I was assigned to HHB 94th ADA GRP Detachment from October 1974 to January 1977. Headquartered in Kaiserslautern, (K-Town), detachments were located in or around Birkenfeld, Neubruecke, Hill 479 Erbeskopf, and the bunker (Boerfink). There were both fond and somewhat not so fond memories of that experience. When it was good, it was really good, but when it sucked, it was indescribable; like a lot of guard duty, crazy shifts, and a lot of snow. The alternative was Nam, and in that light, it was always good in retrospect. As a radar repair technician; I was also cross trained to plot tell; target acquisition and assignment; to operate the RDPC (Radar Data Processing Center). The Baader-Meinhof terrorists were active during that time and bombed a facility in Frankfurt, and attacked some of our sites.

We were one of the direct coordinating links between SACEUR, AFCENT, NATO, 4ATAF, which controlled Nike/Hercules, and Hawk battalions; including a number of German Hawk units. SACEUR commands were disseminated through us to all subordinate units. General Alexander Haig was the commander at the time. Along with target acquisition and assignment to line batteries, it also included passing that data to the 615th (AC&W Sqdn) for scrambling of aircraft to further coordinate and manage the necessary assets for any given target. We kept the codes that authorized arming nuclear missile. We issued all alerts from SACEUR, to all those attached forces in our sector. Ours was a multinational operation. We held many exercises at Borfink and Freising that ran mock soviet invasions.

It was our duty to manage our assigned air defense forces. Occasionally, just for fun, we would input false tracks into the AF 412L system just to assess the scramble time for fighter craft on bogus targets crossing from the Soviet sector into NATO airspace. Of course they got back at us by doing the same thing but at a hundred fold. It is not easy to track and ID that many multiple bogies, only to discover they were fake. Many sleepless hours for line batteries having to come on line just to participate in inter-service rivalry games. It helped keep us all sharp. It was easy to get complacent in a darkened room, hovering over a data scope, while fading into zombie land after twenty or so hours of babysitting a scope with the same ho hum air traffic.

The MCC (Boerfink and Freising bunkers) and the AADCP (Hill 479 Erbeskopf) were at separate locations. I had the fortunate opportunity enough to work at several of them. The 412L's were at Borfink and Freising. Our AADCP, the RDPC van, was a mobile version of the 412L. Regardless of who had operational command, whether the AADCP or in the bunkers, our mission was the same. We were a detachment of 94th HHB, under the 32nd.

The AADCP generally did not perform the MCC operations, but could at any given time. The AADCP was more of the actual authority for SACEUR to command all forces in Europe. Whatever went to LIMA (Webmaster note: Boerfink Bunker) and its counterparts, came directly from an AADCP in one of the HHB grps

It (MCC and AADCP) served a dual purpose. It was redundant in some respects, except all traffic came to us for dissemination. Without us, (on the hill), the bunker(s) would be blind. We all cross trained into many of the various jobs regarding command and control. That meant a lowly private could command everything except opening the code envelopes, which also required the officer on duty and the staff duty NCO (Two Man Rule). We all knew the Defense Readiness Plans (DEFREP) inside and out. We constantly tested ourselves on DEFREP regulations. The AADCP received info from radar data and transmitted it to the bunker. The AADCP, on the hill, could act independently if necessary, but not vice versa. The AADCP was the eyes and ears for the MCC. Although more primitive, the AADCP was a fully capable and functioning command and control facility.

The one feature of all MCC bunkers was to withstand a direct nuclear blast. It would allow about twenty-four minutes, long enough to launch a multi lateral retaliatory nuclear strike. That, for all practical purposes would not have been possible from the AADCP in the event of a nuclear strike. Only those remaining units would have been able to strike back with certain codes that would have been issued in that event. Failing that, they would be able to only return an H/E missile. Autonomous operation was not available to any line battery. Without the correct codes issued by the MCC or AADCP, or without specific directives, any or all line batteries would go non op. The bunker at Borfink and Freising was connected to other MCC centers, which if still active, could take command and control from any other non-op MCC.

