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              4th 
                Transportation CommandUS Army, Europe
 Looking for more information from military/civilian 
                personnel assigned to or associated with the U.S. Army 
                in Germany from 1945 to 1989. If you have any 
                stories or thoughts on the subject, please contact me
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          | COMZEUR Transportation Command History |  
          |  |  
          | 1965 - 1968 |  
          | (Source: STARS & STRIPES, November 23,  1965) |  
          | The Com Z Transportation Command recently assumed operational and movement control previously handled by the US Army Traffic Management Control Center at Frankfurt. With this recent action, the organizational structure of the Trans Comd has basically been completed. The command now controls all types of transportation units: port, military highway and movement control, within its logistic support structure. 
 To take over the new responsibilities, Com Z established the Movements Control Center at Frankfurt. The MCC has three traffic regions with headquarters at Frankfurt, Paris and Bremerhaven. Each region is subdivided into major areas under a district traffic management office. District offices are at Frankfurt, Mannheim, Kaiserslautern, Stuttgart, Munich and Nurnberg in Germany -- under Frankfurt; Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Antwerp, Belgium, St. Nazaire and Bordeaux, France -- under Bremerhaven; Paris, Nancy, Ingrandes and the AATCO at Chateauroux in France -- under Paris.
 
 In addition to the above, the MCC also supervises and controls the AATCO in Paris (passenger service), at Rhine Main AB (passenger and cargo) and at Chateauroux AB (military cargo).
 
 MCC operational and movement control responsibilities include:
 
 -- planning, programming and controlling all movements of personnel, materiel and supplies in support of the intersectional service responsibilities of Com Z;
 -- serving as a point of contact for all users of transportation for whom Com Z has logistic support responsibility;
 -- performing assigned responsibilities in connection with the movement of military personnel, dependents and civilian personnel;
 
 --- managing and controlling USAREUR Joint CONEX Control Activity and the Army's transportation trailer service in USAREUR;
 
 -- controlling the operation  and maintenance of military owned and leased railway rolling stock 
              other than that permanently assigned to intra-base operations and providing military train conductors and food service for passengers trains.
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          | Transportation Command 
            History |  
          |  |  
          |  Headquarters building, USATRANSCOMEUR, Camp King, Oberursel, 1969
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          |  |   
          | 1965 
            - 1980 |   
          | (Source: Transportation 
            Command, COMZ. 29 February 1980) |   
          |  |   
          | 1. Genesis. 
            Establishment of TRANSCOM, COMZ. |   
          | The Transportation 
            Command has been known in Europe since February 1 1965 when it was 
            provisionally formed from the Transportation Division 
            of HQ, COMZ. The structure of the COMZEUR Transportation 
            Command included the 37th Transportation Group, headquartered 
            at SAMEC, France, at that time and the Movements Control Center at 
            Frankfurt as subordinate elements. It exercised operational control 
            of port operations at the Bremerhaven, Benelux, U.K., Rhine River 
            and Lisbon Terminals. Also assigned were the 2nd Aviation Co and the 
            22nd and 56th Aviation Detachments. The Transportation Command headquarters 
            was located at Harbord Barracks, close to Orleans, France. |   
          |  |   
          | 2. Exodus 
            (FRELOC). |   
          | The relocation 
            of the US Forces out of France, known as FRELOC, in 1966-67 stationed 
            the HQ, TRANSCOM at Azbill Barracks, Rüsselsheim, Germany, in February 
            1967. Action was directed by the CG, COMZ on 17 July 1967 to abolish 
            the HQ, TRANSCOM and establish a Director of Transportation 
            at HQ, COMZ, Worms, Germany. HQ, USAREUR General Order Number 53, 
            dated 27 February 1968, formally inactivated the Headquarters Transportation 
            Command, effective 5 February 1968. |   
          |  |   
          | 3. Reestablishment. |   
          | In that same 
            month, February 1968, the Director of Transportation, HQ, COMZ, COL 
            Robert W. Larson, was directed by the CG, COMZ to prepare a paper 
            on the early reestablishment of the Transportation Command. The mission, 
            organization, staffing and equipment for the new command were based 
            on the TASTA-70 (FM 54-8 (Test)) and the USAREUR OPLAN 4405-CCLS-70. 
            The reestablished Transportation Command, COMZ, 
            was formed from the US Army Traffic Management Agency, Central Europe; 
            the headquarters of the 107th (Transportation) Brigade; the 37th Transportation 
            Group; the US Army Terminal Command, Central Europe, and was authorized 
            an ADP unit from USAREUR assets. Five spaces from USEUCOM were further 
            allotted, but not included in the TRANSCOM MTA. These five spaces 
            were filled by Air Force and Navy personnel, who occupied positions 
            in the command headquarters. Upon decision of the CG, COMZ, the US 
            Army Reception Group, Europe was moved to Camp King (Oberursel) by 
            COMZ General Order Number 254, December 1968. This unit was formerly 
            a DCSOPS Activity, administered by the AG of COMZ, with its two detachments, 
            "A" and "B", located in Munich and Rüsselsheim, Germany, respectively. |   
          |  |   
          | 4. Camp 
            King, Oberursel, Germany. |   
          | On 2 December 
            1968, the USATRANSCOMEUR (Prov) was established 
            at Camp King, Oberursel, by USAREUR General Order Number 254, dated 
            2 December 1968. The USAREUR General Order Number 46, dated 3 March 
            1969, dropped the "provisional" status and formerly established USATRANSCOMEUR. 
            The subordinate units of the TRANSCOM were: 
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          | 
               
