As a cadet my vision of the Army was based primarily upon interaction with the officers and soldiers at the Academy and those few trainers whom we met during summer training. Needless to say, it was not a representative cross section but how was I to know. I thought that all officers owned lined capes to wear with their mess dress blues!
Ranger, Airborne and Engineer Basic provided a little better perspective but not much and so after completing Engineer Officer Basic Course, I was turned loose on U.S. Army Europe’s (USAEUR) 12th Engineer Battalion located in the tiny hamlet of Dexheim, West Germany.
I arrived after my sponsor decided that I really didn’t need to spend the night at the Rhein Main Visiting Officer Quarters, so he pounded on the door and told me we were going to the unit so that I could be at morning formation. A bleary eyed Second Lieutenant Drower finally arrived at his new home about 1:30 in the morning.
The next morning was my introduction to the Vietnam-era Army in Europe and it was a doozy. My suspicions were raised when I attended the morning parade formation. Most platoons in the battalion contained all of 8-10 soldiers vs. the normal complement of 28-30; there were only three Captains in sight. Two of these Captains were company commanders while the other four companies were all commanded by First Lieutenants. Since officers usually came down on orders to Vietnam after 12 months, most of the officers had me by only a couple of months in seniority and experience – it was going to be a case of the blind leading the blind.
I was assigned as Heavy Equipment Platoon Leader but due to low staffing created by the turbulence of Vietnam transfers and enlistment completions, many duties were shared. I found myself in a dusty, windblown Motor Pool reading off the daily preventative maintenance (PM) checks to a line of 5-ton trucks – none of which were assigned to me.
The only problem was that there were drivers for only about 10% of the vehicles and so most of the trucks just sat there accumulating dust. After completing the PM’s, I decided to wander along the lines of trucks and personnel carriers spread around the Motor Pool. I came across 4 troopers in various vehicles, all of whom were well into a marijuana induced nap! I rousted them out and when I reported the incident; I learned that this was a routine occurrence.
My first week came to a fitting conclusion on Saturday afternoon. Instead of turning everyone free, the Battalion Commander decided that the motor pool needed cleaning and everyone turned out with a broom. Unfortunately, the post was surrounded by fields and vineyards. In early March the clouds of dust rolled across the entire post and our cleanup efforts reminded me of King Canute trying to hold back the sea with his raised hand. I couldn’t have invented a better symbol for the frustration of US Army in Europe.
No training at West Point or anywhere else had prepared me for the futility and the frustration of USAREUR in 1970/71. I soon found out that the drug problem was severe and evening barracks checks frequently led to an entrance into a room illuminated by a black light and smoking pipes and other articles piled in the center so that nobody could be linked to them. I was thankful that I was low on the totem pole because I really felt for the poor Battalion Commanders whose careers depended on the efficiency and effectiveness of their units – they didn’t have a chance.
As time went on, staffing levels improved, the Vietnam drawdown meant that experienced officers and non-commissioned officers could stay in the unit for more than 12 months, and tough drug policies began to have a positive effect. I never ceased to get a special feeling when I led my company out the gate on an early morning alert and we would roar thru the local towns. The untiring efforts of officers, NCO’s and many ordinary soldiers turned the 12th Engineers into a very good unit fully capable of carrying out all of our combat engineer missions including bridging the Rhein in conjunction with other engineer battalions. Nevertheless, I will not forget my introduction into the “hollow army” and it is a warning about what can happen when the hierarchy refuses to recognize the reality of budgetary and personnel limitations on real life units.
Germany in the early 70s was a realty check for us young bucks in terms of expectations. I experienced the same thing in Mech Infantry thankful for an “old” E-6 Platoon Sergeant who taught me the ropes.
Gerry,
It was certainly an experience. I recall our first trip to Graf! The colonel wanted to set an example so when he saw a divisional vehicle checkpoint he ignored his driver and told him to go straight to it. The CO was an unhappy camper when they deadlined his jeep on the spot!
Another time we went on a battalion FTX. The big thing was that supposedly a local German had allowed us to actually use demo to take down trees and to build obstacles on his land. Unfortunately something had gotten lost on the tranlation brcause the forestmeister came along and told us he expe ted everything to be cut into 1 meter lengths and stacked by the roads.
Thanks for the article, Pete. I was very blessed to have served in the Berlin Brigade after school, which was a lot better in many ways than being in the Zone. I don’t envy any of you who had to slog through those times. Good to see that you were able to finish out your service in the Reserves. Like you I too retired as a COL after 17 years in the Maine Army National Guard. West Point and service to our country has been very good to both of us.
God bless, Ray Dupere
Quite a bit has transpired Pete, since we shared that space blanket during the Mountain Phase of Ranger School, so many years ago
Rackin in the ORP!
Your article evoked memories of my service at Fort Lewis during the VOLAR experiment and impending transition. There was actually a post-wide officers call by the Post (and I believe Corps) Commander in those days (some time around 1971). This GO will go unnamed but I clearly recall his standing up and telling us this whole volunteer Army business was never going to work and would go away. Don’t think he got a 4th star.
Thanks, Pete
Reminds me of a meeting of officers in our battalion in Goeppingen in 1973. The battalion CO was reaming out company commanders for poor maintenance of their vehicles. He particularly called out the Combat Support Company CO, because, at the latest alert, half of his tracked vehicles stayed in the motor pool. After several minutes of beratement, the Company CO raised his hand to speak. The Bn CO, still huffing and puffing, allowed the CPT to speak. He, very calmly, told the Bn CO that, in fact, all of his tracked vehicles were ready to go, but he didn’t have enough people in his outfit who were even allowed to have a driver’s license, their mental scores being so low. The Bn CO, after a good dose of crow, apologized to the CSC CO, shrugged, and the meeting proceeded.