The 412L was a multi IO (input/output) terminal that connected various components of command and control into one manageable system. Much like an air traffic control console, the 412L; in many ways it was used that way for target tracking. Multiple operators redundantly managing the same and adjoining airspace. Normally a single operator can manage all the control functions. During high traffic or exercises, there would be much more handling traffic. These were primarily bunker functions. The Air Force system was identical (to the AACP's system). We saw what they did and they saw what we did -- to a degree. Any terminal could perform any and all command and control functions.

In its time, the 412L was a pretty sophisticated piece of electronic hardware. The 412 took the compiled data, presented it on screen into one comprehensive information center that allowed operators to track, assign, ID, or target any airborne object. System integration was rather impressive given the level of advancement of electronic and cryptographic data systems of the day. For example, the computer in the radar data processing center had a memory drum about eighteen inches tall and a diameter of about one foot. It contained 99 individual read/write heads that had to be individually adjusted, like the heads on an 8 track tape player. When the weather was really cold, it took a long time to send data down to the 412L. We had a direct connection to the bunker. We had signal and crypto outfits and AFCENT had their operations there also. We could communicate with practically anyone. The microwave repeaters allowed us to talk to other line of site command units.

I helped some of the signal people align one of those microwave repeater horns one time during the winter of 1975, when they were short handed, and we were snowed in. I gained a healthy respect for those guys and their mission on that day. Climbing a tower in the snow and freezing cold is not very much fun. Climbing up into a radome from a small platform tower is one thing; but my hat is off to the personnel stuck with that duty. I thought thirteen hours of guard duty in a plywood shack with no heat was bad. At times like that, Viet-Nam seemed like a better alternative.

It's been a long time but I'll try to describe the layout of the Giebelstadt radar site. There was a large Quonset hut kind of a building that housed the U.S. Air Force "control center." I believe the building was on the south side of the runway which I think was about 10,000 feet but used only by a local German flying club. Our 69th Group MCC was in the back of the room on a kind of balcony. We had about 5 consoles that could display the radar data available (from what I seem to remember as 5 linked Air Force sites) and we maintained a manual status board reporting on the 5 Hawk missile battalions with 4 batteries each. We could talk over phone line to each of the battalions and batteries. In the basement was the 412L computer. Outside the main building were the radars (all under domes) and some smaller buildings. Our 69th Group MCC had a small administrative office in one of those buildings. At the east end of the runway were some Air Force facilities which I do not remember very well. I do remember getting haircuts there and there was a swimming pool.

We had one enlisted man per each scope and one officer (2nd or 1st Lt) in charge of each shift. When I first arrived around in March of 1967 there were two officers (Bill Teigen and Carl Tegtmeier) in the MCC unit who worked 12 hours shifts, 7 days a week. I arrived with a fellow officer (Ed Riffe) who had gone through Officers Candidate School (Artillery, Ft. Sill, OK) and Hawk missile school with me. The two existing officers were very glad to see new bodies come in. Bill Teigen moved to the office and we three others worked 8 hour shifts until more officers came in a few months later. We had one master sergeant assigned to the MCC who was in charge of the enlisted men. There must have been more organizational structure for the enlisted men but I don't remember it now. I do not recall who our enlisted men talked to at the battalion and battery level.

Everything was above ground and on occasion we could tell that the Eastern bloc countries knew just where we were. We figured we'd last about 60 seconds in time of war. After the move to Lauda we figured we'd last as long as our water and food held out or we were rolled over by ground forces.

We did not control German Hawk units. If fact, I don't remember being aware there were any at the time. Our group pretty well covered the eastern border of Germany from Austria to about the latitude of Frankfurt. I would think there must have been SAM sites north of our coverage but don't remember now.