                | US Army 
                    Movements Control Agency, Europe37th Transportation Group
 US Army 
                    Transportation Terminal Group, Europe
 US Army Reception Group, Europe
 Automatic Data Processing Unit
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          | USAREUR 
              General Order Number 27, dated 27 January 1969, formally organized 
              the Movements Control Agency and the Data Processing Unit. On 9 
              May 1975, USATRANSCOMEUR was redesignated as the 4th 
              Transportation Brigade. |   
          |  |   
          | 5. 
              Terminal Headquarters to Rotterdam. |   
          | On 
              15 July 1970, the US Army Terminal Command was reorganized to form 
              two separate units: US Forces Support District, Bremerhaven, and 
              US Army Transportation Terminal Group, Europe. As a subordinate 
              unit of TRANSCOM, USATTGE relocated its headquarters from Bremerhaven, 
              Germany, to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and became fully operational 
              21 September 1970. On 29 June 1976, USAREUR General Order Number 
              4919 relieved the USATTGE from assignment to USAREUR & Seventh Army 
              and assigned the activity to the Military Traffic Management Command, 
              Eastern Area. The Water Terminal Clearance Authority was also transferred 
              from the 1st Movement Region to the MTMC at the same time. The effective 
              date for the mission transfer was 1 July 1976. Memorandums of Understanding 
              dated 28 May 1976 and 8 June 1976 and subsequent supplements thereto 
              established agreements, policies, and procedures for the transfer 
              of responsibility, mission, and resources. CINCUSAREUR retained 
              operational command, defined in the MOU to be exercised by USAREUR 
              through its executive agent, the Commander, 4th Transportation Brigade 
              for the MTMC water terminals in central and northern Europe, and 
              the Commander, USASETAF, for the MTMC elements in Italy. |   
          |  |   
          | 6. 
              Internal Actions. |   
          | The 
              Automatic Data Processing Unit, which had been established as a 
              subordinate unit of TRANSCOM, was, soon, after the establishment 
              of the command, made an element of the TRANSCOM headquarters staff. 
              At the time of formation of TRANSCOM, the Commander of the Movements 
              Control Agency performed concurrently as the ACofS, Movements, but 
              in August 1971, the ACofS, Movements was reorganized as a separate 
              staff element of the headquarters and USAMCA was commanded separately 
              as a major subordinate command. |   
          |  |   
          | 7. 
              205th Aviation Company (ASH)  (more) |   
          | A 
              fifth subordinate element was added by TASCOM General Order Number 
              127, dated 30 May 1973, assigning the 205th Aviation Company (Aslt 
              Spt Hel) to TRANSCOM, effective 29 June 1973. The 205th Aviation 
              Co supports priority airlift movements requirements of the 59th 
              Ord Bde as their primary mission. The 205th Aviation Co also provides 
              support to the Army Logistics Airlift Program in CENEUR. |   
          |  |   
          | 8. 
              97th Quartermaster Battalion (more) |   
          | The 
              97th Quartermaster Battalion was the sixth element to be assigned 
              to TRANSCOM by TASCOM General Order Number 24, dated 23 June 1973. 
              In December 1973, the 97th Quartermaster Battalion, responsible 
              for the distribution of petroleum products in Europe, was reassigned 
              to the US Army Materiel Management Agency, Europe, but its two truck 
              companies, "B" and "C", remained with TRANSCOM to be assigned to 
              the 37th Transportation Group as the 40th and 109th Truck Companies. |   
          |  |   
          | 9. 
              CHASE 1974. |   
          | In 
              November, a letter, AEAGX, HQ USAREUR/7A, dated 15 November 1974, 
