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26th Support Group |
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| Special Troops, HQ USAREUR History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19.. - 19.. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AVIATION DETACHMENT, 7787 ARMY UNIT, HQ USAREUR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 26th Support Group History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19.. - present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Herald-Post, March 21, 1985) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WINTEX challenges soldiers "The 26th Support Group soldiers were doing what they're trained to do during WINTEX, the recent command post exercise," plans officer Maj. Chris Clarke said. The result of that training is the soldier's ability to support the USAREUR staff mission, both in garrison and in the field, during peacetime and in the event of conflict. Some Support Group and soldiers from other major commands moved out to the two primary field locations during the latter part of February in advance of the main body, which arrived the first week of March. In Landau, the main site that Company A, 26th Support Group commanded, the advance party members had to orient themselves to the new location, organize the billeting and work areas, and rearrange the French Army's buildings to accommodate the staff's needs. Those efforts allowed the main body to move right in and continue with daily European theater operations. The advance party soldiers in the rear site, Muenchweiler, under the command of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 26th Support Group, prepared their support base, with the inclusion of "tent city." These soldiers had it a little rougher than their main site counterparts because they lived and worked in fest tents instead of barracks buildings. CSM Harold McGaugh, Support Battalion (Provisional) said, "The CPX, aside from the USAREUR staff mission, was a challenge for our soldiers. It was a test of their caliber, especially the first few days out there." He explained saying, "Soldiers were doing other duties besides their MOS's (military occupational specialties) which consisted of details. Clerks, military police and truck drivers picked up brooms, set up tents, moved tables, and did the general cleaning and scrubbing needed for good living conditions." What did these soldiers, many of whom hardly go to the field, think of that? "There was a little moaning and groaning from a few of the soldiers," McGaugh said, "but that doesn't bother me. I wouldn't know how my soldiers feel if they didn't tell me. But overall, these soldiers are the best I've ever seen and this exercise helped them become more well-rounded in soldiering. Their attitude, willingness to work and response to the duties they're assigned, and were assigned during the exercise, received many positive comments from the USAREUR staff." When soldiers deploy to the field, the ones who remain in garrison don't "get over," said PFC James Malcolm, of 503rd Transportation Company. There are still duties and details that have to be done. "Since half of our guys (from the unit) support the field, the soldiers in garrison have twice the workload. For instance, some of our duties are transporting rations to the dining facility from the warehouse in Mannheim, and moving supplies, and trash. We move everything and everybody." SSgt. Alfonza Williams, assistant operations sergeant said, "The transportation support to the rear and main sites can be trying. We never know when we'll have to relocate USAREUR during the exercise." SSgt. Terry Quall, a transportation coordinator for the exercise, said, "Our support requirement is to move each staff agency in USAREUR to a different location if there ever is a transition from peacetime to war. These various training exercises let us know what is needed to move each staff agency." Clarke said that in addition to transportation support, the 26th Support Group provided housing, food service, supplies, generators for electricity, construction, security and morale support and other assistance. |
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| (Source: Herald-Post, April 18, 1985) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HHC USAREUR and 7th Army new unit in Heidelberg As the Heidelberg Herald-Post went to press, a unit redesignation and change of command ceremony was scheduled for April 15 at Campbell Barracks. Maj. Hugh F.T. Hoffman III, who was the installation coordinator at Campbell and who is the deputy USAREUR headquarters commandant, will assume command of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, USAREUR and 7th Army (Provisional) from Capt. Steve A. Bedding, who was the Company A, 26th Support Group commander at Patron Barracks. "The changeover is an idea that has been bantered around for quite awhile," said Maj. Chris Clarke, the 26th Support Group plans officer. "The offices will be nearer to the people they serve. The orderly room, supply, training and NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) rooms will be colocated with the soldiers near their work offices, instead of on Patton Barracks." Billeted soldiers will still reside on Patton. The Headquarters and Headquarters Company mission, like the deactivated company's is to provide command and control, training support and personnel