 This is the Autobahn in Germany, an express highway between Helmsted and the Federal Republic of Germany and Berlin, 110 miles eastward behind the Iron Curtain. It is the only authorized motor route to Berlin through the Soviet occupied zone. The major portion of travel to and from Berlin by individuals is by way of the duty train. Operated by the U.S. Army Transportation Corps, the train runs between Helmsted and the isolated city. Official contact with border personnel in the Soviet zone is made by the train commander. To the American soldier, the trip through the Soviet occupied zone is routine. If anything in this region of potential crisis could be called routine. For it despite tension and conflict elsewhere in the world, Germany remains a critical area and a constant challenge to our soldiers stationed here. In this issue of the big picture, you'll see why it is necessary for the United States to maintain troops in Western Germany and some of the ways in which the men of the U.S. Army Europe perform their NATO mission as a deterrent force against aggression. June 1948, the pattern of post-war crises that are to plague Germany takes shape. It begins with blockade, isolation threatens starvation for the people of free West Berlin, a city brought to a standstill. In an attempt to force the United States, Britain and France out of Berlin, the Soviets have cut off all ground routes to the allied sector. The attempt fails. Around the clock, airlift is put into operation by the allied powers. Food, fuel and medical supplies are loaded at locations in West Germany for flights to the beleaguered city. In the eleven months of the blockade, United States Army and Air Force teams working with other allied units bring in over two million tons of vitally needed supplies to keep the city alive. June 1953, another summer crisis. This time it is East Berlin as the people riot against the communist regime. Disatisfaction with political pressures and a low standard of living in East Berlin trigger a flow of refugees to the western sector of the city. In July 1961, 30,000 refugees cross into West Berlin. In August, 22,000 more join them. To stop the exodus which threatens the communist labor force and the economy in East Berlin, the East Germans build a wall between the communist and western sectors. Now the shape of the Soviet pattern for Germany is clear. Devisiveness, in violation of World War II agreements, recurrent attempts to probe the extent of the commitment of the United States and allied troops in Germany. It is equally clear that the role of the United States as a deterrent force in Western Europe must be firmly established. Powerful and highly mobile communist forces in Eastern Europe number over half a million men. Well-trained and well-equipped, they pose a continuing security threat to all of Europe. But despite threats, harassment and the presence of a large hostile force on or near its doorstep, free West Berlin has flourished. Other areas in the Federal Republic of Western Germany have prospered. Under the protection of the North Atlantic Treaty powers and West Germany's own security forces, great new urban centers have risen as thriving agricultural development and a vast industrial complex which spurs the West German economy among the highest in Europe. A free people going about their daily lives under a free government of their own choosing. Partner to West Germany's economic and political well-being and one of the major NATO powers is the United States, whose army in Europe contributes substantially to the security of the region. The United States Army Europe, known as USERER, with headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany, controls the activities of over a quarter of a million soldiers who make up one of the most powerful and sophisticated military forces in history. The elements of the United States Army Europe are deployed in central and South Germany, along 300 miles of the Iron Curtain and in depth westward. USERER vigilance begins at border areas near some of West Germany's most ancient and colorful towns. At Fulda on the edge of the Iron Curtain, USERER elements have the responsibility for securing the border area against unlawful penetration. Armored cavalry regiments on border duty are carefully briefed before setting out on their patrols. Armed with latest information regarding any incidents in the area that may affect their mission, they take off on their assignment. Stops are made en route to the border for a close look around. Mission posts based periodically in border areas provide a vantage point for surveillance of the communist zone. These are the outposts, the distant warning stations that keep a sharp eye out for border violations which may mean the beginning of another crisis. Constant alert is a way of life for USERER border patrol teams. Building the highly specialized forces needed for critical assignments in Europe requires continuous training and education. At Bodd-Tolz, the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy offers instruction in leadership and other combat-oriented courses. Since its establishment in 1949, more than 62,000 military students have taken the instruction. The academy develops the soldier's confidence to apply his technical knowledge and leadership in the practical situations of combat. Because a non-commissioned officer must be a teacher as well as a leader, courses in instructor training give the student experience in the fundamentals of military instruction. Often a lecture will be combined with a classroom demonstration and the student instructor must be able to make his presentation clearly and concisely. To carry out his assignment successfully, the non-commissioned officer must be able to locate himself and his squad or platoon on the map and then use map and compass to reach his objective. Every non-commissioned officer is a potential combat leader. Training in tactics stresses the ability of the student to make