Pershing

\\)1.27, No.2

able
First Els cut up
by Troy Darr
Pmhing Cable Sraff Writer
The firsr nine Pershing JI ere.:tor launchers (Els)
were destroyed at the Equipment Maintenance
Centtr Husen in Frankfurt on October 18 and 19.
The ELs, which were moved out of Camp Redleg
on September 1, belonged 10 Bravo Battery, 4th Battalion, 9th Field Anillery, which was inactivated on
September 30.
The Els were destroyed in accordance with the
procedures outlined in the Intermediate-Range Nudear Forces Treacy, and procedures were witnessed
by 10 Soviet inspectors.
First, the erector launcher mechanism, which is the
pan of the EL that lifts the missile, was sepamed
from the launcher chassis, according to a command
G-4 Pershing Missile Maintenance Staff office (MSO)
repres:entative.
The work crew then dismantled and destroyed the
running gear. Three cuts were made in the running
gear, one in front and two in the rear. The plates
were then removed from the jacks so the jacks could
not be remounted. The jacks are responsible for leveling the launching platform, which makes it possible
10 fire a missile.
The t,vo erector booms were then cut in two locations ,hat were not assembly joints. The booms were
cut in to pieces of approximately equal siies.
"The erection booms, even if repaired, would
never have the strength to lifr rhe weight of a missile

again," said Maj. Gerard Han, 56th Field Artillery

Command public affairs officer.
The right boom actuator was also cut into two
pieces. The boom actuator contains the hydr:oulic
fluid that provides the pressure to erect the missiles.
Next, the missile launch suppon equipment, including external instrumentation compartments, were
removed from the chassis.
The last area 10 be worked on was the frame. A cut
was made the width of the frame, one-third of the
way back from the front end.
"Even if the frame was welded back together it
would never withstand the stress it received while
moving," stated Hart.
After destruction, the Els will be sold for scrap
metal with the guarantee that they will be further destroyed by the purchasing company.
All the steps taken will make the launcher impossible to put back together. The actions 1aken 10
insure the destruction of the ELs were agreed upon
by both panics of the INF treaty," Hart said.
The 10 cuts each launcher received were done in
under 15 minutes with a plasma-cutting torch.
Plasma cutting combines the technologies of gas
and arc welding. Electricity is used to concentrate the
plasma flow to a very narrow stream and forces it
thru a small orifice at high speed.
The nine erector launchers destroyed this month
were only the first of many that will be destroyed
during the next three ye:ars.

Update F. Y. I.
Promo points
Some 56th Field Artillery Command soldiers
will soon lose promotion paints previously earned
for the Primary Leadership Development Course
and related leadership courses because of a new
Noncommissioned Officer Education System policy that will require E-4s to be graduates of
PLDC to be eligible for promotion to sergeant.
Although the new policy will not take effect until Oct. 1, 1989, soldiers will be affected by it in
early 1989, according to officials in the office of
the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel.
Beginnin~ with the February promotion point
recomputauon for E-4s, and the May l 989 promotion point rccomputation for E-5s, points will
no longer be awarded for the Primary Leadership
Course, the Primary Leadership Development
Course, the Primary Noncommissioned Officer's
Course or other NCO Academy courses except
the Basic Noncommissioned Officers Cou rse.
(ARNEWS)

Policy clarlfled
The Inspector General of the 56th Field Artillery Command writes, "There is a perception held
and practiced by a majority of Army personnel
that needs to be corrected.
The next time you are outdoors during the
evening retreat ceremony' observe the rosition
taken by individuals during the playing o retreat
which preceeds the p laying of 'To The Colors".
The majority of individuals not in formation are
standing at parade rest - including senior officers
and NCOs. If you'll check Appendix A, AR
600-25, you'll find that when not in formation, the
proper position is attention, and of course, you rema.in at attention during the playing of 'To The
Colors' and render the salute.
This may seem minor, but it actually reflects a
lack of knowledge and education. Surely as a professional you want to do things the right way.

Bank changes

u.L " " " r -

Polntlll9 to Penihlng II Erector Launcher, SSgt. Ricardo Roop, Missile Maintenance NCO, Charlie Battery, 2nd
Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, shows the preH on Media Day where the cuts will be made In accordance with the
Intermediate Range Nuci. ., Forcea Tre1ty.

The Department of D efense and its community

banks arc putting an end to free delivery of canceled checks, st.aning early next year.
February bank statements will be the last to include cancelled checks, and staning in March, a 1
fee will be assessed for each old clicck a customer
asks the bank to photocopy.
A new DOD program called "check safekeeping" will be implemented first in Germany and
later will go to other parts of the globe where US
military personnel serve.
To make check safekeeping work, customer
checks will be microfilmed ,n duplicate and stored
in locations in Frankfun and the United States.
Originals will be kept for 90 days and all microfilmed copies will be kept a minimum of seven
years.

