in those I'm sure he would let you publish them.

Again, I very much appreciate your website. I am proud of my three years of service in the 3rd Infantry Division in A-burg. I later did another 3 year tour on Spangdahlem Air Base, on the Mosel River near Bitburg.

Two new companies
The two new line companies are being formed by adding A Co 2/15 and C Co 2/15, they will become D Co 1/7th and D Co 1/4th. This should be accomplished by the middle of May. At the same time the Combat Support Companies in each battalion will be eliminated, the TOW sections will become part of the anti-tank company and the rest of the personnel will be transfered to Headquarters Company.

Under the new organization Headquarters Company will be larger than the rest of the companies. "Initially we will have some problems with the additional people because of the shortage of quarters and economy housing, this problem will be reduced when the 3rd Medical Battalion is moved to Giebelstadt, which is supposed to take place later this year," according to Helton.

Another change the modernization will bring to Aschaffenburg is the forming of a new battalion which will be based here. Called the 3rd Forward Support Battalion this unit will provide fuel, transportation, and maintenance support to the units here. "The 703rd Maint. Company will become the heart of the new battalion. One of the changes that will occur with the new unit will be the establishment of contact teams which will provide direct maintenance support to the units at the unit's motor pool. Instead of taking the equipment to them they will come to the units," added Helton.

New equipment
In addition to the personnel changes the modernization will introduce many new weapons and additional equipment to Aschaffenburg. The next major piece of new equipment we will receive is the Bradley M2 Fighting Vehicle.

Aschaffenburg will be one of the first communities in USAREUR to receive the M2. "This vehicle will force the infantrymen to become much more team oriented. They will have to become used to working as a crew, and their basic tactics will change because with the new vehicle they will be trained to fight from the mounted position as much as possible."

"The M2 has vastly superior firepower to the M 113 it is replacing, especially long range kill capability. With the TOW system on this vehicle you can knock out a tank at over 3000 meters, that's more range than the Soviet tanks have," according to Helton.

To aid in maintenance on the new vehicle the maintenance bays at Fiori are being renovated and a new facility with high speed wash rack is being built at Graves.

Most of these changes will have very little impact on family members, except for the short-term housing crush which we will face this summer. Over the long range there will only be a net increase of thirty five families in this area.

Eventually the Division 86 plan will encompass all the units in Aschaffenburg, there will be new organizations and equipment for the engineers and the artillery but these changes are still a few years down the line.

"We are going thru these changes so we can create more of a deterrent, we will have a stronger base from which to maintain peace without action," added IL T Helton.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
(Source: ASCHAFFENBURG FORUM, May 25, 1983)
As part of the transition to the Division 86 Concept, the 1st Battalion 7th Infantry ("Cottonbalers") recently activated another line company, Delta Company. Col Foley CO 3rd Bde) aided by LTC Seavy Bain presented the company with its colors. Capt Singleton is the new company's commanding officer.

(Source: ASCHAFFENBURG FORUM, Nov 9, 1983)
In a ceremony held recently on Fiori Kaserne, the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry ("Warriors") deactivated Combat Support Company and activated Anti-Armor Company. The Mortar and Scout Sections that were part of CSC have been assigned to Headquarters Company. The rest of CSC will form the nucleus of the AA Company under the direction of Capt Larry Peppins and SFC Larry F. Jewell.

I am familiar with Graves Barracks and can point out some of the sites (see annotated installation map above).

Just before the Battle Group became First Batt, President Kennedy came to Germany, in June of 1963, to deliver his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech in Berlin. The President "Trooped the Line" of various 7th Army Troops, arrayed on the Tarmac at Fliegerhorst Kaserne, in Hanau. Hanau was about 16 Klicks up the Autobahn, from Aschaffenburg, where I was stationed with the 1st BG. One of the Senior NCO's grabbed a bunch of us ("You, you, and you, get in Class A's and be in the Company Street in 15 minutes"!) We were to go up to Hanau, as spectators, for the President's visit.

I must say it was one of my favorite moments in my time in Germany, not to mention my young life. He rode right by where we were standing, and I can still see the sunlight hitting his red hair! I kept the program, with it's attached orders. It has a drawing of his route of entry into the Parade Ground Area, something, after 11/22/63, that I am sure was never done again!

