I was responsible for 01 mission communications with a well-known Government Agency. The detachment was only com equip, no data center. I was the 1st to bring in computers by building a heathkit hardsectored system to use to transmit MARS messages. Eventually our commander sent us our first computer - a PC with 64 bits of memory, and Mircosoft Windows 1.3. By the way he banned Windows - thought it was a game because of Solitaire on it. I devised a phone relay back to the States both at Husterhoeh Kaserne and Lohnsfeld and received a citation of achievement for troop morale during the holidays for the phone patch both at Lohnsfeld and Pirmasens to stateside. I can remember hanging out on the roof of HQ going through the ceramic tiles to anchor the antenna on the building that seemed 100 ft up.

The site had many antennas, broad beam dipole, log periodic’s, rhombic 822 ft legs, microwave to Pirmasens for conversion back to HF for relay to Ft Meade. There were no transmitters due to the listening capabilities of the site and the potential interference it would cause, hence the microwave to Pirmasens. We were setup self-sufficient and had all necessary equipment for an extended stay. This happened when we went after Libya’s Gaddafi.

Life was good with a barracks at the site (out of site out of mind). I believe there were about a dozen rooms and a mess hall that was eventually move to Sembach Air Base where we had Air Force mess. Much better.

I did the MARS out of joy and fun, our call was AEM1USA, I was familiar with MARS since I came from Ft. Lewis Mars USAISC, where the call sign was AAR0USB.

Through HF radio I met General Colin Powell, he was responsible for my being stationed at Lohnsfeld due to our friendship over the radio. I spoke with him for over a year before I discovered he was THE General Colin Powell.

I was assigned to the 267th Signal Company in July 1981, a few weeks before my 18th birthday. Upon my arrival in the summer, I was already looking forward to winter, never having seen snow in my life as I am a native South Floridian. I recall the late July nights being a bit chilly, so I knew I would be in for one heck of a shocker once the season changed. Once I was assigned a room in the barracks, I found everyone in the company very laid back like there wasn’t a care in the world. I took a trip to my new duty location, Pirmasens Primary Technical Control Facility. I was so eager to get started, electronics everywhere, most of which was not part of our AIT training. Like they said at Fort Gordon, forget everything you learn here, it’s all going to be turned upside down in the real world. So it was!

The first thing I noticed after a few days, not only were the soldiers laid back, but apparently telecommunications as a whole was this way. No PT? No formations? Go to work, end your shift and hit the town? Seriously?? Wild! I got to meet a lot of great folks in the several departments of the 267th, the microwave, comm center, NCA (National Command Authority-Mystic Star), transmitter site techs, as well as the techs at the 270th AutoDIN switch. I wish I knew where they all are now. I do keep in touch with more than I thought I would have, being 30 years later, and cherish their friendship. Thanks to the internet, it’s fairly easy to find your old buddies these days.

Along with keeping communication lines up and running 24/7, PM’s nightly, we ran several HF radio exercises from the Tech Control along with the help with the transmitter site and the receiver site in Lohnsfeld, both of which were massive “antenna farms”. I recall having to visit the receiver site on TDY for a couple weeks with a good buddy from PTC, to rewire the complete facility. The wiring was quite a sight having been wired and rewired over the years. That place was heaven! Personal cooks, just tell them what you wanted and it was on the place in a flash. The term “antenna farm” really went well with the facility, there were what seemed to be hundreds of sheep roaming the property with a local German herding them. At the tech control, we’d pipe in “stateside music” from Andrews Air Force Base or Fort Detrick, MD., something we always loved doing. We call other tech controls around Europe asking if they’d like something other than AFN. 99.9% of the times they’d jump on it. Once in a while, when the nights got boring, we’d throw the music up on the “shout down”, a comm line that tied all fo the tech controls together and terminated on a speaker. Out of nowhere music would start blasting across the speakers of every tech control in the country and we’d hope that it wasn’t disturbing anyone, it would be difficult to hear someone trying to contact us to shut it down.

Exercises - As for the exercises, (not PT, gees, what was that??) The one I recall most was when we lost 250+ Marines at the barracks in Beirut. I was scheduled to go TDY to operate a HF link back to PMS TC from a Navy ship in the Mediterranean Sea while a naval tech controller operated the HF shot from our PTC. However, the plans were shot down since I did not have any combat experience, and things got ugly quick, you could hear the shots going off when the tech on the ship would key his mic. Not sure how much actual combat I would have seen since the Navy was shelling the hell out of Beirut from MANY miles away. Oh well, maybe next time. Other exercises over the years were Wintex, Reforger, Crested Eagle, and others that have slipped my mind. The Air Force’s 7th Weather Squadron would park under our microwave tower and we’d have to get them connected to the world, communication wise. Those were always fun, great folks to work with! The Air Force always had top of the line equipment, including Ramstein TC that I was fortunate enough to tour on one occasion while splurging for stereo equipment at the audio store on base there.

