United States Army Berlin
Encyclopedia
U.S. Army Berlin was a command of the United States Army
created in December 1961 at the height of the Berlin Wall
crisis. USAB was a combined command with the Headquarters, U.S. Command Berlin (USCOB). This combined organization was sometimes called the "Berlin Command". USCOB/USAB was a separate command from the U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) which had previously been in command of American troops in West Berlin
.
The major general who commanded this organization held the title of "Commandant; U.S. Commander Berlin; Commander, U.S. Army Berlin". A brigadier general served as the "Commander, Berlin Brigade (Infantry); Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Berlin and Community Commander".
The shoulder sleeve insignia adopted by USAB was the same as the patch used by the Berlin Brigade
– the USAREUR patch with a Berlin tab.
Its headquarters were located at the Clay Headquarters Compound on Clayallee in Berlin's Zehlendorf district.
(United States Air Force
base), Armed Forces Network
(radio and television affiliate AFN Berlin
), the U.S. Military Liaison Mission
and the United States Army Field Station Berlin
.
Troops assigned to USAB were housed at several kaserne
s in Zehlendorf and Steglitz
, including Andrews Barracks, McNair Barracks
, and Turner Barracks. Families lived in the housing areas near the Clay Compound, and in the Düppel, Dahlem, and Lichterfelde neighborhoods. Truman Plaza, located across Clayallee from the Clay Headquarters Compound, held the post exchange
, commissary
, Army post office (APO), American Express
bank, Stars & Stripes
book store, barber, florist, Deutsche Bundespost
, and the Major Arthur D. Nicholson Memorial Library. Schools for the children of service members, Thomas A. Roberts Berlin American Elementary School (TAR) and Berlin-American High School http://www.berlinbrats.org/main.htm (BAHS), were located close to Truman Plaza.
participating in the casing of the colors ceremony. Since then, USAB housing areas, schools, and the Army Hospital have reverted to civilian use, some for German citizens, and others being taken over by the U.S. Embassy. Truman Plaza was completely razed in anticipation of new housing for employees of the German federal government relocating from the former capital Bonn
, as yet unbuilt. Across the street from Truman Plaza was the Berlin Brigade headquarters, part of which serves as an annex of the Embassy of the United States in Berlin
. The nearby library and adjoining Outpost Theater have been converted into the Allied Museum
, which documents the American, British and French presence in Berlin during the Cold War
.
Footnote:
(1) Have distinction of being the longest continuously assigned units in Berlin. Both units arrived to Berlin in a 37 vehicle convoy on 2 JUL 1945. The commanders of both units were high school buddies. Dr Merle Farris, first Commander of the 168th MED DET (VS), and his wife (Myrna, attended the joint MEDDAC, DENTAC, 168th MED DET(VS) deactivation ceremony on 10 MAY 1994.
(2) The 287th MP Company was reactivated on 17 February 2008 at Fort Riley, Kansas under the 1st Infantry Division.
(3) The 42nd Engineer Company (now known as 42nd Clearance Company) was reactivated on 12 May 2010 at Warner Barracks, Bamberg, Germany under the 18th Engineer Brigade.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
created in December 1961 at the height of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
crisis. USAB was a combined command with the Headquarters, U.S. Command Berlin (USCOB). This combined organization was sometimes called the "Berlin Command". USCOB/USAB was a separate command from the U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) which had previously been in command of American troops in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
.
The major general who commanded this organization held the title of "Commandant; U.S. Commander Berlin; Commander, U.S. Army Berlin". A brigadier general served as the "Commander, Berlin Brigade (Infantry); Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Berlin and Community Commander".
The shoulder sleeve insignia adopted by USAB was the same as the patch used by the Berlin Brigade
Berlin Brigade
After the end of World War II, under the conditions of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements, Allied forces occupied West Berlin. This occupation lasted throughout the Cold War...
– the USAREUR patch with a Berlin tab.
