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44th Signal Battalion
7th Signal Brigade

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.


Battalion History




Battalion History
44th Signal Battalion DUI
1979
(Source: Email from Tim McCann)
I was the first Motor Sergeant for A Company, 44th Sig Bn when it was reactivated in 1979.

A Company was formed out of D Company, 1st Signal Battalion. Everyone in D Co got orders reassigning them to A Co, 44th Sig Bn.

We moved out of the Clock Tower Building (3200) on Kleber Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, into the barracks right across from the PX.

The first CO for A Co. was Cpt Alan Burns; the 1st Sgt was 1st Sgt McGowen. He was an old soldier who had been a POW during the Korean War.

The Bn. Cdr. was Lt.Col Walter Kulbeki; CSM was CSM Foster.

After Cpt Burns went up to Bn. to be the S4 the next A Co. Cdr was Cpt. Ralph Harris. He was a West Pointer.

A Co. was responsible for the (radio relay) site outside of Bad Duerkheim. It was a very important commo shot because it went directly to the Tower outside the Ops Center at USAREUR Hqs. in Heidelberg.

Although I lived at Kleber, I spent most of my time repairing vehicles and generators at the site. All the guys stationed up on the site loved it because they were so far away from the flag pole. Shortly after I left the unit I heard that a soldier had become drunk and fallen off the cliff just outside the site fence.

I work here in Germany and several times I have seen 44 Sig Bn vehicles. I believe it is now called the 44th Expeditionary Sig Bn.

Hope this helps your web site.

(Webmaster note: having done some additional research on this topic, it appears that the other lettered companies of the 44th Sig Bn, B and C, were also formed from the D companies of other signal battalions assigned to the 7th Signal Brigade. If anyone has relevant information, please contact the webmaster (see email link at top of page.))


1981
(Source: Global Security website, accessed May 31, 2019)
The 44th Signal Battalion was activated on 16 March 1981 in Germany.

Headquartered at Coleman Barracks in Mannheim, the Battalion was geographically dispersed from Darmstadt to Heilbronn.

The Battalion deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm between 1990 and 1991. Subsequently, elements of A and D Companies participated in Operation Provide Comfort in northern Iraq.

After returning from these deployments, the Battalion consolidated all of its companies and relocated to Rheinland Kaserne, Ettlingen, Germany, in June 1991.

A Company, 44th Signal Battalion operated at EDCN site (Site 46) at Bad Dürkheim in the 1980s. At that time, A Company was located in Kaiserlautern.

Can anyone provide additional information on Site 46 and when A Company moved to Karslruhe?

1990
(Source: STARS & STRIPES, Nov 9, 1990)
Commanders of the 21st Theater Army Area Comd and 5th Signal Comd are studying a proposal to consolidate the 44th Signal Battalion at Rheinland Kaserne in Ettlingen, a Karlsruhe suburb, a U.S. Army Europe spokesman said Thursday.

The proposal is designed to consolidate the 44th Signal Bn's units that now are scattered across four military communities, according to the brigade. The battalion's Hq Co is in Mannheim (Coleman Bks); Co B is in Heilbronn (Wharton Bks); Co C is in Darmstadt (Cambrai-Fritsch Ksn); and Co A and Co D are in Karlsruhe (Neureut Ksn).

Rheinland Kaserne is expected to have space available after March because the 78th Engr Bn is to be withdrawn from Europe by March 1. The kaserne's only other tenant is a Civilian Support unit.
 
If you have more information on the history or organization of the 44th Signal Battalion, please contact me.

 
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