Vershina Cable

Vol.11, No.,

56th Field Ar111lery Brigade

April 198:t

Penl1lng Cable

Pershing
Notebook
Election time nears
Primuy elections to select candidatet who wilt
appear on the Nov. 2. 1982, general election bellot
will be held in May for the: states of Teus, Indiana.
North Caroli1111, Ncbr.ub, Orcp, l'etlMylvania,
Arbnsu, Idaho and Kentucky. Mii.siaippi, New
Muico, South Dakou, West Vir&inui, California,
Iowa, Maine, Montana. New Jersey, North Dakota,
Ohio, South Caroli1111 and Virginia wilt bold tbeir
primal')' elections in June.
Absentee voten eli1ible to vote in their home
state primary must complete a federal post card
application and mail it !IOI later thin 30 days before
the election.
Contact your unit votin1 assistance officer or
counselor for IIIOR information.

Lei's get physicals

All aoctive duty personnel more than 40 ycan of
age are now required to be medically screened for
panicipation in physical fitness training programs.
Personnel who are already 40 or over may maintain
their current level of exercise activities until undergoin& medical screening and, if cleared, can advance to higher level! of activities.
Whe,n M>ldien reach 40 they must undergo the
eiamination even if involved in a trainina pro1ram.
A complete medical eumination, to include a cardiovascular screening, will be aiven every two years
after reaching aae 40.

Friendship weik
This year's German-American friendship week
schedule kicks off with energetic entertainment proided by the brigade's square dancin& troupe, "The
Pershing Prominaders.'' and island music provided
by the band "Sounds of the Tropics," April 25 at
11:00 a .m. at the Johannisplatz in Schwaebisch
Gmuen.d.
Ans and crafts will be displayed at the Prcdiger
reaturimg talents of the brigade's soldien and their
ramily members. April 26-28.
A partnership competition is scheduled to be held
on Tuesday with the 303rd Panzer Grenadier Battalion featuring soccer and volleyball on the arternoon of April 27 at Hardt Kasetne. Arter the
compelition. a German-American concert is scheduled to be held at the Prediger with the 84th US
Army Band and the Scwaebisch Gmuend City Junior Band, 7:30 p.m.
The followin& night provides sports entertainment
with a G-A competition in basketball, volleyball and
a "Super Stan" competition plus demonstrations of
talent by local gymnam and a dance club, April 28
at 7:30 p.m. at the Sportshalle on Katharinenstrassc.
Film ni&ht. reaturing U.S. and German films, is
scheduled to be held April 29 11 7:00 p.m. in the
Bismarck Kaseme recreation center.

..... en.. pool their ...... lo ,....

....,.__ (Photo i,, R.

WinfreJ)

New unit supports brigade

lty R. Steplft Wblfny
l>urina the recent brigade exercise "Carbon Exprcu,"
tbe :S6th Field Artillery Bde. Sol ill lint clOle loot at ill
newly-formed SStb MaintcnaDCC Battalion.
The battalion 1ent live ol ill unill to tbc field in support ol the brigade's firina batterica. Tbc battalion's mislion - to mate on-the-spot repain or virtually au equipment that the firina bt.tterie& miabt 111e in completing
their missions.
For some. the cold wcether and field conditions were
a bit troubleaome, but for soldien like Sp4 Stanley
Wal'ker. an electronics repairer of Co. A, there were
positive notes. "Tbis is the type of trainina that'll keep
and the equipment prepared for j ust about anything," be said.
\V1lker'1 team-member, SpS Henry C. Mesde pointed
Ollt, Min the rield 011r aec:tlon worb on a team concept in
making repain and that's not eaay, because we alto bavc
other support requiremcn111ucb u auard duty. It's got

ill bad points, but we're doing wbat we set Olli to do, and
that'1 to support the firing batteries."
Though ilie missile repair bmineu wu slow for Co. 8,
the Communicati0111-Electronic Section found staying
buay mucb easier. Section Leader SS11. Monroe O'Cior.....,,. White spoke of the many middle of tbe night contact calls bis sectioa received and said that daytime duty
WU jllll U busy.
Asked of bis secton's role in the battalion's mission he
responded, "The Army's job is to shoot, move and communicate. and we repair what aoes wrong - yes. we're

im

nant."

