Hohenfels 1978-79... ARTEP
The ARTEP (ARmy Training Evaluation Program) was the primary test of a unit's combat readiness. In Europe, most ARTEPs are conducted at Hohenfels, which is a large training area just west of the Czech border, and just south of its sister training site, Grafenwohr. What is unique about Hohenfels (as well as Grafenwohr) is that both were training sites for the German army before and during World War II. In fact, Hohenfels had civilian towns contained within, and these were smashed during the war. They have never been rebuilt, and were a silent and eery witness to our training around and through them. In one village, the church is still discernible, and within the rubble the baptismal fountain could still be seen. There was even an occasional vehicle wreck from WW II, but these have been mostly stripped or removed.
The infamous Hohenfels motorpool area, with the cinder block barracks beyond. Tanks were lined fender to fender to economize on space. To the right of this shot is the even more infamous motorpool hill, a sloped area where crews found it virtually impossible to keep tanks from rolling after having the brakes locked. Some crews locked down the brakes so hard that they had to struggle to unlock them. Others used chock blocks to keep the vehicles from rolling. One tank did roll... and rolled down the slope into a colonel's jeep!
In the photo, the crews are preparing to move out on a rare, sunny day.
This site would be remiss to not mention the issue of mud and overshoes. It was an unwritten, but very firm rule, that nobody... NOBODY... climbed into any tank with muddy overshoes. Overshoes were removed and shoved upside down into the infantry rails before crews entered the turret. If the ground was muddy, you took your life in your hands if you left the vehicle without your overshoes, and then tried to re-enter with muddy combat boots. There was only one group of people who got away with an occasional lapse... officers. And even this was rare.
The tank commander on the right, probably SSG Amaducci, of B Co 2/32 Armor, is preparing some unseen item in preparation for moving out. One could be pretty certain that HE didn't enter HIS tank with those muddy overshoes!
This shot is a detail of the one above.
Ready to move out for a pre-ARTEP exercise. The CSC received a support element from the Britsih... a unit of Irish Rangers, who loaded up onto the CSC tracks (M-113s) for the training. During the actual ARTEP the Irish Rangers wore their helmets, but for this training they wore their traditional green berets with the forest green tassel on the front.
The U.S. solder on top of the 113 is holding a C-Ration box, while the concertina wire is evident in the foreground. Of course, the weather was foggy and rainy.
Detail of above, showing several Irish Rangers. Both carry the standard issue FN-FAL 7.62mm rifle. The soldier on the left also carries the Karl Gustav anti-tank rocket launcher, which was similar to the WW II bazooka and better than our LAW (Light Anti-tank Weapon).
An interesting incident occurred with these men One guy from the 2nd AD was dozing one night in the driver's seat of his M-113, when he heard a banging against the infantry ramp in the back. There is also a small door built into the ramp, and he yelled back "It's open." With that, the door was opened, and in came a CS grenade! The driver threw open his hatch, only to be met by several Irish Rangers who roughed him up and questioned him for information. After this incident, orders came down that no one was to get on another unit's vehicles during training.
We learned during this ARTEP that these were tough, first class troops.
Roadmarching from the Hohenfels motorpool and into the field. This road was the primary route out of the cantonment and to the training sites. Any who served at Hohenfels rode this route.
A unique aspect of this shot is that the ground appears relatively dry. Indeed, a rarity.