As time ran on, I realized that there was no going to the field for us either. 24/7, air conditioned building, and the nicest group of guys and gals ya’d ever want to work with. The only scary part was the bosses would throw at us during “alerts” was, you have 30 seconds to get out of the building before Zweibrucken Air Base had planes on top of us destroying the building IF the “flag” ever went up. (Cold War days). That kinda sucked since it took at least 45 seconds to get through the few cypher locks that kept others out that didn’t belong. The planes would fly overhead practically on a daily base, practicing the dive bombing. Someone at 73rd eventually had to contact those flyboys and tell them to stop buzzing our microwave tower so close, it would knock out the microwave links to Langerkopf, Donnersberg and Zweibrucken, causing chaos for about 30 seconds, and all of the teletypes (20+ or so) to run “open”. They’d all start chattering at the same time, and God did it get loud back there in the DC circuit section when that happened or during a real a link failure!

Downtime – Often times we’d hit the town to relax, as most if not all GI’s did there at the kaserne. We’d hit Flamingo’s Club where we’d find Peter and Karl Heinz, two of the locals that worked and practically lived there, or Maxim’s, right across the street from post. We’d get back late, sometimes 4-5 AM, and once back in the barracks, we’d see the crew from 76 Transportation Company, in formation and ready for the morning’s PT. We’d give em hell from our windows, not recalling the small scrap we’d get into from the previous rubbing we gave em, and run into them the next night or so, going at it again, but be prosting brews by the end of the night. Rumpelkammer was another close by favorite hang out.

At one point of my tour, the NCA Department ran low on techs and they were looking for volunteers. Me and another guy volunteered with the condition that we’d be able to return to the tech control within a month or so once they received more techs to fill the vacant slots. NCA was an interesting job to say the least. Most times you sat behind a large console all night long, staring at dozens of lights staring back at you. During mission times, when Air Force One or other govt officials were flying overhead, it would get busy and would keep you on your toes. Unfortunately, those times were few and far between. It was very hard to stay awake sitting in that 6’ x 12’ room without any windows, other than the frosted glass door, again, with another cypher lock. The time finally came when I was able to return to the chaos of tech control that I loved so much, NCA was fun, but I missed the craziness of tech control so much.

Due to the ever changing shifts at TC, days for a week 0800-1700), swings (1700-2400), and mids, (2400-0800), sleep became a faint memory, especially if you lived in the barracks. There were times when we voted to change the shifts from 5 days on, 2 off, to 4 on, 3 off, 3 on, 4 off, 12 hour shifts. We change up every so often, screwing our internal time clocks even more. The 4 on, 3 off- 3 on, 4 off didn’t last too long though, the “day ladies” figured 4 days off in a row was too much time. If you had a roommate or two, you can just about guarantee they were on a different shift, therefore when they got off duty, you could forget sleep. To this day, 30 years later, I still only get (and need) only 3-4 hours of sleep a day, even weekends I don’t get much more than that. I blame that on PTC and it only reminds me of the awesome job I signed up for, not having a clue to what tech control even meant at 17 years of age.

I can honestly say that we in the 267th, and possibly the 270th felt the same way, we were not in the real Army. This was one big party. BBQ’s behind the TC at 2 AM, softball and football against other companies on post, all of the other activities that the post provided and even air shows on occasion until a copter went down and one of it’s blades went hurling into the bank across from the airfield. Then, one of our NCOIC’s in the TC was promoted to 1st Sgt and it all came crashing down on us. It was only a matter of time. Never had any hard feelings towards him for it, actually there was a bit of guilt when watching the other companies doing their 2 mile run down to the AutoDIN switch and back and we’d never had to do so.

So, once a month, we had formations, even if we were in bed after finishing a shift, in front of the comm building. PT started out as “you can do what you wish, hand ball, racket ball, the gym, anything you could find for exercise.” We apparently were having too much fun, and we ended up having to participate in a company wide PT session, you know, the regular, REAL stuff. It killed most of us at first, but didn’t take long to get into the rhythm. Of course it really stunk if you were still trying to get a few winks before going back to work, but we managed. I recall this same 1st Sgt sitting at the start of the road down to the switch where he was timing us, to insure we would pass a real PT test, and I came up the road on my return trip with a cig hanging out of my mouth. That man fell out laughing so hard, he hit the ground. I don’t think he’d ever laughed that hard in his life. Always glad to amuse!