and execute a plan in response to a given problem. All courses at the NCO Academy are aimed at increasing self-reliance and the capability of guiding other soldiers in combat. User-Root Training programs are extensive and varied. Instruction and aviation is carried on at Mannheim using modern tactical aircraft employed by Army units. Army helicopter pilots master the intricacies of rotary flight. So important to today's combat operation, communications is high at least a soldier's training schedule. With modern combat weaponry achieving unprecedented sophistication, electronic communication support requires skilled personnel to operate and maintain the equipment. At the Combined Arms School in Bilsack, about 30 miles from the check border, personnel of other NATO armies join U.S. troops in training for key assignments involving tracked vehicles. With the fixed-fire extinguisher system of the M-681 tank, there are three 10-pound cylinders filled with CO2. If for some reason a fire breaks out in the engine compartment, then you will pull this handle all the way out real hard and one of these extinguishers will at this time discharge. Then when you release the handle, it will go back in. An important activity of the school is operation of a tank gunnery range for U.S. armor units and allied tank crews. In this range conference room, unit representatives meet in advance of their company's arrival to plan maneuver sites and programs. Use of range facilities is coordinated to ensure all units' maximum opportunity to demonstrate their firing skill. The Grafenwehr-Bilsack training area provides ample space for testing armor knowledge in practical field problems. This area is the largest training ground available to U.S. forces in Europe and can accommodate a wide variety of military activities. The range control desk serves as the communication center and the control point for all firing ranges within the Grafenwehr-Bilsack complex. Among the exercises scheduled in the area is the assembly and firing of Army tactical missiles. A strong deterrent in the balance of communist and Western power in Europe. The proximity of these military ranges to the iron curtain border gives training activities here a special urgency. Our soldiers abroad learn not only the tactical specialties of combat, but systems and methods for military management and office procedures. Administrative personnel receive instruction in automatic data processing, needed for control of the large numbers of men and vast amounts of equipment in United States Army Europe. In all, the Usurer Educational Development Program employs more than 150 Army centers, mostly in Germany, which offer soldiers an opportunity to sharpen their Army skills in occupational specialty training, as well as in academic subjects. Usurer responsibilities include air as well as land defenses. An air defense battalion at a hawk missile site in southern Germany stages periodic alerts to keep the men in readiness condition. The hawk missile is designed for use primarily against low-flying enemy aircraft. Other elements of the US Army Europe Air Defense Command are equipped with Nike Hercules long-range missile systems, similar to the ones guarding some American cities. Readiness evaluations on all air defense systems are often held without notice to test the capabilities of both men and equipment in simulating missile firing. For practical firing experience, Usurer air defense soldiers are tested annually in missile marksmanship. Training continues, too, for the airborne soldier, important to modern swift-striking combat forces. Airborne brigades hold regularly scheduled jump exercises over West Germany. Preparation for every type of combat response is a major concern of the US Army. All Usurer divisions are flexibly structured with forces trained and ready to meet any military threat. The payoff of training programs is the maneuver. The full field exercise in which men and equipment are fused into strong, hard-hitting battle units. On the vast, flat maneuver lands of Graffenwehr, units up to divisional strength simulate the complex problems of modern land warfare. Germany's many rivers and waterways impede movement of ground forces, but US Army engineers provide bridging support for combat units. Everywhere, the accent is on quickness of deployment, as well as firepower. A combination proved in the swiftly moving conflict on the flat lands of Central Europe in World War II. Regardless of weather or season, battalion-sized units take to the field for exercises at least six weeks each year. Usurer elements receive support from US Navy and Air Force units in exercises implementing responsibilities of the joint United States military command in Europe. As a member of the NATO Defense Pact, US Army troops participate in maneuvers with our allies. Operation Absalom deployed US units to Denmark for realistic war games. Important exercise, Operation Black Lion. West German, Frank, and American combat units fit modern military techniques and weapons against a simulated enemy invasion. At pre-designated assembly areas, each force employs its mobility and firepower in a test of Allied cooperation. Quick counter-attack and neutralization of any aggressor thrust into Allied territory. Independently or in joint practice with our allies, training in United States Army Europe is a full-time business which pays dividends in keeping usurer forces combat-ready at all times. Along with his training as a fighting man, the US soldier in Europe is provided with a pleasant and constructive environment for his off-duty hours. Army rest and recreation centers, such as the one at Garmish, are important morale builders. Key and shooting meat combines both sport and an important military skill. For less active leisure, there are dozens of spare-time activities, including a bookmobile, which brings latest books, magazines, and recordings to widespread units. Part of an extensive US Army library system in Europe. To