              subject: "Implementation Directive, Reorganization of US Army Transportation 
              Command, Europe," directed the consolidation of command and management 
              staff functions of the headquarters of the Movements Control Agency 
              and the Reception Group into HQ TRANSCOM. This action was required 
              by Project CHASE (Consolidation of 
              Headquarters and Area Support Elements) which disestablished two 
              major headquarters in Germany: the US Army Engineer Command, and 
              the US Theater Army Support Command (formerly COMZEUR) on 30 June 
              1974. The CHASE action, by elimination of TASCOM, placed TRANSCOM 
              under HQ USAREUR and Seventh Army control as a USAREUR assigned 
              unit, 1 July 1974 (*). The impact of 
              Project CHASE further extended to other subordinate elements of 
              USAREUR, TRANSCOM being one of them. As the mission of TRANSCOM 
              remained the same as before Project CHASE took effect, it was necessary 
              to restructure the ACofS, Movements to accommodate the functions 
              of the Movements Control Agency. A second effect upon TRANSCOM was 
              the requirement to eliminate the US Army Reception Group but retain 
              the mission. This was accomplished by absorbing the Reception Group's 
              functions into the ACofS, SPO. Subsequent transfer of the Reception 
              Group in February 1977 to the ACofS, Movements was decided on the 
              basis of enhancing the control and effectiveness of its functions. 
               |   
          |  |   
          | 10. 
              Rail Maintenance Activity, Rheinau. |   
          | Effective 
              1 July 1976, the 4th Transportation Brigade was assigned responsibility 
              for the command and control of the Rail Maintenance Activity, Rheinau 
              (RMAR). This activity was formerly an operational element of the 
              US Army Materiel Management Agency, Europe. In accordance with the 
              Modernization of Logistics 1977 (MODLOG) directed actions, the USAMME 
              headquarters was abolished and the elements distributed to other 
              existing headquarters with the USAREUR structure. The RMAR was established 
              in the 4th Transportation Brigade as an affiliated activity of the 
              ACofS, Materiel and Services. The RMAR as an active element was 
              terminated and abolished 30 September 1977.  |   
          |  |   
          | 11. 
              570th MP Platoon (Railway Guard). |   
          |  
              Effective 1 July 1976, the 570th Military Police Platoon (Railway 
              Guard) was assigned to the 4th Transportation Brigade. The 570th 
              MP Plt (Ry Gd) had formerly been assigned to the 15th Military Police 
              Brigade which was abolished by the Modernization of Logistics 1977 
              directed actions. The unit was first attached to the 3rd Movements 
              Region with operational control under the ACofS, SPO. USAREUR General 
              Order Number 5041, dated 30 June 1976, effected the reassignment. 
              On 1 December 1976, the 570th MP Plt (Ry Gd) was moved from Gutleut 
              Kaserne, Frankfurt, to Camp King, Oberursel. On 1 December 1978, 
              the unit was attached for quarters, rations, administrative and 
              logistical support and UCMJ to HHC, 4th Transportation Brigade. 
              Operational control was changed to ACofS, Movements on 6 February 
              1979. As a TO & E unit, it retains its separate identity and is 
              structured as a subordinate element of the 4th Transportation Brigade. 
               |   
          |  |   
          | 12. 
              Financial Assets and Control. |   
          | The 
              Commander of the 4th Transportation Brigade is responsible for the 
              management of assets of approximately $105 million. Financial obligations 
              amount to approximately $38.6 million O&MA Transportation Funds. |   
          |  |   
          | 13. 
              The Commanders of USATRANSCOMEUR/4th Transportation Brigade: |   
          |  
              
