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              2nd 
                Signal Brigade5th Signal Command
 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
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          | Brigade 
            Introduction |   
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          | 1982 |   
          | (Source: Welcome 
            to the 2d Signal Brigade. 2nd Sig Bde Pamphlet 608-7, 22 July 
            1982.) |   
          |   2nd Signal Group DUI 
 1. HISTORY OF 2D SIGNAL BRIGADE. The 2d Signal Brigade 
              was originally constituted in France as the 3348th Signal Service 
              Group. It saw service in Furope from 1944 to 1946. The Group was 
              reactivated in May of 1946 at Fort Monmouth, and was redesignated 
              the 2d Signal Service Group shortly thereafter. In 1955, the Group 
              was deactivated at Camp Gordon, Georgia. In 1961 the Group was activated 
              for the third time at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where it served 
              until being alerted for movement to the Republic of Vietnam in the 
              spring of 1965. From 1965 until 1971, the Group provided Army area 
              signal support for US combat forces in Vietnam, participated in 
              fourteen campaigns and was twice awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation. 
              On 23 October 1971, the 2d Signal Group was deactivated at Fort 
              Lewis, Washington. It was again activated in Europe on 1 June 1974 
              to assume responsibility for communications in the northern half 
              of Germany, Holland, Belgium, and England. 2d Signal Group was redesignated 
              as 2d Signal Brigade on 1 October 1979.
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          | 2. 
              MISSION OF 2D SIGNAL BRIGADE. 2d Signal Brigade has the 
              following mission: |   
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                  |  | a. | To operate 
                    and maintain as a part of the Defense Communications System: |  
                 
                  |  | (1) | 1 AUTODIN 
                    Switching Center |   
                  |  | (2) | 1 AUTOVON 
                    Switching Center |   
                  |  | (3) | Satellite 
                    Communications Terminals |   
                  |  | (4) | 23 Wideband 
                    Stations |   
                  |  | (5) | 4 Major 
                    Technical Control Facilities |   
                  |  | (6) | 1 National 
                    Command Authority Station |   
                  |  | (7) | 1 Long 
                    Haul High Frequency DCS Radio Facility |   
                  |  |  |  |  
                 
                  |  | b. | To maintain 
                    past, camp and station communications within Northern Europe, 
                    including the following: |  
                 
                  |  | (1) | 32 Telecommunications 
                    centers |   
                  |  | (2) | 69 Dial 
                    Telephone Exchanges |   
                  |  | (3) | 15 Narrow 
                    Band Subscriber Terminals |   
                  |  | (4) | 2 Second 
                    Switches |   
                  |  | (5) | 18 Dial 
                    Service Assistance Switchboards |   
                  |  |  |  |  
                 
                  |  | c. | To operate 
                    and maintain a Special Command and Control Communications 
                    System for the US European Command (EUCOM)(ECCCS/Cemetery): |  
                 
                  |  | (1) | 29 ECCCS 
                    and Cemetery Net stations |   
                  |  | (2) | 1 Cemetery 
                    Net Station |   
                  |  | (3) | 3 NODAL 
                    Point Stations and 3 remote switches |   
                  |  | (4) | 52 Mobile 
                    Stations |   
                  |  | (5) | 1 Communication 
                    Relay Control Station |   
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          | 3. 
              2D SIGNAL BRIGADE ORGANIZATION. To accomplish its mission, 
              the 5th Signal Command, our higher headquarters located in Worms, 
              Germany; has divided the European area north of the Alps into two 
              areas of operation. North of the boundary line is the 2d Signal 
              Brigade; south of the line is the 160th Signal Brigade. Support 
              for both these brigades is provided by the 21st Support Crnmnand. 
              Our organization is as follows:  |   
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                  |  | 2D 
                      SIGNAL BRIGADEMANNHEIM, FRG
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                  |  |  |  |  
                 
                  | 39th 
                    Signal Battalion Bremerhaven, FRG
 | 73d 
                    Signal Battalion Pirmasens, FRG
 | 102d 
                    Signal Battalion Frankfurt, FRG
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                  |  |  |  |   
                  | 128th 
                    Signal Company Schinnen, Holland
 | 267th Signal Company Pirmasens, FRG
 | 228th 
                    Signal Company Frankfurt, FRG
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                  |  |  |  |   
                  | 518th 
                    Signal Company Linderhofe, FRG
 | 270th Signal Company Pirmasens, FRG
 | 232d 
                    Signal Company Worms, FRG
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                  |  |  |  |   
                  | 532d Signal Company Giessen, FRG
 | 298th Signal Company Kaiserslautern, FRG
 | 261st 
                    Signal Company Hanau, FRG
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                  |  |  |  |   
                  | 581st Signal Company Bremerhaven, FRG
 | 327th Signal Company Zweibrücken, FRG
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              The 39th Signal Battalion commands all units north of Giessen, including 
              those units in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom 
              plus Satellite Station AN/FSC-78 at Harrogate, England. In the 2d 
              Signal Brigade's southern sector, the 102d Signal Battalion commands 
              all units east of Worms and the 73rd Signal Battalion commands all 
              units west of Worms plus Satellite Stations AN/MSC-46 and AN/FSC-78 
              at Landstuhl.  |   
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              4. 
                OPERATIONS. The backbone of the Defense Communications 
                System (DCS) in Europe is called the European Wideband Communications 
                System (EWCS). The 2d Signal Brigade has the responsibility for 
                the central and northern Germany and Benelux portions of the system; 
                both American and German equipment is used. Within this system 
                we operate wideband stations, technical control facilities and 
                minor patch and test facilities that control approximatelv 335 
                trunks and 2500 circuits of standard and special service communications. 
                Our stations are permanently installed fixed plants. 
 To coordinate, control and supervise the transmission media and 
                equipment of the EWCS, the 2d Signal Brigade has four major technical 
                control facilities located at Pirmasens, Donnersberg. Frankfurt, 
                and Worms.
 