service to Headquarters USAREUR. "The Support Group's personnel actions staff is providing the redesignated administration people with information on how to set up a personnel actions center" said SEC Johnny Graham, assistant personnel staff NCO at the 26th Support Group. "Before, every USAREUR staff element handled personnel actions for its own people. Soldier's administrative actions had to go through their office's officer in charge, then the Company A orderly room and finally the 26th Support Group or battalion personnel actions center. Now, the personnel actions will all go through a centralized PAC at HHC, USAREUR and 7th Army (Prov.), which will provide a more timely and consistent paperwork flow." Some actions requiring additional processing will still be sent to the Support Group. In addition, HHC will handle the directorates' organizational equipment (war equipment) through its own property book office instead o! through the Consolidated Installation Property Book Office. The purpose of this is to make them more combat ready. The changeover will take several months. "There will be a transition period to gradually take over the administrative and logistical actions from the directorates, selecting each or some directorates at a time. By Oct. 1, HHC USAREUR and 7th Army (Prov.) should be able to handle all of those actions," Clarke said. "Where Company A was like a liaison between the USAREUR staff and the 26th Support Group, HHC USAREUR and 7th Army (Prov.) will be more directly involved with the paperwork flow aspect of providing support to the troops in USAREUR," Graham said. Before the changeover, enlisted soldiers assigned to USAREUR directorate staffs were attached to Company A on Patron Barracks for billeting, housing, rations, training and legal actions. Officers were assigned to Headquarters USAREUR. More than a dozen cadre were "permanent party" or assigned to Company A. Assigned enlisted soldiers as well as officers to Headquarters USAREUR will be attached to HHC USAREUR and 7th Army (Prov.) for those administrative actions, making the headquarters company one o! the largest in the Army, officials say. |
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| (Source: Herald-Post, Aug 24, 1989) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Commander, 26th Support Group also serves as Deputy Community Commander of the Heidelberg Military Community. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Support Battalion | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The wartime mission of the Support Battalion (Prov) is to support Headquarters US Army, Europe at its tactical sites (Main and Rear?). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Herald-Post, Jan 28, 1983) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ORGANIZATION (Jan 1983) (1): | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| (1) It is possible that the 4022nd Civilian Support Group was also attached to the Spt Bn. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Herald-Post, Jan 23, 1986) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The 500th Engineer Detachment was inactivated on Jan 16, 1986. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Herald-Post, June 8, 1989) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ORGANIZATION (June 1989): | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 503rd Transportation Company | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 519th Transportation Company (Car) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Herald-Post, July 8, 1983) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 519th deactivates after 41 years of service by Shaun Gearon July 20 marks the end of an era in the United States Army, Europe. The 519th Transportation Company (Car) is being deactivated after 41 years of service. The 519th ("Driving for Freedom") was the last non-tactical transportation unit in USAREUR, and is being phased out as an Army-wide economy program. The Transportation Motor Pool and the 503rd Transportation Company will take over the 519th's mission to support Headquarters USAREUR and Heidelberg Community. Many personnel assigned to the 519th have already been transferred, and the company's hallways seem deserted. "We haven't been able to finalize any plans for a deactivation ceremony yet. Almost everyone will have been transferred by July 20, so I am not sure whether I will even have enough people for a formal ceremony," Capt. Philip Hibbert, 519th commander, commented. The drivers and mechanics from the 519th are being transferred to the 503rd Transportation Company, while the supply and clerical personnel are shipping to Headquarters and Headquarters Company. Hibbert explained that this might create temporary overstrengths in the receiving units, but seasonal rotation would soon bring the units back to authorized levels. Hibbert himself is returning to Fort Carson, Colo. Thirty one local national employees who worked in the 519th have been transferred to the Transportation Motor Pool. "People have known about these transfers for a long time now, so there haven't been any problems, though some drivers may have to take refresher courses on the two-and-a-half-ton truck when they get to the 503rd," Hibbert ernlained. Although all the personnel from the 519th will find new homes, 35 percent of the vehicles won't. The Transpormstion Motor Pool is under orders to reduce the number of sedans by 35 percent and carryalls by 25 percent. This reduction is part of the overall economy program, of which the deactivation of the 519th was part. From now on it's going to be a lot harder to pick up a sedan or carryall. Out at Patton Motor Pool the unit's symbol, "The Roadrunner", bears mute witness to the unit's end; the paint is peeling and the plaster chipped. As Hibbert and his cadre wind down the 519th, one is reminded of a skeleton crew accompanying an old cargo ship on a sentimental journey to be retired and scrapped. |
