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197th
Ordnance Battalion |
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| 197th Ordnance Battalion | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 19.. - 19.. | |||||||||||||||||||||
 197th Ordnance Bn DUI |
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| (Source: 59th COURIER, October 1981) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 197th Ordnance Battalion: 'remote but not isolated' Wbile they are tucked away neatly into the countryside at three locations in central Germany, the men and women of the 197th Ordnance Battalion are by no means sidelined from the overall mission of the U.S. Army in Europe. The 197th has a small headquarters company and organic units at two large ordnance depots in Germany. While supporting the 32nd Army Air Defense Command (AADCOM), the 56th Field Artillery Brigade, the VII U.S. Corps and various NATO units with special ammunition, repair parts and maintenance, life for the soldiers assigned to the 197th continues. Throughout the visits made to the company-sized elements that make up the 197th for this report, the term, "remote but not isolated" was constantly used in referring to duty within the battalion. To gain a better understanding, the following is a breakdown of the units, their locations and what the individual commands have done to boost a soldier's willingness to better perform their jobs on duty by offering things for their personal needs: HHC 197th Ord HHC 197th Ord. is located in Muenchweiler, a small town near the headquarters of the 59th Ordnance Brigade in Pirmasens. Headquarters company provides logistical, administrative and training support for the battalion's other units. Nestled in a wooded area of the picturesque Wasgau, Muenchweiler offers its residents a wide array of on-post facilities, including a small PX, movie theater, bowling alley, an auto crafts shop, a chapel, an NCO/EM club and a kindergarten/ 1st grade school. One of the installation's many advantages is its easy accessibility to Pirmasens and to the Kaiserslautern area, 40 minutes away, which offers a diverse range of goods and services. Soldiers at the 197th headquarters are well-known throughout the 59th for their studiousness, with more than 10 percent of them having earned college degrees while stationed in Muenchweiler. The 80 men and women at the headquarters also undergo rigorous training of all types throughout the year with journeys to Garmisch and Berchtesgaden for adventure training planned about every six months. Fischbach Army Depot A large portion of the battalion's assigned strength is based at the Fischbach Army Depot, a stone's throw away from the French border, about a half hour drive south of Muenchweiler. One of the largest depots in Germany, covering more than 1,600 acres of land, Fischbach prides itself on its modern facilities and ideal settings. Fischbach is home for two units of the 197th Ord. Bn. They are the 64th Ordnance Company and the 165th MP Company. In all, Fischbach's population numbers between 500 and 600 people, according to newly installed Depot Commander, Capt. John Blackburn. The 64th Ord. Co., says Blackburn, who also is in command of that unit, too, is made up pimarily of ammunition handlers and truck drivers who take charge of the 40 five-ton S & T Tractor Trailer rigs that are part of the 64th's mobile inventory. In addition, the 64th also has an assembly platoon, ammunition maintenance platoon along with mechanics and a large signal section. The 64th headquarters section employs the services of armorers, maintenance storage specialists, administrative soldiers and dining facility members Projects underway Without a doubt, the pride of the entire Depot is found in that building where the elite meet to eat - the Fischbach dining facility. The dining hall there has undergone some radical and at the same time noticeable changes. SSgt. Wilfredo Cruz-Rios, Fischbach dining facility manager, recently took over the job after spending almost a year at the dining hall as its assistant manager. Now in total control, Cruz-Rios, a food specialist for his entire Army career, spanning almost nine years, has proceeded to make physical changes in the facility with the plan of making the visitor to his dining hall a happy one. The Fischbach dining hall has 14 persons assigned to it. Six are cooks from the 165th MP Co., and the rest are part of the 64th Ord. Averaging more than 200 persons per meal, the dining hall at Fischbach serves meals four times a day including a midnight chow call for shift workers. Along with new cooking and serving utensils, the dining facility also has a brighter look about it with fresh paint on the walls, modern booth-like eating areas and even fresh flowers brought in daily on a volunteer basis by the civilian KPs working in the dining hall. Specialty nights are also part of the monthly menu at the Fischbach Depot. And there are plans for upcoming "Cook's Days Off" where officers of the Depot will prepare and serve the meals. "The Army dining facility is the place where morale can be built up or brought down. If a soldier comes in here and has a good meal in a pleasant surrounding he will go back to his duty and do a better job," facility manager Cruz-Rios firmly believes. Siegelsbach Army Depot |
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ORGANIZATION
(1981):
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| If you have more information on the history or organization of the 197th Ord Bn, please contact me. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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