REFORGER

[Edward (Gene) Beck]

Anyone have any stories or memories to share from that wonderful outing we lovingly called REFORGER? I was at the Rock less than a month before the '75 freeze fest. I learned that C-Rats could be pretty good if you're hungry enough too.

[Mike Kultgen]

The first one I remember '72, we were on the border. In addition to the regular border duties we had extra patrols out just to keep those visitors from Fort Riley out of the 1k zone. In '73 we were at Hohenfels, when one day someone from the orderly room came to tell me they had a guy cornered there wearing the 1st Infantry Div. patch and he was asking for me. So I go down to the orderly room and there is Roger Zapata. A few months prior he had come back to the world on emergency leave. He was subsequently reassigned to Fort Riley and a few months later he was back in Germany on Reforger. We were able to visit for an hour or so and he had to get back to his unit, that's the last time I saw him. mike

[James F. Burgos]

It was the Reforger of 1968 or '69 when some NG pilot of a C-130 Hercules got lost near Amberg. At the time it was just after the Soviets invaded Czechoslovakia and tensions were HIGH. At that time Amberg was under the Soviet Air defense radar screen and the only air traffic in or out of Pond Barracks was a small 2 seat scout chopper. Tree top flight was the order of the day. OK, here comes this C-130 , the pilot saw the Flag flying over Pond Barracks and started to orbit the Kasserne. Most of HQ ran out onto the Parade Field, including the Sqdn. CO, LTC Robert C. Osborne. Col. Osborne yelled at the Commo. Chief to " Contact that pilot and tell him if he isn't heading West in three minutes, I'll have Hawk Battery SHOOT HIM DOWN " Lots' o fun. Then, another Reserve Unit started moving from north of Munchen and got lost for three WEEKS ! The BGS found them SOUTH of Munchen, Those Reservists never even saw the City ! Those guys would have been real help if the Balloon had gone up. Gotta love the Army.

[carl kreitzer]

I had the "pleasure"of being an umpire during reforger of '83. I was promoted to SGT. after returning from the border with I troop and was reassigned to M Co as a section leader.Off to the border with M Co after a 2 day layover.Upon returning from the border is when I was informed I was going to be an umpire with my crew.I asked for a new cruit to be my 113 driver ( he was fluent in German ).He didnt lock down the drivers hatch and when I decided to drive, it flipped forward and I chipped my front teeth. Needless to say when ever we stopped to observe it was his job to procure some meat and brotchen from the local kids,did I mention beir? We kept their moped helmets as collateral.It really wasnt that bad a time for us until we returned to Amberg thinking we were getting the promised time off.The barracks were bare except for the REMFs.Lo and behold we were off to GRAF for another 35 days of live fire. Gotta love the CAV.

[Andrew Hirth]

I remember during reforger how astonished I was at myself for for being able to take and stand a cold ...well lets say maybe 50 degree shower in one of those portable shower units in the middle of some farmers field of snow and ice and temps ranging plus to minus around the 0 degrees faharenheit mark. Amazing what 10 days of no sleep other than 1 or 2 hrs snatched here and there....10 days of frozen wasteland where it was colder inside the track than out. (never did have a working heater in the track in 3 years during the Carter Presidency)....10 days of sitting in front of a radio waiting for either a fire mission to compute for the guns or orders to move....10 days of 4 layers of clothes that either held in the stink or we were just so used to it we didnt notice each other.....10 days of the strongest coffee you ever tasted 24/7 .....yep .....uh huh .....a 2 week beautiful winter vacation in Bavaria Germany.

Sgt Hirth
13 E
Fire Direction Control / HWB 3/2 ACR
79-81