                 
                  | COL 
                      Richard J. Pollard | 8 
                    Mar 1964 | 2 
                    Sep 1965 |   
                  | COL 
                    Richard H. Chapin | 3 
                    Sep 1965 | 1 
                    Feb 1968 |   
                  | COL 
                    Robert W. Larson | 2 
                    Feb 1968 | 2 
                    Jun 1970 |   
                  | COL 
                    Frederick P. Howland | 3 
                    Jun 1970 | 24 
                    Sep 1971 |   
                  | COL 
                    Eric O. Rodenbeck | 25 
                    Sep 1971 | 21 
                    Dec 1971 |   
                  | COL 
                    Joseph O. Meerbott | 22 
                    Dec 1971 | 23 
                    Aug 1973 |   
                  | COL 
                    Franklin J. Glunn | 24 
                    Aug 1973 | 10 
                    Jul 1974 |   
                  | COL 
                    John K. Henderson | 11 
                    Jul 1974 | 6 
                    Apr 1976 |   
                  | COL 
                    Vincent M. Russo | 7 
                    Apr 1976 | 18 
                    May 1978 |   
                  | COL 
                    Jimmy D. Ross | 19 
                    May 1978 | 8 
                    Jan 1980 |   
                  | COL 
                    James Howard Dunn | 9 
                    Jan 1980 | 18 
                    Feb 1980 |   
                  | COL 
                    Eugene R. Lanzillo | 19 
                    Feb 1980 | current 
                    commander |  |   
          |  |   
          | 14. 
              Camp King |   
          | In 
              the early stages of WWII, the Camp King installation was known as 
              DULAG LUFT (later, it was officially known as "Auswertestelle 
              West") and operated by the German Luftwaffe as a interrogation 
              center for captured enemy flying personnel. With the occupation 
              of Germany by the Allied Forces in May 1945, DULAG LUFT changed 
              hands. Along with the change of ownership, a change in name was 
              required. The area was named Camp King on 19 September 1946 in honor 
              of Colonel Charles B. King, Infantry, who was killed in action in 
              France on 22 June 1944. Concurrent with the end of the war, several 
              United States Army MFIUs (Mobile Field Interrogation Units) moved 
              into Camp King to serve at Army and Army Group level. The camp later 
              became a center for the exploitation of high level sources of interest 
              to US intelligence agencies. The last MI unit to occupy Camp King 
              was the 513th Military Intelligence Group.  |   
          |  |   
          |  
              (*) 
              USAREUR Permanent Order Number 105-1, dated 26 September 
              1977, reassigned the 4th Transportation Brigade directly to the 
              DCINCUSAREUR as of 1 October 1977. |   
          | 
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          | If you have more 
            information on the history or organization of the 4th Transportation 
            Bde/Command, please contact me  . |  
          | 
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          |  |  
          | 1969 |  
          |  Article on TRANSCOMEUR by Col Larson, CO TRANSCOMEUR
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          | 
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          |  |  
          | 1973 |  
          | (Source: USAREUR/7th ARMY STATION LIST, 31 March 1973) |  
          | USATRANSCOMEUR  ORGANIZATION (1973) |  
          | 
              
