Exercise / Operation REFORGER

[James G]

During the later years of the Cold War, the US Armed forces held an annual exercise where they moved forces to Western Europe. This was usually done in September. It was pre-planned and involved large numbers of forces with a significant logistics effort too.
US Air Force units would deploy across the European mainland. Then there was the US Army. At least one full division, most times much more, would make the deployment. Only the personnel themselves would go though. They would be flown to West Germany to link-up with full equipment stored through West Germany and the Low Countries. That gear was in POMCUS sites and once the men arrived, they'd deploy with it into field exercises.

The first Exercise REFORGER was conducted in 1969 and the last one in 1993. In 1989, the exercise was delayed until January 1990: that previous September had seen ongoing geo-political developments in Eastern Europe and, as far as I am aware, it was delayed because of that. The thinking was that it might inflame tensions unnecessarily. There was no REFORGER 90 later that year because of Desert Storm either though smaller exercises did occur before REFORGER returned annually for the next few years.
By 1993, the Cold War really was over: the Soviets were no more and their armies had gone home. That was the end of REFORGER.

Exercise REFORGER was meant to become Operation REFORGER should was become imminent or break out. The Americans would send a mass of aircraft and troops to Europe to fight. They practised this to do that, ironing out difficulties. The idea was to turn up and fight with as few delays as possible. For the US Air Force, they had everything but the people & aircraft at ready bases. With the US Army, what they had in those POMCUS sites would be what they would fight with. There was all their equipment & stores back home in the United States which would be shipped out afterwards too. This meant that much of their army had two sets of warfighting gear both sides of the ocean.


This is a rough sketch of the state of the REFORGER deployment plan and equipment locations in the late Cold War years: it would have bene different further back.

For operation in the northern part of West Germany, the US III Corps would deploy. A brigade of the 2nd Armored Division was forward deployed (the only unit in NATO's NORTHAG area) but everything else for a three-plus division corps was in the POMCUS sites.
1st Cavalry Division. A heavy division based in Texas. Peacetime strength of two combat brigades, a third to come from the National Guard. POMCUS sites spread through Belgium and the Netherlands.
2nd Armored Division, again a heavy division garrisoned in Texas. Two brigades with that third one forward deployed. POMCUS sites in West Germany on the western side of the Rhine.
5th Infantry Division. Heavy division based in Louisiana. Two brigades and a national guard one too. Its equipment and stored were located at sites in the Netherlands.
3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment: a brigade-sized unit from Texas. POMCUS sites near to the ones for the 2nd Armored Division in West Germany behind the Rhine.

The US Army's peacetime strength in Europe was in the main through central and southern parts of West Germany. Along with the West Germans and others, they formed that field army known as CENTAG. Both the V Corps and the VII Corps were already in West Germany with four full divisions, two cavalry regiments and a forward-deployed brigade from the 1st Infantry Division. There were REFORGER units assigned too for wartime.
1st Infantry Division from Kansas. Heavy division with two brigades to link up with that third one in-place. POMCUS sites in West Germany near Stuggart. Supposed to join the VII Corps.
4th Infantry Division, based in Colorado. Heavy division with three brigades. POMCUS sites in West Germany, in the Saar region next to France. Assigned to the V Corps in war.
194th Armored Brigade and the 197th Infantry Brigade. Both heavy units from Kentucy and Georgia respectively. POMCUS sites in the Saar and supposed to join the V Corps.