 In support of our DCS mission, we operate 1 of the 16 overseas 
                automatic message switching centers in the DCS Automatic Digital 
                Network (AUTODIN) located at Pirmasens, FRG. This network is similar 
                to networks designed to deliver record communications or telegrams. 
                However, AUTODIN, the Department of Defense record communications 
                network, has been designed to meet special security, speed and 
                reliability requirements. Security is provided by encoding all 
                messages which leave an automatic message switching center. Speed 
                is attained by computer processing each message in accordance 
                with its precedence. Reliability is achieved by locating switching 
                centers strategically throughout the world, by providing necessary 
                back-up equipment, and by connecting the switching centers with 
                many diversely routed, highspeed circuits. Our switch at Pirmasens 
                can handle an input of up to 200 separate subscribers, and processes 
                an average of 65 to 70,000 messages per day.
 
 In the system with the automatic message switching center, we 
                operate 32 telecommunications centers throughout our area of operation. 
                These telecommunications centers provide record communications 
                service for all units and activities in their immediate vicinity.
 
 The 2d Signal Brigade operates three satellite terminals: an AN/FSC-78 
                at Harrogate, England; an AN/MSC-46 (which is scheduled to be 
                replaced by the GSC-39 in the near future); and an AN/FSC-78 at 
                Landstuhl. All terminals provide the most advanced technological 
                and reliable access for selected subscribers into the worldwide 
                Defense Communications System.
 
 At Pirmasens, we have a long haul, high frequency radio facility 
                operated by the 73d Signal Battalion. This facility has a dual 
                role: on one hand it operates a radio trunk to Incirlik, Turkey; 
                on the other hand it serves as the only Army entry point into 
                the European Defense Communications System for high frequency, 
                contingency operations. An average of 15 high frequency, contingency 
                missions are activated through this station annually.
 
 An Automatic Voice Network (AUTOVON) switching center is operated 
                at Donnersberg. This switch is a part of the AUTOVON system, the 
                principal long haul telephone network of the DCS. The purpose 
                of the AUTOVON network is to provide a worldwide, automatic voice 
                communications system to fulfill the nonsecure voice requirements 
                of the Department of Defense. The AUTOVON System began in 1964 
                with 9 switches; it now has 16 operational switching centers overseas. 
                Our Donnersberg switch has 377 connected subscribers.
 
 Both narrow 
                band subscriber terminals and secure voice cordless switchboards 
                are parts of the Defense Communications System Automatic Secure 
                Voice Communications (AUTOSEVOCOM) network. This network has approximately 
                1400 subscribers throughout the world. It is made up of manual 
                and automatic switches and can provide from 3 to 250 subscribers 
                with secure voice service.
 
 In support of the AUTOSEVOCOM network, the 2d Signal Brigade operates 
                15 narrow band subscriber terminals and two secure voice cordless 
                switchboards. The former is basically an AUTOVON circuit with 
                secure voice service, and the latter is a manual switchboard that 
                can provide such service for up to 15 local subscribers.
 
 The 2d Signal Brigade provides command and control communications 
                support to the US European Command (USEUCOM) and the 59th Ordnance 
                Brigade at 33 locations. This support is provided through systems 
                commonly referred to as the Europe Command Control Console System                (ECCCS) and the Cemetery Net. Both systems are utilized to pass 
                emergency action messages from HQ USEUCOM to the various 59th 
                Ordnance Brigade detachments in our area of operations. The Cemetery 
                Net is an HF network utilizing the AN/FRC-93 and KWT-6 Radio sets 
                at fixed locations. To supplement the fixed locations and support 
                the Ordnance and Artillery detachments when they are deployed 
                to the field, the 2d Signal Brigade operates and maintains 52 
                mobile contingency units, utilizing the AN/MRC-117 (37), AN/TRC-133A                (4), and AN/GRC-122A (11) radio sets.
 
 (1) Cemetery Net radio equipment
 AN/FRC-93 -- a high frequency (HF) commercial single-sideband radio set adapted for military use (AN/FRC-93).
 KWT-6 -- KWT-6
 AN/MRC-117 -- AN/MRC-117
 AN/TRC-133A -- this radio set, composed of five single-sideband (SSB) radios, was the prime means of Pershing communications (WIKIPEDIA entry).
 AN/GRC-122A -- a shelter-housed transportable radio teletypewriter set that uses 
the AN/GRC-106 as its major basic component. The AN/GRC-122 is authorized for air defense
 artillery battalions primarily to provide teletypewriter communication with higher 
headquarters.
 
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          | (Source: ECHO, Winter 2009 edition -  ) |  
          | 
            
              
                | 
 |   2nd Signal Brigade and Transformation.
 
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          | If you have more 
            information on the history or organization of the 2nd Sig Bde, please 
            contact me  . |   
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          | 2ND SIGNAL 
            BRIGADE UNITS - 1970s-80s |   
          | 
               
                |  2nd 
                    Sig Bde |  39th 
                    Sig Bn |  73rd 
                    Sig Bn |  102nd 
                    Sig Bn |  |  |   
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