                | UNITS ORGANIC / ASSIGNED TO US ARMY TRANSPORTATION COMMAND, EUROPE | STATION |  
                | HQ US Army Transportation Command, Europe | Camp King, Oberursel |  
                | HHC, US Army Transportation Command, Europe | Camp King, Oberursel |  
                |  |  |  
                | Data Processing Center, TRANSCOM | Camp King, Oberursel |  
                |  |  |  
                | US Army Reception Group Europe | Camp King, Oberursel |  
                | Det "A", US Army Reception Group Europe | Camp King, Oberursel |  
                | Det "B" US Army Reception Group Europe | Camp King, Oberursel |  
                |  |  |  
                | US Army Transportation Terminal Group | Rotterdam, The Netherlands |  
                | Det 1, US Army Transportation Terminal Group | Staging Area, Bremerhaven |  
                | Det 2, US Army Transportation Terminal Group | London, England |  
                |  |  |  
                | HQ 37th Motor Transportation Group | Kapaun Barracks, Kaiserslautern |  
                | HHD, 37th Motor Transportation Group | Kapaun Barracks, Kaiserslautern |  
                | Det "A", 37th Motor Transportation Group | Aznill Barracks, Rüsselsheim |  
                | Det "D", 37th Motor Transportation Group | Support Center, Giessen |  
                | Det "F", 37th Motor Transportation Group | Kapaun Barracks, Kaislerslautern |  
                | Det "G", 37th Motor Transportation Group | Turley Barracks, Mannheim |  
                | Det "H", 37th Motor Transportation Group | Darby Kaserne, Fürth |  
                |  |  |  
                | 87th Transportation Detachment (Medium Truck) | Kapaun Barracks, Kaislerslautern |  
                |  |  |  
                | HQ 28th Transportation Truck Battalion | Taylor Barracks, Mannheim |  
                | HHD, 28th Transportation Truck Battalion | Taylor Barracks, Mannheim |  
                | 68th Transportation Company (Medium Truck) | Taylor Barracks, Mannheim |  
                | 69th Transportation Company (Medium Truck) | Turley Barracks, Mannheim |  
                | 377th Transportation Company (Heavy Truck) | Turley Barracks, Mannheim |  
                | 595th Transportation Company (Heavy Truck) | Turley Barracks, Mannheim |  
                |  |  |  
                | HQ 53rd Transportation Truck Battalion | Kapaun Barracks, Kaislerslautern |  
                | HHD, 53rd Transportation Truck Battalion | Kapaun Barracks, Kaislerslautern |  
                | 66th Transportation Company (Medium Truck) | Kapaun Barracks, Kaislerslautern |  
                | 76th Transportation Company (Medium Truck) | Husterhoeh Kaserne, Pirmasens |  
                | 83rd Transportation Company (Medium Truck Refrigeration) | Kapaun Barracks, Kaislerslautern |  
                | 501st Transportation Company (Light Truck) | Kapaun Barracks, Kaislerslautern |  
                |  |  |  
                | HQ 106th Transportation Truck Battalion | Azbill Barracks, Rüsselsheim |  
                | HHD, 106th Transportation Truck Battalion | Azbill Barracks, Rüsselsheim |  
                | 1st Transportation Company (Medium Truck) | Darby Kaserne, Fürth |  
                | 67th Transportation Company (Medium Truck) | Staging Area, Bremerhaven |  
                | 70th Transportation Company (Medium Truck) | Army Depot, Giessen |  
                | 76th Transportation Company (Medium Truck) | Azbill Barracks, Rüsselsheim |  
                |  |  |  
                | 6966th Civ Labor Gp Transportation Battalion | Pulaski Barracks, Kaiserslautern |  
                | 8363rd Civ Labor Gp Transportation  Company | Pulaski Barracks, Kaiserslautern |  
                | 8364th Civ Labor Gp Transportation Company | Pulaski Barracks, Kaiserslautern |  
                | 8366th Civ Labor Gp Transportation Company | Schurz Kaserne, Nahbollenbach |  
                | 8370th Civ Labor Gp Transportation Detachment | Coffey Barracks, Ludwigsburg |  
                | 8371st Civ Labor Gp Transportation Detachment | Schurz Kaserne, Nahbollenbach |  |  
          | 
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          |  |  
          | 1983 |  
          | (Source: Email from Bettye Perrymond-Crews (formerly Mercado), HHC, 4th TRANSCOM) |  
          |  I was thinking about my miltary career and interesting places I have had the opportunity to travel throughout my military career. Camp King crossed my mind, I decided to go on line and see what I could find. I ran into your article. It was my 2d tour of duty with the military. I was Regular Army at the time, a specialist back then.  I served from Jan 1983 thru Dec 1986.   I was assigned to Headquarters, 4th Transportation Command in the Personnel Admin section, received and award for my tour of duty there. I will have to research for photos. We had some very good times there. There are a fews buildings there which were like bunkers. The post use to be a prison (in WWII) and was used  for interrogations (even in the immediate post-war years).  Especially where we would have to go to in on order to check our mail daily and the supply room I believe. I arrived without my spouse and lived in the barracks until he arrived at which time we moved off post.   Oberusel was a very nice and friendly town back then.  We would spend lots of time blending in with local germans and their way of life. The DM rate was anywhere from 290 up to DM 330 the entire time I was stationed there so life was good there back then financially.  Amazingly, I also still have a uniform with the 4th Transcom patch.  4th Transportation Command was ultimately responsible for moving/ship almost all vehicles and equipment throughout Germany with assistance of our subordinate units.    Warm memories of great command, plenty of PT whether rain or shine/cold/hot.   If you have information on soldiers who were assigned during my tenure there, would you please be so kind to forward those to me. It was such a very small community, everyone on the base knew each other. |  
          | 
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          |  |  
          | 1990 |  
          | (Source: Frankfurt Chronicle, January 11, 1990) |  
          | 
            
