I spent 3 years with Headquarters, 793rd Military Police Battalion from September 1985 through September 1988.

I arrived with my wife and daughter in September 1985 and spent a month living in the Green Peace Hotel right outside Darby Kaserne before government housing became available. I had been to Germany several times previously during REFORGER exercises with 1st Infantry Division during the early 1970’s, but I was enlisted at that time. This was the first time out of the US for my wife, so it was initially very challenging for her. But, the owner and his wife of the Green Peace were very friendly and made my family feel welcome.

After quarters became available, we moved across Nurnberg to a housing area (Pastorius Housing Area) right in the middle of German civilian housing. There were about a dozen 4-story former SS barracks on Pastorious Strasse that had been remodeled into US government housing where Army families lived. My recollection is that each building had 24 families. My wife remembering having to share a communal basement laundry room with 11 other families.

My time with 793rd was as the battalion S-2 intelligence officer (Captain), but primarily responsible for physical security type duties for all battalion locations. This meant periodic inspection trips to all locations where the battalion had troop facilities – Nurnberg, Erlangen, Bamberg, Ansbach, Augsburg, and Munich areas including the platoon locations at Garmisch, Bad Tolz, Chiemsee, and Berchtesgaden. All that official travel meant I learned how to get around really well, so on weekends I’d take the family out “castle hunting” and we’d get to see history up close. We loved it! My S-2 senior enlisted was MSG Paul Zedallis for most of my tour. He had a German wife so his language ability was much better than mine, but I learned a lot from him.

Funny story: One weekend the family and I were looking for castles and historical sites near Coburg and I made a wrong turn ending up on a road that went right next to the East German border fence. I almost panicked because the rule was “no US military within 5 KM of the border unless on official military duty”. So here I came around a corner in the road and saw a group of workers on the East German side working on the fence. As I sped away I could see the guard making a note of my license plate number, so I knew there could be an official complaint lodged and I would be in hot water. The next day I went to see the XO and explained what had happened. He thanked me for coming forward but told me not to do that again. I don’t know if the battalion commander or XO ever received an inquiry over the incident.

During 1987 I was asked by the battalion commander, LTC Phillips, to takeover duties as Headquarters Detachment commander as well as keeping the S-2 duties. The battalion as short of MP officers so they didn’t have enough to take that position. It was a bit unusual for an Military Intelligence officer to be in charge of an MP unit. But I had the encouragement of the battalion executive officer (XO) Major William F. Carey. I’ll always remember his name – he always introduced himself to everyone like James Bond – “Carey, William F.” So here I was as a Captain in charge of a unit that had as members the battalion commander, XO, and S-3 Maj Mark Pankow (Operations) all senior in rank. Lesson: Learned how to be diplomatic.

In 1988 the battalion received more MP officers so I relinquished command to CPT Janice Edwards.

My family loved our time in Germany. Besides the travel and western civilization history we got to see up close, we all learned to ski at the US Recreation Center in Garmish.

When we rotated back stateside in 1988 we always thought we’d go back again on another assignment, but the Army had other plans. After a 4 year stint with CAC Threats Directorate, Fort Leavenworth, KS, the Army sent me on a solo tour with 8th Army in Seoul, Korea then I retired from the Army after finishing Automation Management School, Fort Gordon, GA.

Now I manage the computer department for a bank. The strange twists and turns of life!

I was just looking at the USAREUR Units. Hadn't looked at this for quite some time.

I was with the 793rd in Wuerzburg from 1974-78. I was both a line MP & later the unit armorer from 77-78.

Your mention of the 981st is quite foreign to me as it should be the 212th at least from 1977-78 and I believe into the 80's as I have had contact with folks who were still there after I left.

I know for 1977-78, we had Wuerzburg (HQ & 1st Plt), Kitzingen (2nd Plt), Wertheim & Bad Kissigen (3rd Plt), A-Burg (4th Plt) & Scheinfurt (5th Plt).

Back in the B Co days it comprised Wuerzburg (HQ & 1st Plt), Kitzingen (2nd Plt), Wertheim & Bad Kissigen (3rd Plt).

Prior to that, at a time of reorganization (75-76) I believe at the deactivation of the 15th MP Brigade, it was briefly identified as 536th MP Co since the 536th out of Schweinfurt at the time was combined with Co C 95th MP Bn in Wuerzburg that was attached to the 793rd for operational & administrative functions.

I was stationed with 536th MP Co. in Bad Kissingen 1972-1974 and worked as Desk Sgt. for much of that time.

We typed the logs with carbon paper to make enough copies for distribution. Not sure where they all went, but think we kept a copy in BK, one for company HQ in Aschaffenburg, and then more copies for further up the line.

Bad Kissingen was a couple hours from Company HQ and we ferried all our paper work up and down the line during the midnight shifts by sending our packets halfway to the next station in the chain. To the north, next to us and furthest out in the chain was Wildflecken, and to the south and the next station closer to company was Schweinfurt. Likewise, patrols from those stations would send their reports by similar packets and the exchange was made at a rendezvous point between each of the stations and packets were exchanged. If I remember, the process was called a "co-op" or something similar. This was the way reports and paper documents were moved up and down the line of MP stations, in the 536th anyway.

Looking back on those days, I wish I would have stuck another sheet of carbon paper in and made a personal copy (although the stack was so thick it was a tight fit in the typewriter already) so would have a record of all the calls and antics that we faced.

Do you know if there is a repository of those logs somewhere? If they were ever save to micro fish or digitized? Seems like something the Army would do. But then again that was a ways back in time.

Again, am enjoying reading the posts on you web page.

I was a Military Policeman "MP" with the 595th MP Company, 793rd MP Battalion 1st Armored Division "Old Ironsides" stationed in Nurnburg West Germany from January 1983 to June 1984.

When I arrived in Germany in early January 1983 at Rhein Main AB, my brother picked me up from the Replacement Detachment and took me to my unit. Since I already had a secret clearance I was doomed to serve in a PRP position e. g., nuclear surety, so that’s how I was assigned to the 595th MP Co at William O Darby Kaserne in Fuerth. We moved a couple months later to Pinder Barracks in Zirndorf.

Building 356 was HHB DIVARTY HQ. and out in front of it was a large parade field. They had a huge drug bust when we first arrived from William O'Darby Kaserne. Needless to say it was kind of scary as I had just gotten there from MP School in Fort McClellan, Alabama. Yikes.

MP's were brought in vans and they arrested more than 100 soldiers. Drugs apparently. That was like my first week there.

Across the street from the movie theater is where our newly constructed 3-story barracks was positioned. Our building was completed in Jan/Feb and or maybe March 1983. At the time it was the newest building in Europe and the Army's (4 Star) Chief of Staff came to visit General Myers? Can't remember. I was an E-1 then.

Our building housed us, the 595th MP Co, and we had the dental office on the first floor as I had my wisdom teeth taken out that same year at Thanksgiving.

Our Motor Pool was near the back fence, around Building 379 where we parked our M151A2 MUTTs. We called them jeeps. I am rebuilding one now and will have all the markings on it like I did back in Division.

All the other buildings belonged to the field artillery gun batteries, so I never went around them. Softball fields was also in the back area.

While there we guarded the Largest Class A Storage site in all West Germany. I was NRAS qualified with a TSSI as just a young PV2. It wasn't the best duty mind you, but we did our jobs as Tower Rats!

Anyway, we used to get our new shipments via helicopters from Miesau Army Depot and then place them in our bunkers.

Every Easter the German Nationals would protest our site NATO-23 and our soft site because of the "NUKES" Lance Missile low yield warhead that we held in our possession.

Love the history keeping it alive.