3½ years went by fast and I wasn’t ready to go. TC’ers had come and gone, gone off to the States to get a job making real money, SERIOUS money compared to what we were making. I thought I was doing great when making E-5 in 3 years, but when I started hearing the stories form those who had left and working for ATT, IBM, American Airlines, etc., it was sickening! However, during my tenure, I managed to get married to a local German gal, had 2 wonderful kids, learned Pirmesenser Deutsch (no where near real German language), divorced as she wasn’t willing to return to the USA, new friends that came into country, and I was still a kid. I actually feared going home, this life here at PMS was the bomb! But, I knew my heart was in South Florida, and the time came to say auf wiedersehen. Unfortunately I left prior to the DEB’s network firing up, I started the patch panel and some of the equipment installations, but never got to see it up and running.

To this day, I think about the job, the friends, the family, (my now 30 year old son has visited So. Fla. twice with friends of his, still awaiting for my daughter of 31 yrs of age to give it a whirl, one of these days, maybe), the things I’ve seen over there. I returned in 1997, but have waited way too long to go back again, loooong overdue! I Google whatever I can to locate pics from the area, I unfortunately lost all mine during a move. I see that everything at Husterhoeh is now basically a museum or park, but would still like to go and see the newly renovated area. Google Maps makes it fun, but to go back for the views, the currywurst, frikedelles, and the various schnitzel, would hit home completely. I wish there were more pics of the different sites up here, I had many of the PTC that were also lost. I’m sure it changed over the years from when the site first formed to when it was disbanded.

If anyone that I had the pleasure to work with there would like to contact me, you can Google “aSpAcenut” and find me. I'm on FB as well, Bob aSpAcenut Morgan. Would love to hear from you!

Email from Sue Tully - CO, 270th Sig Co, Sept 1980 -

I was transferred from Camp Hanford Washington to the 298th Signal Company during the middle part of 1957.

The Headquarters was in Fontainebleau, France, the exact post name I do not remember. However, the 298 th was not on the main post. We were on a separate compound attached to the main post. The 298th was assigned at that time to SHAPE headquarters in Paris, and we had a patch that is similar to the current ATAF (Allied Tactical Air Forces) patches that are worn today.

I was only in Fontainebleau for a total or 3 days before my assignment to a 5-man Microwave Relay Site. My MOS was that of a Generator Operator, so I was given a crash course on the Deutsch Diesel Generators the unit used for power, and the basic instructions on the Siemens Microwave Equipment.

The 298th was not your standard type of army unit. On our post we had our own “Club”, the British Army was in charge of the club. On the post you would see the French, British, German and US Military. Our vehicles were American, but everything else was a mixture of different countries.

My first duty assignment was on a site near the Luxembourg Border , at place called Thionville. We lived on a French Army post for a time, we then moved to the site when the French need the space. We lived in “Squad Tent” after that.

The site commander was a Sgt E-5, as was most of the smaller 5-man sites, the larger sized sites were manned by the officers and other NCO’s (E6-E7). All the sites I was on were commanded by 3-5’s. The one advantage was that the only time you had a visit from your line officer (The line was a group of 5 or 6 sites, if I remember correctly) one time a month to give us our diesel and gas coupons for our vehicles and generators, and to get paid. We did not have access to any US Military facilities. We received extra pay for our living conditions, and we also received separate rations since we had to buy our food from the local stores. I was only at the Thionville site for a few months. Our tent caught fire one night and we lost all our clothes and personnel items, but none of our operating equipment was lost. A replacement crew relieved us after about 4 days and we went back to Fontainebleau, where an investigation was conducted. The Carburetor on the old style pot bellied stove somehow got stuck wide open and the diesel fuel poured in and put the fire out, it then flooded the tent until it reached the second heater then it decided to start burning again. No one was hurt we were all doing something else at the time. We moved all the vehicles and equipment in a hurry, but could not save any of our personal gear. I remember one of the men had around three or four mounts pay in his foot locker, He had a hard time trying to get his pay reimbursed.

After the investigation we were again reassigned to other sites that were short on personnel. I was assigned to a site near a town called Stoone (Not positive about spelling), it was a small faming village of about 10 farmhouses. The site was in one of the farmers fields. Across the street from us was an Air Force radio relay site. They lived in a house, we lived again in a tent. While I was there the Air Force moved into Germany. Towards the end on 1959 the American sites were moved into Belgium, and the French took over the sites we originally had. And, during the last two months of my site duty, I finally got to live in a house, after 2 ½ years of living in a tent.