              |  |  | Click on thumbnail to read the article. |  |  
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          | 
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          | US Army Reception Group, Europe |  
          |  |  
          | (Source: STARS & STRIPES, Oct 3, 1968) |  
          | The US Army Reception Group, Europe was formed (under the Communications Zone) in April 1968 to process soldiers and their families rotating back to the US under REFORGER. 
 Headquarters as set up at Ruesselsheim and two detachments established, one at Rhein-Main Air Base and the other at the Munich-Riem Air Base. 
          (The REFORGER program officially began in Jan 1968, but the first units were not moved until April.)
 
 Between April and Sept 30 (the last REFORGER flight), the unit processed and helped move more than 22,000 persons -- including 5,500 dependents -- at the two air bases. The unit filled 292 flights -- besides passengers, 2,682 tons of cargo (equipment, unit records, and baggage) were processed and loaded onto the planes.
 
 The process included USARGE teams  visiting each unit scheduled to leave and providing briefings on movement preparations necessary for the unit as well as the individuals.
 
 When the departure date arrived, the departing unit's soldiers and their families were bused to the air base from which they were leaving. There, USARGE members guided them through the processing stations, making sure everything was in order -- reassignment orders, baggage, shot records and custom declarations.
 
 One of the innovations of the USARGE was to introduce the advance customs check where military customs police do a customs check at the departure airfield just before the planes are boarded. Once arrived at their destinations, deploying troops and their families can just pick up their baggage and be on their way.
 
 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
 CO of  USARGE during this time was Lt Col Woodrow W. Marriott.
 
 The last REFORGER flight flew out of Rhein-Main AB and involved soldiers and familes of the 513th Trans Co who were being redeployed to Ft Lewis, Wash.
 
 Under the REFORGER Program 
          more than 28,000 troops and 11,000 dependents rotated back to the US. (The largest Army unit to move was the 24th Inf Div (two brigades) with 10,000 soldiers. The majority of them left in May and June.) There were also about 7,000 USAF personnel involved in the move.
 
 Another unit involved in REFORGER was the USAREUR Augmentation Readiness Group (UARG) at Mannheim. 
          The equipment of all the Army units being redeployed was accepted by UARG (after rigorous inspections) for storage. UARG, with its eight maintenance battalions, is assigned to Com Z. It operates sites throughout southern Germany where it stores and maintains pre-positioned equipment.
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          | 
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          |  |  
          | (Source: Email from Greg Phillips) |  
          | The US Army Reception Group, Europe (USARGE) was organized as follows:
  HHC,  Camp King 
  Det A, Camp King and Rhein Main AB 
  Det B, Kaiserslautern USARGE was used to process, prepare and manage the sites used for NATO exercises all over Europe and Scandanavia. We were mostly  away on the exercises TDY. I was there for a year 1971-1972 and traveled to  Norway, Turkey, England and Sardinia for the exercises in Germany. We processed the CONUS troops thru Rhein Main AB.
 
 I remember a trip to Norway in a C 130 with about a dozen guys in my unit watching out the portholes flying tree top level over Siberia or somewhere like that a shortcut to Norway the pilot said. The town of Bardufoss, Norway  was like something you see on a postcard, beautiful. We spent a month there. On leaving we had to take over a civilian
 car wash in town to clean all the military vehicles before the C5A loadmasters would accept them.
 I don't know too much more. The unit came into existance with the 4th in 1968  and 
            probably left with them too. There were around 20 guys in 
            each detachment and maybe 30 in HHC which was commanded by a LTC. 
            I forgot his name now. Det A commander 
            was a 1LT Dan Collins who was fresh out of ROTC and lacked knowledge. He was replaced just before I left. Our 1st sgt was SSG Higgins. Det A 
            was actually run by myself and a SGT E5 Nick Smart from Indiana 
            who had spent  51 weeks in OCS and got kicked out during graduation.
            We arrived the same time in June 71.
 