These were all of the combat units of brigade size and bigger that had certain wartime assignments set for them with everything ready. The men were supposed to get off the jets which flew them to Europe and link up straight away with gear to fight in West Germany. This left sixteen brigades worth of gear (I'm including the 3rd Cav') back home but all supposed to come over too. I'm assuming that was to be issued as replacements in an individual fashion. However, it is possible that other troops who are trained to operate the particular equipment could use it when it reached Europe by ship.
REFORGER is often called 'ten divisions to Europe in ten days'. That is five divisions above, maybe six if those two brigades in V Corps' area could form a small division with attachments made from elsewhere. That leaves four or five more to come over. It would be the men, equipment and stores that would have to get to Europe.
The 9th Infantry Division had a wartime mission late in the Cold War of going to the very northern reaches of West Germany: the Schleswig-Holstein area. It was a medium division. It would have to get there though, somewhere close to the Iron Curtain.
What else could go? The two airborne divisions - the 82nd & 101st? Light divisions like the 6th & 7th & 10th? Maybe the heavy division based in Georgia, the 24th, could be sent to Europe if needed. With some of these, that is ten divisions but it would be difficult to do it in ten days. Even the airborne and light units couldn't be flown to Europe with everything they needed to fight in an instant. There were no POMCUS sites for them. There was a big American warehouse site in NW England - Burtonwood - but as far as I am aware, it was ammo & stores, not equipment.

Anyway, the point of this thread?
Ideas and discussions with regard to REFORGER.

[lordroel]

Sept 5, 2019 18:51:44 GMT James G said:

During the later years of the Cold War, the US Armed forces held an annual exercise where they moved forces to Western Europe. This was usually done in September. It was pre-planned and involved large numbers of forces with a significant logistics effort too.
US Air Force units would deploy across the European mainland. Then there was the US Army. At least one full division, most times much more, would make the deployment. Only the personnel themselves would go though. They would be flown to West Germany to link-up with full equipment stored through West Germany and the Low Countries. That gear was in POMCUS sites and once the men arrived, they'd deploy with it into field exercises.

The first Exercise REFORGER was conducted in 1969 and the last one in 1993. In 1989, the exercise was delayed until January 1990: that previous September had seen ongoing geo-political developments in Eastern Europe and, as far as I am aware, it was delayed because of that. The thinking was that it might inflame tensions unnecessarily. There was no REFORGER 90 later that year because of Desert Storm either though smaller exercises did occur before REFORGER returned annually for the next few years.
By 1993, the Cold War really was over: the Soviets were no more and their armies had gone home. That was the end of REFORGER.

Exercise REFORGER was meant to become Operation REFORGER should was become imminent or break out. The Americans would send a mass of aircraft and troops to Europe to fight. They practised this to do that, ironing out difficulties. The idea was to turn up and fight with as few delays as possible. For the US Air Force, they had everything but the people & aircraft at ready bases. With the US Army, what they had in those POMCUS sites would be what they would fight with. There was all their equipment & stores back home in the United States which would be shipped out afterwards too. This meant that much of their army had two sets of warfighting gear both sides of the ocean.


This is a rough sketch of the state of the REFORGER deployment plan and equipment locations in the late Cold War years: it would have bene different further back.

For operation in the northern part of West Germany, the US III Corps would deploy. A brigade of the 2nd Armored Division was forward deployed (the only unit in NATO's NORTHAG area) but everything else for a three-plus division corps was in the POMCUS sites.
1st Cavalry Division. A heavy division based in Texas. Peacetime strength of two combat brigades, a third to come from the National Guard. POMCUS sites spread through Belgium and the Netherlands.
2nd Armored Division, again a heavy division garrisoned in Texas. Two brigades with that third one forward deployed. POMCUS sites in West Germany on the western side of the Rhine.
5th Infantry Division. Heavy division based in Louisiana. Two brigades and a national guard one too. Its equipment and stored were located at sites in the Netherlands.
3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment: a brigade-sized unit from Texas. POMCUS sites near to the ones for the 2nd Armored Division in West Germany behind the Rhine.

