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528th US Army Artillery Group
Southern European Task Force

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.


History

Turkish Army

Related Links


CUSTODIAL DET
SUPPORTED UNIT
CTRY
CUSTODIAL DET
SUPPORTED UNIT
CTRY
HHD, 528th USAAG (TUSLOG Det 67 )
TU Army
TU
14th USAFAD (TUSLOG Det 97)
TU Army Arty
TU
70th Ord Co (TUSLOG Det 168)
TU Army
TU
21st USAFAD (TUSLOG Det 74)
TU Army Arty
TU
10th USAFAD (TUSLOG Det 155)
TU Army Arty
TU
27th USAAD (TUSLOG Det 98)
TU Army Arty
TU

History

528th USAAG compound at Cakmakli, Turkey, c. 1990 (Soldiers Magazine)

528th USAAG sign on Command building at Cakmakli, mid-1980s (Patrick Kryzsko)
528th US Army Artillery Group DUI
(Source: 59th COURIER - A Look Back, 1992)
528th U.S. Army Artillery Group

The 558th U.S. Army Artillery Group was originally constituted in the Army of the United States in February 1944 at Camp Hood, Texas as the 528th Field Artillery Battalion.

The battalion deployed to Europe and received credit for participation in the Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns.

The battalion was inactivated in November 1946 at Camp Hood.

In June 1947, the unit was redesignated the 934th Field Artillery Battalion and allotted to the Organized Reserve. It was active in Chicago, Ill. from 1947 through 1950.

Redesignated as the 528th Field Artillery Battalion in March 1952, the battalion was withdrawn from the Army Reserve and allotted to the Regular Army in December of the same year.

The 528th Field Artillery Battalion was active in Korea from March 1955 through June 1956.

In March 1959, it was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 528th US Army Artillery Group and activated the following month at Fort Sill, Okla.

The group deployed to Turkey in early 1960 as a subordinate group of the new Special Ammunition Support Command (SASCOM). The 528th was officially known as Turkish-US Logistics Detachment 67 (TUSLOG Det 67).

Command and control of the 528th US Army Artillery Group was transferred to the Southern European Task Force (SETAF) in October 1972 with the merger of AWSCOM and SASCOM.

The 528th USAAG was inactivated on 15 July 1992.

(Source: 528th USAAG Facebook Group (accessed 04/30/2021)
The 528th USAAG administered a US Army special ammunition support program and provided selected Turkish units with assistance in security, training, logistics, administration, and operational requirements.

The 528th relied on the Southern European Task Force (SETAF), Vicenza, Italy, for operational and administrative support; 8th Support Group, Livorno, Italy, for logistics support; and Landsoutheast, Izmir, Turkey, for aviation support.

A full colonel commanded the 528th USAAG, whose subordinate units spanned the width of Turkey.

The Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (HHD) of the 528th and the 70th Ordnance Company were located at Cakmakli.

The remaining detachments were spread over 1,200 miles (from west to east:
10th United States Army Field Artillery Detachment (USAFAD), Ortakoy
21st USAFAD, Corlu
14th USAFAD, Izmit
27th USAFAD, Erzurum

With the exception of the HHD, field artillery majors commanded all detachments.

Each detachment consisted of 35 to 60 personnel who handled the mission requirements. All detachments had lieutenants who were qualified in the Turkish language.

Training occurred regularly with Turkish units and was conducted between maintenance and assembly teams and their Turkish counterparts.

The detachments held quarterly evacuation exercises and participated in NATO exercises with Landsoutheast and the Turkish First and Third Armies.

1963 

528th USAAG Annual Historical Summary, 1963 (AHEC)

1983
(Source: FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL, March-April 1983)
528th US Army Field Artillery Group
(Article was written by Captain Blaise X. Schmidt)

CAKMAKLI, TURKEY—One of the Army's "best kept secrets" is the 528th United States Army Artillery Group (USAAG).

With a distinguished combat record dating back to its original constitution at Camp Hood, Texas, on 4 January 1944, the 528th USAAG has the mission of administering a US Army special ammunition support program and of providing selected Turkish units with assistance in security, training, logistics, administration, and operational requirements.

In this endeavor the 528th relies on the following headquarters for support: Southern European Task Force (SETAF), Vicenza, Italy, for operational and administrative support; 8th Support Group, Livorno, Italy, for logistics support; and Landsoutheast (LES), Izmir, Turkey, for aviation support.

A full colonel commands the 528th USAAG, whose subordinate units span the width of Turkey.

The Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (HHD) of the 528th and the 70th Ordnance Company are both located at Cakmakli; but the remaining detachments are spread over 1,200 miles (from west to east: 10th United States Army Field Artillery Detachment (USAFAD), Ortakoy; 21st USAFAD, Corlu; 14th USAFAD, Izmit; and the 27th USAFAD, Erzurum). With the exception of the HHD, field artillery majors command all detachments.

The detachments are the backbone of the 528th Group. Each consists of 35 to 60 personnel who handle the mission requirements. All detachments have lieutenants who are qualified in the language of the host nation.

The training of Turkish units has increased and is conducted weekly between maintenance and assembly teams and their Turkish counterparts.

The detachments hold evacuation exercises quarterly and participate in NATO exercises which feature command and control exercises and liaison with Landsoutheast and the Turkish First and Third Armies.

As an integral part of the defense of NATO's southern flank, the 528th USAAG plays a vital role.

Through its continually improving combat readiness as a member of SETAF, it lives up to its motto of "POINTING THE WAY."

1984 

HHD 528th USAAG Annual Historical Summary, 1984 (AHEC)

528th USAAG Annual Historical Summary, 1984 (AHEC)

1991

528th USAAG article in SOLDIERS Magazine, September 1991
(Click on image to read the article; PDF Format)
 

Related Links:

 
528th US Army Artillery Group (USAAG) - a Facebook Group for veterans assigned to the 528th US Army Artillery Group in Turkey during the Cold War. (You must have a Facebook account to access the page)
TUSLOG Detachments in Turkey - A section on the great "Merhaba - USMilitary.com" website originally created by the late Chuck Maki and now maintained by George Durman.