 It was a fun unit to be in on TDY we did not wear uniforms in the foreign countries rather tried to blend in to the population as we were there a month before the NATO exercise and troops arrived, most of our work was done before and after the exercise so we got a lot of time off to see the sights. We had a small USAF signal unit with us in our travels for comm. and became good friends. 
            With all these guys also drew cooks and support troops from some 4th Trans companies for TDY duty.
 
 Camp King was like an R & R station for us between exercises. We spent a lot of time in the bowling alley, movie theater, and gym. A hotel/club I remember called "the blick" in Oberursel. Also that trout farm/restaurant up in the woods in Oberursel.
 
 Sgt Smart and myself amused ourselves usually in Frankfurt at the Festhalles drinking beer, eating bockwurst and singing along with the old German guys.   Some of the guys preferred Sachsenhausen in Frankfurt. There was an on-base German physician on Camp King -  
            he would prescribe a shot of brandy and a run in the woods for
 the common cold. He lived in a house on the base behind the O club.
 
 Det B was commanded by 1Lt Zeller fresh out of OCS about 20 yrs old gung ho wanted to go to Vietnam in the worst way. He tried like hell to get me into his detachment because I was 
            the only young Vietnam Veteran in the unit. I had come directly 
            from a tour with the 124 TC in Vietnam. They were based in a crummy station in Kaiserslautern which  I had no use for as GI's were doing a lot of hell-raising and fighting 
            in those days in that area.
 
 Their detachment went on "REFORGER" 
            which was a big one in those days. 
            As far as more information maybe some guys from HHC or Transcom will pop in 
            one of these days.  They certainly knew a lot more than I, as 
            I was usually traveling with the detachment and just following 
          orders as they came in.
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          | 
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          |  |  
          | 205th Aviation Company (Assault Support Helicopter) |  
          |  |  
          |  205th Aviation Company Patch |  
          |  |  
          | 1974 |  
          | (Source: STARS & STRIPES, Aug 1, 1974) |  
          | One of the CH-47 CHINOOK helicopters of the 205th Avn Co has been named after the City of Oberursel at a ceremony held at Camp King in Oberursel recently. 
 Oberursel has had a long association with the German aircraft industry through the Oberursel aircraft plant. The plant is still in operation and manufactures engines for Bell helicopters used by the Bundeswehr.
 
 (Webmaster note:          The plant was occupied by the US Army after the end of WWII and served as an ordnance maintenance facility for several years before being returned by the US Army to the original owners. For more see the 85th Ordnance Battalion Page.)
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          | 
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          |  |  
          | 1978 |  
          | (Source: STARS & STRIPES, July 29, 1978) |  
          | The 205th Aviation Company is located at Finthen AAF (near Mainz) and falls under the control of the 4th Transportation Brigade. 
 The company, commanded by Maj Arno Hoerle, has a strength of 230 military personnel including 43 officers.
 
 The 205th is equipped with 16 CH-47 CHINOOK cargo helicopters and two UH-1H HUEY utility helicopters. (There are two other CHINOOK companies in Europe at this time: 180th Avn Co, Schwaebisch Hall, and 295th Avn Co, Colman Barracks, Mannheim-Sandhofen. These two companies belong to  the 11th Avn Gp.)
 
 The company's primary mission is to provide air transportation of sensitive cargo (including high-priority items to US embassies in Europe). Its secondary mission is to  provide air transportation support to USAFE. These missions involve extensive international flights to countries such as Norway, England and Italy.
 
 (In another S&S article later in the year, the newspaper reported on an 3-day training mission in which a detachment of the 205th (with three CHINOOKS) supported the German 890th Pionier (Engineer)  Battalion out of Zweibrücken. The 890th is responsible for 900 miles of the CEPS pipeline system. The 205th provided airlift of pipe sections, equipment and heavy pumps to various field sites.)
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          | Related Links:Biggs Library and Information Center - Rich Killblane, US Army Transportation Corps Historian, has written several unit histories of transportation battalions that include units stationed in Europe as part of USAREUR during the Occupation  and Cold War periods. These unit histories can be found in the Resources section of the Biggs (Fort Eustis, VA) Library's web site.
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