The US Army's peacetime strength in Europe was in the main through central and southern parts of West Germany. Along with the West Germans and others, they formed that field army known as CENTAG. Both the V Corps and the VII Corps were already in West Germany with four full divisions, two cavalry regiments and a forward-deployed brigade from the 1st Infantry Division. There were REFORGER units assigned too for wartime.
1st Infantry Division from Kansas. Heavy division with two brigades to link up with that third one in-place. POMCUS sites in West Germany near Stuggart. Supposed to join the VII Corps.
4th Infantry Division, based in Colorado. Heavy division with three brigades. POMCUS sites in West Germany, in the Saar region next to France. Assigned to the V Corps in war.
194th Armored Brigade and the 197th Infantry Brigade. Both heavy units from Kentucy and Georgia respectively. POMCUS sites in the Saar and supposed to join the V Corps.

These were all of the combat units of brigade size and bigger that had certain wartime assignments set for them with everything ready. The men were supposed to get off the jets which flew them to Europe and link up straight away with gear to fight in West Germany. This left sixteen brigades worth of gear (I'm including the 3rd Cav') back home but all supposed to come over too. I'm assuming that was to be issued as replacements in an individual fashion. However, it is possible that other troops who are trained to operate the particular equipment could use it when it reached Europe by ship.
REFORGER is often called 'ten divisions to Europe in ten days'. That is five divisions above, maybe six if those two brigades in V Corps' area could form a small division with attachments made from elsewhere. That leaves four or five more to come over. It would be the men, equipment and stores that would have to get to Europe.
The 9th Infantry Division had a wartime mission late in the Cold War of going to the very northern reaches of West Germany: the Schleswig-Holstein area. It was a medium division. It would have to get there though, somewhere close to the Iron Curtain.
What else could go? The two airborne divisions - the 82nd & 101st? Light divisions like the 6th & 7th & 10th? Maybe the heavy division based in Georgia, the 24th, could be sent to Europe if needed. With some of these, that is ten divisions but it would be difficult to do it in ten days. Even the airborne and light units couldn't be flown to Europe with everything they needed to fight in an instant. There were no POMCUS sites for them. There was a big American warehouse site in NW England - Burtonwood - but as far as I am aware, it was ammo & stores, not equipment.

Anyway, the point of this thread?
Ideas and discussions with regard to REFORGER.

First nice idea for a thread.

Second, I always have wonder how REFORGER would have looked like if the Cold War did not end.

[James G]

Sept 5, 2019 19:09:34 GMT lordroel said:

Sept 5, 2019 18:51:44 GMT James G said:

During the later years of the Cold War, the US Armed forces held an annual exercise where they moved forces to Western Europe. This was usually done in September. It was pre-planned and involved large numbers of forces with a significant logistics effort too.
US Air Force units would deploy across the European mainland. Then there was the US Army. At least one full division, most times much more, would make the deployment. Only the personnel themselves would go though. They would be flown to West Germany to link-up with full equipment stored through West Germany and the Low Countries. That gear was in POMCUS sites and once the men arrived, they'd deploy with it into field exercises.

The first Exercise REFORGER was conducted in 1969 and the last one in 1993. In 1989, the exercise was delayed until January 1990: that previous September had seen ongoing geo-political developments in Eastern Europe and, as far as I am aware, it was delayed because of that. The thinking was that it might inflame tensions unnecessarily. There was no REFORGER 90 later that year because of Desert Storm either though smaller exercises did occur before REFORGER returned annually for the next few years.
By 1993, the Cold War really was over: the Soviets were no more and their armies had gone home. That was the end of REFORGER.

Exercise REFORGER was meant to become Operation REFORGER should was become imminent or break out. The Americans would send a mass of aircraft and troops to Europe to fight. They practised this to do that, ironing out difficulties. The idea was to turn up and fight with as few delays as possible. For the US Air Force, they had everything but the people & aircraft at ready bases. With the US Army, what they had in those POMCUS sites would be what they would fight with. There was all their equipment & stores back home in the United States which would be shipped out afterwards too. This meant that much of their army had two sets of warfighting gear both sides of the ocean.


This is a rough sketch of the state of the REFORGER deployment plan and equipment locations in the late Cold War years: it would have bene different further back.

For operation in the northern part of West Germany, the US III Corps would deploy. A brigade of the 2nd Armored Division was forward deployed (the only unit in NATO's NORTHAG area) but everything else for a three-plus division corps was in the POMCUS sites.
1st Cavalry Division. A heavy division based in Texas. Peacetime strength of two combat brigades, a third to come from the National Guard. POMCUS sites spread through Belgium and the Netherlands.
2nd Armored Division, again a heavy division garrisoned in Texas. Two brigades with that third one forward deployed. POMCUS sites in West Germany on the western side of the Rhine.
5th Infantry Division. Heavy division based in Louisiana. Two brigades and a national guard one too. Its equipment and stored were located at sites in the Netherlands.
3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment: a brigade-sized unit from Texas. POMCUS sites near to the ones for the 2nd Armored Division in West Germany behind the Rhine.

The US Army's peacetime strength in Europe was in the main through central and southern parts of West Germany. Along with the West Germans and others, they formed that field army known as CENTAG. Both the V Corps and the VII Corps were already in West Germany with four full divisions, two cavalry regiments and a forward-deployed brigade from the 1st Infantry Division. There were REFORGER units assigned too for wartime.
1st Infantry Division from Kansas. Heavy division with two brigades to link up with that third one in-place. POMCUS sites in West Germany near Stuggart. Supposed to join the VII Corps.
4th Infantry Division, based in Colorado. Heavy division with three brigades. POMCUS sites in West Germany, in the Saar region next to France. Assigned to the V Corps in war.
194th Armored Brigade and the 197th Infantry Brigade. Both heavy units from Kentucy and Georgia respectively. POMCUS sites in the Saar and supposed to join the V Corps.

These were all of the combat units of brigade size and bigger that had certain wartime assignments set for them with everything ready. The men were supposed to get off the jets which flew them to Europe and link up straight away with gear to fight in West Germany. This left sixteen brigades worth of gear (I'm including the 3rd Cav') back home but all supposed to come over too. I'm assuming that was to be issued as replacements in an individual fashion. However, it is possible that other troops who are trained to operate the particular equipment could use it when it reached Europe by ship.
REFORGER is often called 'ten divisions to Europe in ten days'. That is five divisions above, maybe six if those two brigades in V Corps' area could form a small division with attachments made from elsewhere. That leaves four or five more to come over. It would be the men, equipment and stores that would have to get to Europe.
The 9th Infantry Division had a wartime mission late in the Cold War of going to the very northern reaches of West Germany: the Schleswig-Holstein area. It was a medium division. It would have to get there though, somewhere close to the Iron Curtain.
What else could go? The two airborne divisions - the 82nd & 101st? Light divisions like the 6th & 7th & 10th? Maybe the heavy division based in Georgia, the 24th, could be sent to Europe if needed. With some of these, that is ten divisions but it would be difficult to do it in ten days. Even the airborne and light units couldn't be flown to Europe with everything they needed to fight in an instant. There were no POMCUS sites for them. There was a big American warehouse site in NW England - Burtonwood - but as far as I am aware, it was ammo & stores, not equipment.

Anyway, the point of this thread?
Ideas and discussions with regard to REFORGER.

First nice idea for a thread.

Second, I always have wonder how REFORGER would have looked like if the Cold War did not end.

The US does BRIGHT STAR when they send forces to Egypt. It started in 1980 and is done every other year. I don't think they have POMCUS sites there though.
A surviving USSR would still be a military threat but I'm not sure on a force structure for them in Eastern Europe: that would depend on how it played out. I guess we would see a smaller REFORGER take place but, again, it would all be on the circumstances of how a surviving USSR existed.

[lordroel]

Sept 5, 2019 19:15:08 GMT James G said:

Sept 5, 2019 19:09:34 GMT lordroel said:

First nice idea for a thread.

Second, I always have wonder how REFORGER would have looked like if the Cold War did not end.

The US does BRIGHT STAR when they send forces to Egypt. It started in 1980 and is done every other year. I don't think they have POMCUS sites there though.
A surviving USSR would still be a military threat but I'm not sure on a force structure for them in Eastern Europe: that would depend on how it played out. I guess we would see a smaller REFORGER take place but, again, it would all be on the circumstances of how a surviving USSR existed.

Seems that Reforger 93 in 1993 was the last one and only had the Germany based units) U.S. Army Europe: 1st Armored Division, Ansbach; 3rd Infantry Division (Mech) Würzburg involved, a surviving USSR would see Reforger 93 a lot bigger I guess.

[James G]

As part of the bigger REFORGER, there were smaller ones which often incurred with the US sending forces to Europe in peacetime exercises but exercises for war.
A couple I can think of:
In early 1991, while Desert Storm was on, US Marines were sent in number to Norway. This was often done but on this occasion it happened just as the US was fighting on the other side of the world and included a larger than usual total of men who met gear stored in Norway.
There was Exercise Display Determination 83 as well. Right in the middle of the bigger Able Archer, transport jets flew 19'000 personnel - the men of the 1st Cav Division and 3 ACR - to Europe under radio silence to link up with their POMCUS sites. All in one wave and in an exercise which was unannounced. In a couple of hours, they went from Texas to the Netherlands and West Germany, got off the planes, and linked up with their gear.

[James G]

US Army National Guard units were part of the REFORGER process.
In peacetime exercises, they went to West Germany too. As was the case with the regular units, they had plenty of notice beforehand of the deployment.
In wartime, they were supposed to get on the planes and fly. How long this would take was something else though. It doesn't seem possible that they could be ready: a good example would be the situation with the 48th Brigade, Georgia ARNG, which was part of the regular 24th Infantry Division. It didn't go to the Gulf in Desert Storm despite being supposed to because, even after extended training, it was deemed not ready.
I've read remarks that no matter what the situation units were in, National Guard units would go with haste to Europe in a real REFORGER, readiness & training standards be dammed.

The major ARNG units for REFORGER were:
155th Armored Brigade, from Mississippi, part of the 1st Cavalry Division.
256th Infantry Brigade, from Louisiana, part of the 5th Infantry Division.
There were complete equipment sets for them at POMCUS sites in Europe.

Elsewhere, other ARNG units of brigade-size could possibly go to Europe too though there were no POMCUS sites for them.
27th Infantry Brigade, New York, with the 10th Infantry Division should it go.
30th Infantry Brigade, North Carolina, separate unit.
48th Infantry Brigade, Georgia, with the 24th Infantry Division.
81st Infantry Brigade, Washington (state), with the 9th Infantry Division.
218th Infantry Brigade, South Carolina, separate unit.

Then there were the NATO-assigned National Guard divisions, again without POMCUS sets in Europe, but meant to be available for wartime deployment.
29th Infantry Division, Maryland & Virginia.
35th Infantry Division, Kansas & Kentucky & Nebraska.
40th Infantry Division, mostly California.
49th Armored Division, Texas.
50th Armored Division, mostly New Jersey national guardsmen.

[amir]

James-

Great read as always.