fut the key to the importanc:c or the: exercise for the

new bt.ttalion might be found in an observation made by
SSgt. Christine 8. Gronau of"Alpha" Company.
"The exercise bu been a aood one in temw of preparing ror Ollr Tao-Eval (tactical evaluation)," abe said. "It
1bould &ive the troopl a &ood idea of just bow much more
wort bu to be done before the real thing comes along."

Aviation, infantrymen team up

-

Ehingen march
The lint International American-German Endurance March and Military Patrol is scheduled to
begin June 4 at Ehingen near Neu Ulm.
Events will include a 40-kilometer march, a 25kilomcter march, a hand arenade and ball throw,
and a small arms marksmanship competition. Other
tasks .,.ill test skills in r.rst aid, map and compass
reading, aircraft and vehicle recognition, identification oi local fauna and the breakdown of the German G-3 rine.
The three-day event is O()Cn to French, Swiss,
Austrian. Canadian and U.S. forces, as well as
German soldiers and reservists. Soldiers' family
members may also participate. The 1st Battalion,
81st Field Artillery will sponsor the competition in
conjunction with the German Reservist Organization through the Reservist Comrade Group of
Ehingcn/Donau.
Registration ends May 10. For entry information
call Neu Ulm military 2733-6150 or write to American-German Pannership EHINGEN. Weitzmann.strasse 10, 7930 EHINGEN/DONAU .

s..-

~
tlelcl

ON THE IIOVI! - lnfMtrymmn of 1119 2nd 9n.,

4111 Inf., weit to 119 plcbd up bJ Ulf.1H ~
ten of Co. E, 55ltl Malnt. Bn. (Photo i,, ar.g
Allllft)

lnoorporatina increased air mobilit~ into the brigade's

winter field exercise MCarbon Express. Co. E, 55th Mainte1111nc:c Battalion, and the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry,
teamed up rcicently to expand Pcnhina capabilities in the
ric:1d.
"We worked with the: 2/4th for several day and night
inserts, addin& a broader dimemion to our mission," said
Maj. Ruperto Manincz. Co. E c:ommandcr.
Providlna air support for the infantry u well as the rest
ol the bripde kept the pilots, crew chiefs and suppon
personnel virtually "bopping" durin& the 12-day field
problem.
Aircrart llavc to be serviced at normal 25-hour intervals.
With more than 250 boun of nyins time racked up by just
the UH-ls durins the exerci1e, the crew chiefs. who were
required to pull normal maintenance procedures in the
field, were kept busy.
Wbc:n !IOI directly supporting other brigade elements,
airfield personnel set up their own positions, provided their
own turity and underwent ric:Jd training.
When the 214th MWarrion" weren't training in c:onjunction with Co. E, they were practicing a new concept in
providing the brigade wnh a "defense-in-depth" perimeter
dcre111C.
"We believe that we can best ddend Pcnhing by finding, fixing and fighting the enemy before ltc can 8"1 within
range: of the lirinf position itself," said Lt. Col. James R.
Carbon, 2{4th In . commander.
'To do that, we orp.nize our operations to &ive us early
warning of enemy al'P!'oach and the capability to quickly
enaage the enemy with multiple weapons systems and a
variety ol forces," he continued.
Pvt. 2 David Crocker of Co. B. 2/4tb lnr.. spent the first
week or Carbon Express patrolling around a missile platoon position, then his outfit shifted to being the battalion's
reserve airmobile platoon. His reaction to the exercise was
enthusiastic.
"I really enjoyed the chopper missions," he said ''Best
or all was the field training pan of it - all the infantry
stuff. Camounaging up and sleeping in tents is what I
really like; that's what I came in the Army for."