I returned to Fontainebleau for out processing. After clearing I still had a few days remaining until it was time for my flight home, the First Sergeant told me to go to Paris and spend my last few days and to make sure that I get to Orley Field (The airport in Paris) for my flight home.

I was assigned to the Landstuhl Detachment of the 327th Signal Company - I was a 26Y. I arrived around June of 1979 and ETS'd June of 1981.

We were detached out of Zweibrücken but that was in about 1980 or so. Prior to that we weren't. I recognized the lapel pin (crest) as the one we had.

We ran the earth station facility (DSC Landstuhl) outside the back gate of the hospital facility. We weren't attached to the hospital at all. Our barracks were at the top of the hill in the back corner of Landstuhl Medical Center. As far as you could get from the hospital - next to the sports field.

I was one of the first 5 that started the Tactical Satellite Controllers unit.

I have a picture of a summer BBQ (see above) that we had outside the barracks on the hill. I don't remember everyone's name in the picture - but the names I can tell you are:

William (Bill) Furbee - from California - I think (San Diego?)
Mike Winchester (Michael Vincent) - From North Carolina
Ray Carter. - From Pascagoula Mississippi

I am trying to find some old buddies of that time: Michael Vincent Winchester, Raymond Carter - and a few others.

327th Signal Company, Zweibrücken
I enlisted into the US Army in December of 1981 and completed BCT at Fort Dix, NJ and AIT at Fort Gordon, GA. My first duty assignment as a 72G10 – Automated Data Telecommunications Center (TCC) Operator was with 5th Signal Command, 2nd Signal Brigade, 73rd Signal Battalion, 327th Signal Company, Kreuzberg Kaserne, Zweibrucken, GE.

I arrived at the 327th Signal Company in June of 1982. At that time, the 327th Signal Company was headquartered in Zweibrucken, GE with Detachment sites at Meisau, Baumholder, and Landstuhl, GE. In addition to the Satcom Station and Dial Central Offices at Landstuhl, the unit operated the DCO’s and AUTODIN Telecommunications Centers (TCC) in Zweibrucken, Meisau and Baumholder.

The TCC’s in both Zweibrucken and Baumholder in 1982 utilized the Starndard Remote Terminal equipment in Mate modes. The Meisau Detachment was still using the Digital Subscriber Terminal Equipment but was upgraded to the SRT in 1983.

Capt. MacHamer, mentioned in your posted article was my company commander at the time of my PCS in January of 1984 and actually served as an official witness to my first marriage in December of 1983.

B Company, 34th Signal Battalion, Ludwigsburg
In October of 1985, I returned to Germany as a newly promoted Buck Sergeant, and was assigned to VII Corps, 93rd Signal Bde, B company 34th Signal Bn, with duty at Krabbenloch Kaserne, Ludwigsburg, GE.

I was initially assigned duties in my SMOS as a 31C20 as a RATT Team chief as my PMOS was unavailable. During my time with the 34th Signal Bn, I gained much training and filled many different position, from RATT Section Chief, NBC NCO, COMSEC NCO and Operations NCO.

In October of 1988, I again PCS’d but this time It was a Consecutive Overseas Tour and I was reassigned back to the 73rd Signal BN, in Pirmasens, GE.

7th Data Processing Unit, Kaiserslautern
When I PCS’d from 34th Signal Bn, my reassignment orders where for my first original duty station in Zweibrucken, GE. Sometime between 1984 and 1988, the Signal Companies and the Data Processing Unit’s within the 73rd Signal Bn merged.

Upon my arrival in Pirmasens to in-process at the 73rd Signal Bn, I was diverted to the 7th DPU in Kaiserslautern, which had merged with the old 298th Signal Co. The 327th Signal Company in Zweibrucken at this time was now the 9th DPU.

Also during this time, my PMOS was reorganized from 72G to 74C.

While waiting for clearance on my 5 year periodic security clearance re-investigation to be completed so that I could be “read on”, I completed on the job training as a 74D Computer operation. While the Company headquarters was located on ESC-Kaiserslautern, the TCC was located on one of the other kaserne’s in Kaiserslautern area. There were three kasernes located near each other in Kaiserslautern, they were Kleber, Daenner, and Panzer. The name escapes me as to which kaserne the TCC was located on, but I do remember, that it at the same locations as our largest customer, 200th TAMMC Headquarters.

I do remember that General Flynn was the commanding General of the 200th TAMMC at that time, as he was the one who performed my re-enlistment in 1991.