Author Topic: US Army's last tanks depart from Germany  (Read 979 times)

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Offline Ford289HiPo

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US Army's last tanks depart from Germany
« on: April 05, 2013, 12:03:54 am »
http://www.stripes.com/us-army-s-last-tanks-depart-from-germany-1.214977



STUTTGART, Germany — The U.S. Army’s 69-year history of basing main battle tanks on German soil quietly ended last month when 22 Abrams tanks, a main feature of armored combat units throughout the Cold War, embarked for the U.S.

The departure of the last M-1 Abrams tanks coincides with the inactivation of two of the Army’s Germany-based heavy brigades. Last year, the 170th Infantry out of Baumholder disbanded. And the 172nd Separate Infantry Brigade at Grafenwöhr is in the process of doing the same.

On March 18, the remaining tanks were loaded up at the 21st Theater Sustainment Command’s railhead in Kaiserslautern where they then made the journey to the shipping port in Bremerhaven, Germany. There they boarded a ship bound for South Carolina.

The tanks belonged to the 172nd along with a mix that were leftover from other units, according to the 21st TSC.
“It is an honor to be one of the soldiers escorting the last battle tanks out of Germany,” said Sgt. Jeremy Jordan of the 529th Military Police Company, in an Army story about the journey. “As these tanks sail back to the U.S., we are closing a chapter in history.”

From World War II on through the Cold War, tanker units were a heavy presence in Germany. At its peak, Germany was home to 20 NATO armored divisions, or about 6,000 tanks, according to the 21st TSC.
“There is no [U.S.] tank on German soil. It’s a historic moment,” said Lt. Col. Wayne Marotto, 21st TSC spokesman.


U.S. Army soldiers of Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion 66th Armor Regiment, Task Force 1-2, 172nd Infantry Brigade conduct a live fire training exercise using M1 Abrams tanks at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany in this Oct. 2010 photo.


U.S. Army soldiers of Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion 66th Armor Regiment, Task Force 1-2, 172nd Infantry Brigade conduct a live fire training exercise with M1 Abrams tanks at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany in this Oct. 2010 photo.


Related topics:

http://www.stripes.com/news/army-s-172nd-sorting-clearing-gear-as-inactivation-begins-1.197243

http://www.stripes.com/news/for-baumholder-s-170th-brigade-a-low-key-goodbye-1.192478
I wonder when the lies will stop and truth begin, even as grim as the truth may be. And then I remember that for 70 years, the reign of terror in Russia called itself "the people's government." We have so far to fall, yet we are falling fast and Hell yawns to receive us.

Offline Ford289HiPo

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Re: US Army's last tanks depart from Germany
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2013, 12:08:59 am »
During my first two tours in Germany, I was stationed in Amberg, 20km south of Graf, and 20km north of Hohenfels. I spent a lot of time in both training areas when not on border patrol.

This departure still leaves the 2CR (formerly known as the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and later as the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment), 1st Bn 10th SF Gp in Boeblingen, EUCOM, AfriCom and myriad of smaller commands. Not many combat troops left in Europe.
I wonder when the lies will stop and truth begin, even as grim as the truth may be. And then I remember that for 70 years, the reign of terror in Russia called itself "the people's government." We have so far to fall, yet we are falling fast and Hell yawns to receive us.