Per,hing Cabla
November 1988

Pershing celebrates 25 ye
I .

to the field army. Because of the increased requirements of this mission,

the Army beg.tn an upgrade of Pershing
1. At the same time, the Army authorized an increase in the number of
launchers in each battalion from four to
36.
In order 10 increase the system's ability to move, shoot, and communicate os
pan of the QRA mission, the Army
awarded a contract in January, 1966, to
Martin Marietta Aerospace to explore
development of new ground support
equipment system for Pershing. This
new ground support equipment became
the upgrade from Persh,ng I 10 Pershing 1-A with the production contract
being awarded to Manin Marietta in
November, 1967.
The most noticeable change was the
introduction of wheeled veh icles to replace the M-474 tracked vehicle family.
Re-placlng the old reliable Redstone System, the Per&hlng I, Introduced to Europe In 1964, Increased range and rellabltlty.
The wheeled erector launcher w><
faster in the missile erection procedure
Lee
Barracks
in
Mainz.
In
1968,
the
and more reliable than its tracked preAfter off-post training, the 2-H FA
by Gerard J. Hart
became the 1st Battalion, 41st Field Ar- l-81 FA moved 10 Neu-Ulm, still home decessor.
Public Affairs Officer
tillery, trained and equipped at Fort Sill. today, to the I st Battalion 9th Field Ar1969: First Pl-As
tillery.
The third battalion 10 deploy to
Pershing has been pan of the Army
1963: Arrival In Germany
The first shipment of Pershing I-A
in,entory for over 25 years and in
Europe with the Pershing system was
Europe in one of its models since 1964.
By Oct ober, 1963, the 1-41 FA the 3rd Battalion, 84th Field Artillery. equipment arrived in Bremerhaven on
The evolution of the Pershing missile moved to Wingate N . M. for its first ac- Like many other units, the 84th FA had August 13, 1969. In ceremonies consystem and the 56th Field Artillery tual Pershing firing. On its return 10 Ft. a long history of activations and inacti- ducted on Spetember 2&, the 1-41 FA
Command arc so significantly inter Sill, the battalion was redesignated 4th
vations, but iu most recent incarnation commander, Lt. Col. Thomas E. de
t,vined that discussion of one without Battalion, 41st Field Artillery and as- as a Pershing battalion occurred on July Shazo, and the 56th F ield Artillery
the other is llmost impossible.
signed to 7th Army in Germany. Its ad- 4, 1964. 3-84 FA personnel went Group commander, Col. James E. ConThe original Pershing missile was vance parry left for Germany on March through several months of equipping way, received the keys for the nev.
concci,cd in 1957 by the Advanced Bal- 11, 1964, from CharleSton Air Force .tnd training at Ft. Sill in preparation for equipment. Pershing I-A. had arrived in
listic Missile Agency. That agency's in- Base, SC, while the main pany left New its deployment to Europe. The unit's Schwabi~,h Gmiin,!.
October I. 1969, marked the effective
tent was to replace the aging "Old Re- York harbo r aboard the USS Buckner, advance elements depaned for Europe
in April, 1965. The main body followed implementation date o f Pershing I - A
liable" Redstone missile. The ABMA arriving at Bremerhaven on April 11,
wanted a design which was smaller than 1964. The main body soon linked up and arrived in May. The 3-84 FA was capability for 3-84 FA in Neckarsulm.
the Redstone but with a greater r.tnge
.,~/ - , ~.. ~
-~~
and increased reliability.

U.1.--

..

1958: In the Beginning

In March 1958, the Army Missile
Command awarded the Orlando Division of Martin Marietta a contract for
the development of a mobile missile
system. The specifications for the new
Pershing system called for a 400 mile
range, twice that of the Redstone, but
also required the system 10 be one-sixth
the weight and one-half the heigh!.
The Pershing design moved quickly
from the drawing board to the test
range. The first launch of a Pershing
missile occurred at C ape Canaveral,
Flo rida on February 25, 1960 - 22
months after the award of the Marrin
Marietta contract.
The firs, tactical equipment was delivered to the Army in October, 1962.
A, this time the Pershing missile system's mobility was dependent upon the
M -474 tracked vehicle, built upon the
chassis of an M-113 armored personnel
carrier.
The first Pershing battalion wa~ the
2nd Battalion, 44th Field Artillerv,
commanded by Lt. Col. Patrick W. p;.
wen. Their training in the system had
started nine months earlier, but the actual battalion activation took place in
March, 1963.

u.a.,-.,"''
TIie moat notlclable change to the Pershing sy1tem wu the replacement of tracked launcher with IHter, more reliable
wheeled erector launchers. The Pershing IA, however, still required the 1upport of a large "land train".

with its advance pany at Hardt Kaseme

in Schwiib isch Gmiind, where the l--41
FA (the final unit designation after several changes) shared Hardt Kasernc
with the 56th Field Anillery Group.
The next Pershing battalion to arrive
in Germany was the \st Battalion, 81st
Field Artillery. The 1-81 FA had a long
history, which included assignments
with the old Honest John and Corporal
missile systems. On April 15, 1963,
1-81 FA was reactivated at Ft. Sill and
became part of the Pershing missile
team. The 1-81 FA deployed to Europe
in October, 1963 and was first garrisoncd at M cCully Barracks in Wackernheim, while its Service Battery went to

assigned 10 the 56th Field Artillery

Group and took up its quaners at Ar
tillery Kaseme in Neckarsulm.

1965: Quick Reaction Alert

The unit began the neccessary upgrade

in personnel and equipment to increase
the battalion's combat capability.
On September \ 8, [ 970, the 5oth
Field Artillery Group, which did not
have a historical relationship with the
new brigade, became the 56th Field Artillery Brigade. The new 56th FA Brigade demonstrated the importance of
the Pershing system and gave it a command and control capa bility with the
creation of the Headquarters and Headquaners Battery.

In 1965 Pershing units assumed an

additional role in support of the nuclear
deterrence missfon of NATO. The
three units were given the mission of
Quick Reaction Alert which required a
portion of each unit to maintain the
highest level of combat readiness and be
prepared to fulfill its wartime mission in
The new brigade commanded the
the minimum amount of time. This
QRA mission was in addition to its ba- 1-41 FA, 1-81 FA. and 3-84 FA Persic mission of providing nuclear support shing firing battalions. The 2nd Batta-

Pef$/ling Cable
November 1988

ars of peace, presence

lion, 4th lnfantr)' which h2d been rec
tivated on Julr 21, 1969, and had a unit
lineage dating back to the War of 1812,
"'as part of ,he S6th FA Brigade and
pro,odcd the infantry dcfcnsi"c support
the unils required. A Headquarters and
Headquarters Battery pro"ided a command and control umbrella as "'ell as
additional communication and logistic
support.

1978: Twin Track Agreement

In 1978, the North Atlantic Truty
Organi, at ion .ukcd the United Sme to
deploy intermediate range missiles in
Europe 10 counter the deplorment of
intermediate ungc. mobile SS-20 nu
clear missiles bv the So"iet Union.
Once again, the Pershing system ,vould
be upgr~dcd wi th long term effect on
the S6th field Artillery Brigdc.
The Pershing II missiles arri,ed in the
Brigade uca eul,v in the morning of
No\'cmber 27, 1983. A ground con\'O)'
had mowd the missiles from Ramstein
AFB to ~lutlangen Missile Storage
Area. Then Lt. Col. Douglas J. Middleton initiated the training and readiness program that would successfully
iransition the 1-~I FA battalion into the
first operational Pershing II battalion.
The training was intense.
By December 15, the first opemionl
Pershing II firing bmcry, A Bmery,
1-41 FA, commanded by Mj. Nolan
Warson. " 'a< certified as combat ready.

The older Pershing IA missiles were

retrograded as the new Pershings en
tered service. All three batulions of the
brigade had achieved operational status
by December 1985.

1986: A New Command

On January 17, 1986, the 56th FA
Brigade became the S6th Field Artillery
Command (Pershing). During the activation ceremony, Brig. Gen. Raymond
Haddock, officially mired the brigade
colors of the 56th FA Brigade and unfurled the current 56th FA Command
colors. The transition from brigode to
command was more than a name change
in that it recogn izcd the increased capa
bilities of the Pershing II system and
implemented an organizational mucture 10 capitalize on these capabilities.
The command structure authorized a
signal battalion, the 38th Signal Batta
lion, 10 meet the communication requirements of the new command. The old
SSth Maintenance Battalion became the
55th Support Battalion to rcnecr the additional logistic responsibilities provided by the unit. An a,iation company, the 193rd A,iation Company,
was also added to the command Structure.

On the same date the artillery battalions became affiliated with the 9th
Field Artillery Regiment as part of the
overall Army Regimental Affiliation
Program. The battalion colors for the

1-41 FA Bmalion, 1-81 FA Battalion,

and 3-84 FA Battalion were retired.

1987: INF Treaty

Recognition of the role of the Pershing Command soldiers and unit activities during the fielding of Pershing II
took flace on July I , I 987. During a
specia ceremony, the 56th Field Artillery Command recei,cd the Superior
Unit Award for outstandingly meritor
ious service during peacetime of a difficult and challenging mission.
The Command's efforts in fielding of
the Pershing II system resulted in a
stronger NATO alliance and demonstrated the resolve of the United States
and its allies in support of their mutual
defense.
With the signing of the Intermediate
Nuclear Forces Agreement on December 8, 1987, subsequent ratification
and implcmcntati9n, the S6th FA Command began the compliance actions re
quired by the treaty.
The Command had accomplished its
mission of maintaining its peacetime
combat readiness and supported the
o,erall objectives of the 1978 Twin
Tnck Agreement.
With the objectives accomplished, the
Command concinuu to maintain its
readiness until removed from mission
status while retrograding its missiles
and hosting Soviet On-Site Inspection
Teams.

u.a. AlfflY Pttoto

Pershl119 II missiles and crews have
helped defend Europe s ince 1983. The
combat readiness of both the soldiers
end ml11llea played an Important role In
brlngl119 about the Intermediate Range
Nuclear Forces Treaty.

U,I, A.rmy Photo

In 1978, the North Atlantic Treaty Or91nlzatlon asked the United States to deploy Intermediate range mlsalln In Europe to counter the deployment of mobile SS-20
Nuclear Missiles by the Soviet Union.