promote good relationships between the American soldier in Europe and his West German counterpart in the Bundeswehr is a continuing goal of usurer. Project Partnership, begun in 1967, brings enlisted personnel of both nations together in a variety of activities. German military police brief American MPs on local traffic regulations as part of a command information program. Project Partnership includes recreational programs and sports competitions, which serve the double purpose of promoting friendship and contributing to physical fitness. To know relationships between German and American soldiers and their dependents are encouraged. Relaxed environment, friendships are strengthened. Visitors and hosts become familiar with each other's customs and backgrounds. Jointly sponsored fellowship activities stimulate increased contacts between German and American soldiers and serve the mutual interests of the two armies. The essential to our Army's mission in Europe is adequate logistical support. The United States Army Communication Zone, located to the rear of our troop deployments in Western Germany, is a complex of supply depots and service facilities backing up the fighting man. Stores of vehicles and military equipment are maintained at strategic locations throughout the area. Army transportation personnel man every type of materials handling equipment to load and unload freight and cargo. From preparing parachutes for the airborne soldier to the repair of heavy armored equipment, logistical facilities for U.S. Army Europe provide continuous support in every combat specialty. Verhaven, a main port of entry for U.S. Army material earmarked for our troops in West Germany, supplies are unloaded and moved without delay to their destination. The Army's far-flung transportation system in Western Germany makes certain that vital military supplies, weapons, fuel and ammunition reach the soldier in sufficient quantity to keep him ready for combat at all times. Providing the use of elements with signal support is a network of up-to-date communications facilities. On a remote outpost atop a mountain in Germany's Black Forest is a tropospheric scatter site. At the peak of the mountain, a miniature Eiffel Tower is equipped with parabolic antennas in addition to complex control facilities. Elaborate electronic equipment inside the station connects with Army radio systems around the world. Despite obstruction of the signals by the barrier of the Swiss Alps and extreme weather variations, the tropospheric scatter facility provides a 60 voice channel for vital communications. Assigned personnel keep the channels open and the message is moving. An essential activity in the preparedness of the United States Army in Europe. In today's world of swiftly developing crises, the capability for a quick response to military emergency is indispensable for the fulfillment of United States commitments abroad. Periodic rotation of American troops to Western Europe ensures the continuing presence of fresh and alert forces. In the city of Berlin, United States Army Europe has several important missions arising out of the division of the city into Allied and Soviet zones. Completely isolated behind the iron curtain, Berlin has been called the island city or the island of freedom. While American soldiers stationed here are part of usurer, they are not committed to the NATO alliance. Their unique position inside the communist-surrounded city gives them a strong psychological role in preserving our rights in West Berlin. The tactical fighting force of the US Army in Berlin is the Berlin Brigade which conducts special training for its mission of protection. Because any hostile military action within 340 square miles of Berlin would have to involve conflict in the streets, first training priority goes to this type of operation. Using actual structures and street areas developed for combat in cities' exercises, brigade soldiers move quickly to demonstrate tactics in house-to-house fighting. The US military force in the city is the Berlin Garrison which consists of various strategic units designed for specific missions. Members of a military police company patrol the streets on the lookout for any signs of disturbance or disorder. Our MPs cooperate with West Berlin police in maintaining a close watch over the city. Situation reports are made regularly so that the US Army Berlin command can keep alert to tensions which may threaten the city's security. Air patrols make regular observation flights over the western sector, ready to spot conditions of potential trouble. Security is maintained too by water patrol. At Berlin command headquarters, around the clogged vigil, ensures quick response to trouble anywhere in the city. We have a traffic accident involving a German national and American vehicle. In this critical border region, incidents can mushroom quickly into international crises. Our soldiers in Berlin must be ready to cope with emergencies. To both vehicles, minor. With the German police at the scene of the accident. Right away. Good. There are many people who understand or say they don't. What is the great issue between the free world and the communist world? Let them talk. The continuing United States commitment to Berlin emphasized dramatically by President John F. Kennedy represents as well a commitment to the entire Federal Republic of West Germany. Communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. Is enslaved? Citizens of Berlin. I take pride in the words. Threat to a free Berlin and a free western Germany is the 12-mile wall that divides the city. American soldier in Europe does his job with courage and determination, whether on guard at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin or in division strength on training maneuvers over the Great Plains and valleys to the west. This is the United States Army Europe, ready to do its security job as a partner in the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance.