ARMY in EUROPE, January 1972, PAM 360162

The Pershing Missile Mission More Than Luck

By Sp5 John B. Ward
Specialist Ward is assigned to the Headquarters, 56th Ar llery brigade Informa on Oce.

For all I knew, the things might have been

lled with sawdust," said a grinning GI as
he looked over his shoulder at the mam
moth missile on a trailer. "Un l I saw two
of the things blast o over the desert."
The soldier, a member of the 56th Ar l
lery Brigade, had just returned from a r
ing session at a desolate Utah proving
ground. And his remark referred speci
cally to the brigade's veton Pershing
missiles. Twostage surfacetosurface gi
ants that represent the Army's most pow
erful weaponry.
"Maintenance," commented a ba ery
commander with one of the three bri
gade missile ba alions, "is what we con
centrate on. The more you do your home
work, the more you cut the element of
luck. Good or bad."
Somewhere between the technological glamor of live rings and the daily rou ne of equip
ment maintenance, lies the essence of the 56th Brigade's NATO support role. Billed as a "eld
army support weapon system," the nearly 6,000man Europeanbased Pershing brigade never
has less than three missile ba eries "on status." Which makes they are prepared to re in an
instant, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Its NATO mission to deter aggression with
the constantreadiness capability of delivering a massive knockout blow to predetermined
targets is nicknamed QRA (Quick Reac on Alert).

The brigade's formidable threat is posed by three of its subordinate units: the 3rd Ba alion,
84th Ar llery in Neckarsulm; Neu Ulm's 1st Ba alion, 81st Ar llery; and the 4th Ba alion,
41st Ar llery in Schwaebisch Gmuend. A fourth, the 2nd Ba alion, 4th Infantry, provides se
curity at the ring ba eries' remote missile sites and storage areas. Headquartered in Korn
westheim, the 2nd of the 4th is unusual an infantry unit suppor ng an ar llery unit, a re
versal of the tradi onal Army roles.

QRA readiness does not come easily. The 56th must undergo repeated alerts, prac ce exer
cises, evalua ons and combat readiness tests. Inspec on measures run the gamut from daily
visits by the brigade's own "Perfect Team," a selfdesigned evalua on and instruc on ou it,
to an annual scru ny by topight NATO evaluators. And QRA is not the end of it. In addi on
to its alert requirements, the brigade most be able to shi its re power over a wide area.

A vast array of equipment, like huge,

trucktowed mobile launch pads and ex
pandable control center vans, gets a
thorough workout on all manner of ter
rain. Annual training s nts over extend
ed periods at the 7th Army's rugged
Grafenwoehr Training Center, monthly
road marches to distant eld sites and
deployment to the States for rings,
keep the 56th 's missile system con
stantly on the move. And con nual use
demands constant a en on. With the
wealth of sophis cated electronic equipment that is required to make the system func on,
preven ve maintenance is the order to the day. Everything from truckmounted guidance
computers to the simplest of generators receives a goingover not usually required in less
strategic units. The crucial necessity of maintenance is accepted as a ma er of course, even
at the lowest levels.

Deterrence is not the only mission of the

56th Brigade. Because of its high priority
deployment in Europe, the Pershing sys
tem has proven to be a great a rac on
for topechelon observers, both military
and civilian, foreign and domes c. From
NATO generals to American senators, the
brigade hosts VIP visitors with the same
exper se with which it targets its mis
siles.
The complexity and unique nature of the
56th Brigade's mission and the awesome
responsibili es of the Pershing system put everyone, from commander to technicians, on the
spot. The weight of every decision is intensied, the performance of single opera ons cri cal
the margin for error within the system is necessarily small. Even minor discrepancies, when
magnied over the 400 miles of a mis
sile's ight, can become major mistakes.
The pressure for accuracy is intense. And
rightly so. NATO's credibility, and a large
share of the free world's defense, is at
stake.
The ul mate goals of the missile brigade
readiness and quick reac ons are
tested as the klaxon alert sounds.
With the alert completed, the crew
stands down un l the next me.
Prac ce, con nuous maintenance, check and doublecheck are the daily elements of life in a
missile unit not only at home base, but at eld posi ons as well.