Shortly after Kennedy's visit, the ROAD Concept was put in place! 1st BG 7th Infantry transferred into 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division (Mech). The old BG HQ, located in Ready Barracks, became 3rd Brigade HQ. Company's A, B, and C of 1st BG became 1st Battalion, 7th Infantry. Part of the Combat Support Company of 1st BG was integrated into HHC 1st Bn, 7th Infantry. All of these units were located now in Graves.

2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry was created by taking Company's D and E of 1st BG to become Company's A and B of 2nd Battalion. An Infantry Company from the (I believe 2nd BG 38th Infantry, located in Schweinfurt or Kitzingen, further south), was brought up to become Company C, 2nd Bn, 7th Infantry. Elements of Combat Support also were utilized to flesh out HHC 2/7 Infantry.

The 38th Infantry was retired from the 3rd Division and was represented in the newly re-activated 2nd Infantry Division, at Ft. Benning.

I ended up in HHC 3rd Brigade, as part of a newly formed Brigade Band! That is another "interesting", but short term assignment, worthy of a telling at a later date!

Also, "Ich bin ein Berliner" actually means "I am a Jelly Doughnut"! Adding the article "Ein" changes the meaning of the expression! I hope Kennedy fired the guy that missed that little piece of translation! A simple "Ich bin Berliner" would have gotten the point across!

Some notes concerning the map: The "Track Park" (No. 14) was where the Battalion kept it's Armored Personnel Carriers.

There was a Gym somewhere, over by the Movie Theater, but I can not remember where. I can't remember the other buildings.

The "Heli-pad was not there in 1963-65 when I was stationed in A-burg.

History has it that the pre-World War German "Heer" 106th Infantry Regiment was stationed at Graves. I think that unit needed in Norway for occupation duty during the war.

In the 3rd Brigade Headquarters building they maintained the History Museum of the 7th Infantry. All of the old Flags, pictures, memento's were kept there. As the Regiment was the most decorated Infantry Regiment in the Army (60 rings on the Regimental Standard, then, and after Vietnam; The Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan, about 20 more) it was quite a place to see. They also had a large bale of cotton. Placed near the entrance to the Offices in the HQ. The Cotton bale had been donated by the City of New Orleans, in honor of the defense of that City during the Battle Of New Orleans in the War of 1812. Thus the Regimental name "The Cottonbalers", signifying the use of Cotton bales as defensive works by the 7th Infantry! I hope this information is helpful to you.

My neighbor was the director of the AYA (American Youth Activity) on Wildflecken. Kinda like a Boy's and Girl's Club for dependents, ages up thru high school. He offered me the Sports Director position. I was able to get reassigned from the infantry to post headquarters for the duration of my Wildflecken time. Organized teams, games, uniforms, officials, banquets. No army uniform, no formations, no roll call, no maneuvers, no APC's, no mess halls. Lived off post, living the life. Plus, any hours over 40, I was able to submit a time sheet to Post Headquarters, and was paid for. My wife got a paid job also as Recreation Director. What a gig!!

About 4 klicks from post was the Kreuzburg Monastery (brewery). Many a walk there and back on the weekends. It's on top of the mountain, so walking to it was uphill, going back was easier, especially after 1 or 2 steins of their stout.

You know, for a post that had a terrible reputation, had terrible weather, remote as hell, I really think most soldiers who were there really enjoyed all those aspects of Wildflecken, Top of the Rock, and all that.

There was some racial tension, much drug use from the returning vets from Vietnam, but I'm sure that was not uncommon in Germany in the mid-70's.

I went to Fort Stewart to the 24th Infantry Division into a CSC Company, Recon Platoon for two more years. Got out after 5 active duty years, into the Connecticut National Guard for 8 more years again in an infantry company as the Weapons Platoon Sergeant. Got ont an E-7.

I suppose two regrets:

1. Didn't stay active duty longer, maybe the full 20 or more. My wife didn't care for the life.

2. Or, stayed longer in the Guard to get to 20 or longer.....