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From Chris Hager in 2006:
2rd Bn, 6th Field Artillery, 3AD
I was the Battalion Ammunition Officer for 2nd Bn, 6th
Field Artillery (155mm Direct Support to 2nd Brigade), Hutier
Kaserne, Hanau from July 79 to Aug 80; then the DIVARTY S-5 until
Dec 81, which included civil affairs and liaison to the German
military. As you are aware, 3AD nuclear artillery shells themselves
were stored at a "NATO Site." In our case Site #5 which
was located at Fliegerhorst Kaserne in Erlensee, just outside
Hanau. That site was manned by a permanent V Corps, 61st MP Company
security force, backed up on a rotating basis by local 3AD units
that maintained "instant response" company-sized
troop elements in case there was a breach. In reality the Site
was a Corps asset that also housed non-3AD nuclear warheads and
shells to include the nukes for the Lance and Pershing missiles.
The Battalion had a "Special Weapons Team" that
was trained in the assembly and activation of the nuclear shells
and in whose possession the shells would have been placed after
occupation of the General Defense Position locations to start
the war. Although my wartime mission would have been the acquisition
and distribution of artillery ammunition at the Battalion and
Battery level, I was in "peacetime" control of the
special propellant, demolitions material, LAWS rockets, grenades,
etc. assigned to the Special Weapons Team that were inventoried
at the NATO site in storage areas away from the warheads themselves.
As such, I made bi-weekly trips to the NATO site to conduct inventory.
I did reflect at times on the scenario underwhich these weapons
would have been used and the seeming futility of it all. An even
bigger futility would have been the ammo resupply ops needed
in a contaminated environment for both armored and artillery
units. I probably would have been dead within the first 48 hours
of a shooting war since I was tasked from moving between Ammo
Supply Points and Battery locations, all of which would have
been targeted by air and indirect fire assets of the Threat.
Kaboom!
I left the Army in 1983 after 5 years and after close to 20 years
in corporate logistics positions, I decided to shift gears and
came back to the Army as a civilian this past July (2005).
Hoorah to the Spearhead Division,
C.C. "Chris" Hager
Contract Specialist
U.S. Army Medical Acquisition Activity
Fort Detrick, MD 21702
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