A couple points on Reforger and POMCUS.
1. Part of the “Ten Divisions” was associated Corps Artillery and other support units; part of “division equivalent” manpower. Some of this equipment was maintained at the Germersheim POMCUS site. Propositioned material included complete evac hospitals and stockage of high demand items (bridging sections, select electronics,etc) as theatre spares in EMP hardened climate controlled storage (indoor climate control also helped limit vulnerability to persistent chem attack)
2. First Canadian Division was not part of Reforger exercises, but they would have deployed by air using some US CRAF aircraft drawing propositioned warstocks at CFB Lahr and Baden Solingen.
3. It was rumored that 24th Mech would deploy by sea during the Reforger period using Fast Sealift (Algol Class) ships, instead of POMCUS. They could cross in six days from Savannah to Bremerhaven. This presumes they aren’t committed to CENTCOM.
4. As important as the equipment was the 30 day basic load of conventional ammunition and stores maintained in each sites associated ammunition point. This included mundane items like batteries and prepackaged lubricants. Stocks were rotated regularly by maintenance personnel.
5. Every CRAF bird bringing Reforger troops in carried dependents and non-combatants out. They would backhaul from assembly points on the same buses and tactical airlifters the Reforger troops were carried on.
6. Most USAF strategic airlift (c-5, c-141, kc-135, kc-10) was expected to be occupied in deploying non-POMCUS material or units (helicopters and units like 101st AAD or 9th ID), or in supporting USAF crested cap deployments.
7. Each POMCUS area (NL, BE, North Germany, Palatinate) fell under its own US Battalion HQs. The bulk of POMCUS manpower was host nation, to include very small guard forces. These guard forces were augmented during exercise and presumably during actual heightened tension by territorial or reserve forces.

USAF also had a reforger equivalent- Crested Cap. You’ve written quite a bit on this operation and it’s great stuff. All I’ll add is the deployment plan included a surprising portion of the USAF tactical airlift fleet early on. These C-130s were critical to USAFE and USAEURs plans to integrate and deploy both in theatre and arriving forces. The two in theatre wings would have been joined by an additional 2-3 CONUS based wings in short order. Part of their brief was to haul all the equipment and munitions required to bed down the arriving fighters and attack aircraft at their collocated operating bases or forward operating locations and marry up with prepositioned stores and the support personnel and equipment brought over on the supporting kc-10 and kc-135 tankers.

[James G]

Sept 8, 2019 4:24:01 GMT amir said:

James-

Great read as always.

A couple points on Reforger and POMCUS.
1. Part of the “Ten Divisions” was associated Corps Artillery and other support units; part of “division equivalent” manpower. Some of this equipment was maintained at the Germersheim POMCUS site. Propositioned material included complete evac hospitals and stockage of high demand items (bridging sections, select electronics,etc) as theatre spares in EMP hardened climate controlled storage (indoor climate control also helped limit vulnerability to persistent chem attack)
2. First Canadian Division was not part of Reforger exercises, but they would have deployed by air using some US CRAF aircraft drawing propositioned warstocks at CFB Lahr and Baden Solingen.
3. It was rumored that 24th Mech would deploy by sea during the Reforger period using Fast Sealift (Algol Class) ships, instead of POMCUS. They could cross in six days from Savannah to Bremerhaven. This presumes they aren’t committed to CENTCOM.
4. As important as the equipment was the 30 day basic load of conventional ammunition and stores maintained in each sites associated ammunition point. This included mundane items like batteries and prepackaged lubricants. Stocks were rotated regularly by maintenance personnel.
5. Every CRAF bird bringing Reforger troops in carried dependents and non-combatants out. They would backhaul from assembly points on the same buses bd tactical airlifters the Reforger troops flew in on.
6. Most USAF strategic airlift (c-5, c-141, kc-135, kc-10) was expected to be occupied in deploying non-POMCUS material or units (helicopters and units like 101st AAD or 9th ID), or in supporting USAF crested cap deployments.
7. Each POMCUS area (NL, BE, North Germany, Palatinate) fell under its own US Battalion HQs. The bulk of POMCUS manpower was host nation, to include very small guard forces. These guard forces were augmented during exercise and presumably during actual heightened tension by territorial or reserve forces.

USAF also had a reforger equivalent- Crested Cap. You’ve written quite a bit on this operation and it’s great stuff. All I’ll add is the deployment plan included a surprising portion of the USAF tactical airlift fleet early on. These C-130s were critical to USAFE and USAEURs plans to integrate and deploy both in theatre and arriving forces. The two in theatre wings would have been joined by an additional 2-3 CONUS based wings in short order. Part of their brief was to haul all the equipment and munitions required to bed down the arriving fighters and attack aircraft at their collocated operating bases or forward operating locations and marry up with prepositioned stores and the support personnel and equipment brought over on the supporting kc-10 and kc-135 tankers.