Its headquarters were located at the Clay Headquarters Compound on Clayallee in Berlin's Zehlendorf district.
Units locations
Units under the command of USAB included the Berlin Brigade, the Medical and Dental Activities, Tempelhof Central AirportTempelhof Central Airport
Tempelhof Central Airport was a United States Military airfield in West Berlin, Germany between 1945 and 1994.During its operational life, it was garrisoned by the United States Air Force, with units of the United States Army Berlin Brigade located within the facility...
(United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
base), Armed Forces Network
American Forces Network
The American Forces Network is the brand name used by the United States Armed Forces American Forces Radio and Television Service for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide...
(radio and television affiliate AFN Berlin
AFN Berlin
AFN Berlin was a US-American military broadcast station located at Saargemünder Str 28 in Berlin-Dahlem. It started broadcasting at noon on August 4, 1945, with the Rhapsody in Blue from George Gershwin....
), the U.S. Military Liaison Mission
Military Liaison Missions
The Military Liaison Missions arose from reciprocal agreements formed immediately after the Second World War between the Western allied nations and the USSR...
and the United States Army Field Station Berlin
Teufelsberg
The Teufelsberg is a hill in Berlin, Germany, in former West Berlin. It rises about 80 meters above the surrounding Brandenburg plain, more precisely the north of Berlin's Grunewald forest....
.
Troops assigned to USAB were housed at several kaserne
Kaserne
Kaserne is a loanword taken from the German word Kaserne , which translates as "barracks". It is the typical term used when naming the garrison location for NATO forces stationed in Germany...
s in Zehlendorf and Steglitz
Steglitz
Steglitz is a locality of the Steglitz-Zehlendorf borough in the south-west of Berlin, the capital of Germany. The locality also includes the neighbourhood of Südende.-History:...
, including Andrews Barracks, McNair Barracks
Mcnair Barracks
The McNair Barracks was a US Army installation in Lichterfelde, a locality in southwest Berlin, Germany. The barracks were named after Lieutenant General Lesley J. McNair, an American Army officer who served in World War I and World War II and was killed in an infamous friendly fire incident on...
, and Turner Barracks. Families lived in the housing areas near the Clay Compound, and in the Düppel, Dahlem, and Lichterfelde neighborhoods. Truman Plaza, located across Clayallee from the Clay Headquarters Compound, held the post exchange
Base exchange
A Base Exchange is a type of retail store operating on United States military installations worldwide...
, commissary
Commissary
A commissary is someone delegated by a superior to execute a duty or an office; in a formal, legal context, one who has received power from a legitimate superior authority to pass judgment in a certain cause or to take information concerning it.-Word history:...
, Army post office (APO), American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
bank, Stars & Stripes
Stars and Stripes (newspaper)
Stars and Stripes is a news source that operates from inside the United States Department of Defense but is editorially separate from it. The First Amendment protection which Stars and Stripes enjoys is safeguarded by Congress to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests,...
book store, barber, florist, Deutsche Bundespost
Deutsche Bundespost
The Deutsche Bundespost was created in 1947 as a successor to the Reichspost . Between 1947 and 1950 the enterprise was called Deutsche Post...
, and the Major Arthur D. Nicholson Memorial Library. Schools for the children of service members, Thomas A. Roberts Berlin American Elementary School (TAR) and Berlin-American High School http://www.berlinbrats.org/main.htm (BAHS), were located close to Truman Plaza.
History
After the reunification of Germany on 3 October 1990, the presence of U.S. military forces in Berlin was no longer necessary, but was retained (along with the British and French forces) until the Russian military withdrew from eastern Germany. USAB was inactivated in July 1994 with President Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
participating in the casing of the colors ceremony. Since then, USAB housing areas, schools, and the Army Hospital have reverted to civilian use, some for German citizens, and others being taken over by the U.S. Embassy. Truman Plaza was completely razed in anticipation of new housing for employees of the German federal government relocating from the former capital Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, as yet unbuilt. Across the street from Truman Plaza was the Berlin Brigade headquarters, part of which serves as an annex of the Embassy of the United States in Berlin
Embassy of the United States in Berlin
The Embassy of the United States in Berlin maintains diplomatic relations and represents United States interests in dealing with the German government. The U.S. Embassy in Germany has not always been in Berlin.-1797–1930:...