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| 529th Military Police Company | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Herald-Post, Feb 19, 1986) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 529th honored to serve by Linda Fozo As two military policeman cross paths in the corridors of 529th Military Police billets on Patton Barracks, one might hear "honor guard" proudly bellowed. More than 40 soldiers have the privilege of being in the elite USAREUR honor guard and color guard. That number will soon expand though when enough Army blue uniforms arrive to outfit the entire company. "This MP company has more pride than a common unit. We are the honor guard. We set our goals higher. We are representatives of USAREUR and all eyes are on us," said Sfc. Morris Ricketts, the unit's operations sergeant. The honor guard formation is a special courtesy to visiting dignitaries. Members of the guard are selected for their soldierly appearance and superior discipline. An honor guard consists of the band, colors, salute battery and a formation of soldiers. The color guard, when participating in a ceremony, consists of six enlisted soldiers. It is an honor to be selected to be a member of the color guard. Ricketts, who is also the honor and color guards' coordinator, said, "Many of the men come off of their shifts, pull a commitment and wind up putting in an 18-hour day. "I have to respect these individuals. They work hard and keep up their morale," he said. When the unit begins to rotate the commitments, the burden on the regularly committed soldiers will be lightened. Ricketts said the soldiers should be proficient in 30 days but with their many company responsibilities, it will lake probably two months. Part of the training is "by the numbers" with the soldiers resounding "one, two" after a command is given to make sure the movements will be exact during the real thing. "The hardest part, I think, is to pass in review when you're cold," Ricketts said. "Getting that weapon or flag up to sync with the rest is hard." "Using the saber isn't the easiest to do thing either," said 1st. Lt. Caroline Remmie, the only woman in the honor guard. As the enlisted make slapping movements with their rifles, three officers snap their sabers into position. At first, because she was the only woman soldier in front of the formation, she felt that all eyes were on her. "I stood so stiff and still and was afraid to breath. Now it's better. I'm confident," she said. Remmie also likes the idea of the entire company being in the honor and color guards. "That will make it a lot better. It's difficult for those in the honor guard to take leaves and passes and attend schools," she said. Although the MPs are used to being "stract," soldiers had to get used to the increased uniform and personal appearance standards. During the formations they get closely inspected by dignitaries. Their blue uniforms must be sharply pressed and lint free, brass sparkling, haircuts nearly "high and tight," boots spit-shined with soles dyed, weapons cleaned and other details. In spite of the extra efforts soldiers put forth by virtue of being in the honor guard, Sp4 John Schmidt said that he's proud to wear the distinguished patch. Sp4 Gerald Howell added that it sets them apart. "The hard part is coming off midnight shift and working honor guard. But working honor guard for Maj. Nicholson (slain American Military Liaison Mission officer) was a different experience," Howell said. "I felt very good at having the honor to be there. It was an emotional experience - his little daughter was there and his wife." "The music brought us down too," said SSgt. Jeff Hogue, also in the honor guard. "Our movements had to be a lot slower," Howell said. In the winter, the color guard is committed about three times a month and more frequently during the summer months. The color guard is present for dining-in ceremonies, military balls, parades, retreat and change of command ceremonies, funerals and commemorations. They often accompany the honor guard to functions in and out of Germany, to honor dignitaries and commemmorations. Sgt. David Hoque said, "Being in the color guard is dynamic. We represent all of the soldiers under the commander-in-chiefs, USAREUR, command. The recognition we get in one year is equal to about five years of regular duty in the MP corps." "I feel the honor guard and color guard play a very important role in international relationships by representing the United States in professionalism and appearance," said 1st. Lt. Larry Robinson, the executive officer. "It's like being an extension of the CINC. Our behavior is very important." |
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| Related
Links 529th MP Co MSN Group web site - Les and Debra Hintz are the points of contact |
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