This is excellent information, thank you.
I didn't know the name 'Crested Cap' for the air operations. I've been looking into how that would go so thanks for that: it will help in my research.
I know that there was some supporting gear stored in both the UK - at RAF Fairford, Sculthorpe and Westerfield - and also over in West Germany where UK-based A-10s were to go.
I'm going to try to find out more.

[amir]

Thanks- you’ve hit a lot of the bed down locations already. The U.K. is an interesting case, not only will they host USAF reinforcements (ex. KC-135 reinforcements into Fairford), they will also push units forward to Germany- Alcobury/Bentwaters/Woodbridge A-10s going to Alhorn/Jever/Sembach/Wiesbaden/Leipheim/Norvenich. The German FOLs were very well prepped, with shelters or revetments, stores, and rotating detachments.

One of the duties for the non-deploying personnel at the U.K. bases was to provide support parties to welcome the advanced parties from deploying conus based units both at the usaf stations and at raf stations (for instance, A-7s or F-16s were presumed slated to go to Wittering- receiving these forces was tested during crested cap and coronet series exercises).

Plus, you’ve got RED HORSE specialist rapid runway repair crews dispersing from Wethersfield across USAFE, and the Woodbridge Special Operations MH53s and HC130s doing whatever they’ll do (wing hq and MC-130s were at Rhein Main, I imagine they’d disperse from there).

One of the challenges in the USAF reinforcement plan was hardened accommodation and workspace. Most of the deployment bases had at least revetments if not tab-v has for the arriving aircraft, and at least some hardened munitions storage and fueling capability, but little in the way of protected workshops or accommodation past that required for tenant units. So, tent cities with sandbags and dispersal/camouflage would be the order of the day, and greatly complicate the airbase ground defense equation.

Another airbase ground defense issue is the timing of the deployment of usaf support forces. While the initial advanced party would have some security and support (chemical, medical, etc) personnel, it would be heavy on aircraft crew chiefs, munitions, fuels, and maintenance specialists. Thus, establishing defenses and sustaining operations would initially place a strain on host country support.

To jump off the USAF topic, another facet of reforger most people don’t realize is that the US had Army Reserve units and personnel in place in Europe. 7th Army Reserve Command would mobilize as part of reforger. Drawing its personnel from US citizens (government employees, service dependents, students and workers) residing in Europe, the unit would mobilize and man personnel support, medical, chemical defense, and civil affairs units in addition to providing the initial pool of ready replacements in personnel replacement companies. As an example, the Burtonwood hospital would be operated by a Europe based USAR medical group.

Supporting the US effort would be mobilized host nation reserve units operating under us command through a wartime host nation support agreement. These included security units, transportation, chemical decontamination, medical, and others. As an example, west Germany would mobilize some 50,000 Territorials to support the first ten days of US reinforcement operations.

Lots of moving pieces. Reforger was really intended as a last deterrent in addition to its reinforcement role. Kind of a “we’re really serious- look, we’re shutting down our commerce to get ready to fight” message. The danger (you’ve nailed it in one of your timelines) is that the other side can get ahead of it by executing out of barracks. Of course, reality of warpac material readiness in the 80s may have meant that wasn’t feasible. In the 70s, could be more feasible.

[dayton3]

How many troops in total was envisioned as being air lifted to West Germany to link up with prepositioned weapons and equipment? Seems I remember somewhere that it totaled about 150,000 which would've brought U.S. strength in West Germany up to around 400,000. Not enough to win versus an all out Soviet invasion but a start. And probably enough to disrupt their schedules.