Our 69th Group HQ was in Emery Kaserne in Wurzburg. I spent only a little time there since I was assigned to the MCC. Also, somewhere in Wurzburg the 69th Group had a Raytheon AN/MSQ-56 system comprised of three "semis" - one had a radar dish, one was a processing center, and one had display consoles and communication equipment. We would occasionally "fire up" this system to see if it still worked (my words). It was a tube based system and supposedly mobile. Sometime toward the end of my tour (maybe early 1967) the 69th Group commander decided we ought to test out the mobility part. After moving it the system did not come live again while I was there (through May 1967). There were only 3 of these systems - ours in Wurzburg, one at Ft. Bliss for training, and one in Korea so parts and expertise had to be scarce.

It would be interesting for me to get in contact with Don Basic, the GE technical support person I mentioned in my first e-mail.

The MCC center really wasn't that large. I don't think it was more than 30 ft wide by 50 ft long. But as I said its been over 40 years.We worked shifts. I think it was three guys (maybe four) on each shift. I think we only had a couple of scopes. I remember one or two guys would be watching the scope while two of us would be playing a game of chess (break time between watching the scope).

Q: Was the MCC setup at Freising similar to that at Langerkopf?

I am sure it must have been similar, however I draw a blank on Freising's MCC. In the last 42 years I only once in awhile thought of Freising, and it was about my time off base. I guess my work time on base was uneventful and the memories were lost. I hope someone who was there took a few photos. Maybe then it would jog my memory. I remember (July 4th?) a helicopter flew into the Freising compound and put on a demonstration about 15 feet above the ground. We were all sitting at tables drinking beer. This was the only time all four branches of services were together (U.S. Air Force & Army, German and French). I remember that the Germans were responsible for security at the entrance to the base.

Q: Can you tell me about the training on the 412L?

Regarding the 412L system. I still have the certificate showing that I was proficient (90%) on the 412L system. Now I cannot recall anything on it. I was a short timer with less than 4 months to go in the service when I took the 412L test. I spent all my free time off base. Ate most my meals off base. Met a local girl (Inga) who I spent a little time with the last couple of months (have no problem remembering her).

During my 2 years in Germany I visited Paris, Luxembourg, Amsterdam, Austria, Zurich, Geneva, and Barcelona. I am thankful for the opportunity my service time gave me to see Europe. I liked the German people.

Walter you have a great website, and I am amazed how much information you have obtained and posted. Looks to me that you have it all.

I was reassigned there in May 1976 from B/1/1 in Wildflecken. MAJ Jerry Donohue was the Army OIC and the only other officer at the MCC at that time. The Army MCC element had 2-3 scopes/consoles with communications for that purpose.

By the time that I was reassigned there in mid-May 1976, the Army element had attrited to ~6-8 personnel, including one field grade officer (OIC) and one Operations Sergeant (E-7), and several enlisted personnel. I don’t know if that was by design or chance, since the decision to close and move the MCC element to Griesheim occurred three months later.

The MCC enlisted were mostly (all?) single and lived in the barracks billets on the Wasserkuppe. The field grade officer was a geographical bachelor (2-yr tour) and lived in the BOQ in Fulda and commuted.

By then, I lived on the economy in Wildflecken and made the drive to/from Wasserkuppe every day. (I finally received a DA-funded PCS move from Wildflecken to Darmstadt in Spring 1977). I can’t remember the details about the 2 Army captains that had attrited, but I believe they also commuted from Fulda.

I can’t speak for the 11th Sig Bn detachment personnel, but I think there were only 3-4 of them, maybe fewer (that’s a rough guess). They probably lived in the USAF billets at the Wasserkuppe.

I remember that the T-52 (?) signal relay towers was/were inside one of the white radomes.

I think the Army MCC element had one jeep w/trailer and a 4-drawer safe for classified documents. It had a small dedicated office for admin/operations and the OIC.

During the summer of 1976 when the 412L site went down for scheduled deep maintenance. 10th ADA Group (commanded by COL Eugene Fox) moved its personnel and ADA command and control functions from Wasserkuppe AS to Griesheim AAF, near Group Headquarters at Ernest Ludwig Kaserne, Darmstadt.

The MCC move from Wasserkuppe to Griesheim occurred about the same time as the 1/1 ADA BOC move from Fulda-to-Wildflecken.

(Click here to read the section on Griesheim.)