. The nearby library and adjoining Outpost Theater have been converted into the Allied Museum
Allied Museum
The Allied Museum is a museum in Berlin. It documents the political history and the military commitments and roles of the Western Allies in Germany – particularly Berlin – between 1945 and 1994 and their contribution to liberty in Berlin.-Location: American Sector:The museum is located on the...
, which documents the American, British and French presence in Berlin during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
Troop units assigned to USCOB/USAB
Command organization in the late 1980s –- Headquarters, Berlin BrigadeBerlin BrigadeAfter the end of World War II, under the conditions of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements, Allied forces occupied West Berlin. This occupation lasted throughout the Cold War...
- 4th Battalion, 502nd Infantry
- 5th Battalion, 502nd Infantry
- 6th Battalion, 502nd Infantry
- Combat Support Battalion
- C Battery 94th Artillery (redesignated E Bty, 320th FAR in 1986)
- 43rd Chemical Detachment
- 42nd Engineer Company (3)
- E-320th Field Artillery Battery
- Company "F", 40th Armor
- Helmstedt Support Detachment
- 298th Army Band (1)
- Signal Support Company
- 287th Military Police Company(2)
- Aviation Detachment
- 6941st Guard Battalion
- U.S. Army Field Station Berlin
- U.S. Military Liaison Mission to the Commander-in-Chief, Group of Soviet Forces in GermanyMilitary Liaison MissionsThe Military Liaison Missions arose from reciprocal agreements formed immediately after the Second World War between the Western allied nations and the USSR...
- United States Army Europe Technical Intelligence Center, Field Team #3 w/duty station Berlin (UTIC Fld TM #3)
- Joint Allied Refugee Operations Center (J-ROC)
- Allied Control Authority
- Allied Kommandatura
- Berlin MEDDAC
- Berlin DENTAC
- 168th Medical Detachment (Veterinary Services) (1)
- Tempelhof Central AirportTempelhof International AirportBerlin Tempelhof Airport was an airport in Berlin, Germany, situated in the south-central borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg. The airport ceased operating in 2008 in the process of establishing Schönefeld as the sole commercial airport for Berlin....
- 766th MI Det, 66th MI Grp, Intel & Scrty
- Naval Advisor
- U.S. Army Special Security Det (Berlin)
Footnote:
(1) Have distinction of being the longest continuously assigned units in Berlin. Both units arrived to Berlin in a 37 vehicle convoy on 2 JUL 1945. The commanders of both units were high school buddies. Dr Merle Farris, first Commander of the 168th MED DET (VS), and his wife (Myrna, attended the joint MEDDAC, DENTAC, 168th MED DET(VS) deactivation ceremony on 10 MAY 1994.
(2) The 287th MP Company was reactivated on 17 February 2008 at Fort Riley, Kansas under the 1st Infantry Division.
(3) The 42nd Engineer Company (now known as 42nd Clearance Company) was reactivated on 12 May 2010 at Warner Barracks, Bamberg, Germany under the 18th Engineer Brigade.
External links
- Kameradschaftsseite des USA 6941st Guard Battalion Berlin
- Ein kleiner Verein der sich mit den Fahrzeugen der Alliierten beschaftigt
- West Alliierte in Berlin
- History of the French, American and British Berlin Brigades
- Allied Museum Berlin
- 6941st Guard Battalion – US Army Berlin Brigade
- Berlin Brigade Memories
- BerlinBrigade.com dedicated to all that served in West Berlin from 1945 to 1994
- Berlin 1969 life of the Western Allies at the midpoint of the Cold War