[amir]

Dayton3-

Just the REFORGER forces drawing CRAF/POMCUS and associated USAF strategic airlift (primarily rotary wing aviation) would have easily hit 150k. If it does what it says on the tin, that’s three full US Corps with warstocks appearing in Germany in anywhere from 5-10 days. Not a big deal in CENTAG as the correlation of forces and terrain there already closely matched, but NORTHAG just gained operational depth and a Counterattack Force (III Corps at one point called themselves the Counterattack Corps).

Just as significant are the air reinforcements- 9th Air Force and select other units will self-deploy with tanker support as soon as REFORGER is announced. They’d use a lot of the tankers to “drag” aircraft and carry key personnel and equipment to meet up with propositioned equipment at their designated collocated operating bases. Remaining equipment and personnel would for these forces would come via CRAF and USAF tanker/strategic airlift. That’s a doubling/tripling of USAF assets available.

Neither of these estimates included fast sealift deployers, Europe based recalled reservists, non Reforger deployers (looking at you 9th ID), and follow on forces from USAR/ARNG, 12th AF, or ANG/AFRES.

As I’ve said elsewhere, the system was immense, but very well thought out and exercised. All the key players knew their parts. The question was always whether the political will would be there to initiate something seen by some NATO members as a provocative escalation.

[dayton3]

Oct 8, 2019 19:32:28 GMT amir said:

Dayton3-

Just the REFORGER forces drawing CRAF/POMCUS and associated USAF strategic airlift (primarily rotary wing aviation) would have easily hit 150k. If it does what it says on the tin, that’s three full US Corps with warstocks appearing in Germany in anywhere from 5-10 days. Not a big deal in CENTAG as the correlation of forces and terrain there already closely matched, but NORTHAG just gained operational depth and a Counterattack Force (III Corps at one point called themselves the Counterattack Corps).

Just as significant are the air reinforcements- 9th Air Force and select other units will self-deploy with tanker support as soon as REFORGER is announced. They’d use a lot of the tankers to “drag” aircraft and carry key personnel and equipment to meet up with propositioned equipment at their designated collocated operating bases. Remaining equipment and personnel would for these forces would come via CRAF and USAF tanker/strategic airlift. That’s a doubling/tripling of USAF assets available.

Neither of these estimates included fast sealift deployers, Europe based recalled reservists, non Reforger deployers (looking at you 9th ID), and follow on forces from USAR/ARNG, 12th AF, or ANG/AFRES.

As I’ve said elsewhere, the system was immense, but very well thought out and exercised. All the key players knew their parts. The question was always whether the political will would be there to initiate something seen by some NATO members as a provocative escalation.


I think REFORGER was a vastly underrated program that did a lot of good in keeping the Soviets from thinking they could win a blitzkrieg into West Germany. 

[amir]

I agree. If you look up old articles on REFORGER you’ll see a picture of the official Soviet observers. The west, especially the US and UK in the 1980s WANTED the Soviets to see that. Very little was hidden, especially how quickly units could arrive, draw POMCUS and move off. They didn’t have an analogue for the capability to train and conduct strategic logistics.

It’s interesting that Marshall Akromeyev included a visit to Fort Hood, III Corps home station as part of his 1988 visit to the US. That was a year after the bulk of the corps had conducted a reforger deployment for Certain Strike/Reforger 87, which was a full rehearsal of the Corps deployment and counterattack plan.

[forcon]

Interesting scenario: What if the US President decides that a Warsaw Pact invasion is imminent but West Germany does not? Say if the US/UK/FR mobilise and initiate REFORGER operations, but Bonn changes its mind?

[dayton3]

Oct 9, 2019 19:48:35 GMT forcon said:

Interesting scenario: What if the US President decides that a Warsaw Pact invasion is imminent but West Germany does not? Say if the US/UK/FR mobilise and initiate REFORGER operations, but Bonn changes its mind?

I think for practical and obvious diplomatic reasons the West Germans would have to go along with this "NATO exercise".