European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 25, 1959, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Stars s t r \ t w r o soot on Petrolino in business of providing Best  new engine for Deuce and a half is unpacked by 8th inf div soldiers during 7th army exercise. Providing the hardware for the 7th army ordnance has massive task keeping billions of dollars Worth of weapons and equipment in shape for the troops by Henry b. Kraft staff writer 46�f it shoots or moves we Lake care j. Of  col j. A. Petrolino 7th army ordnance officer was speaking in a quiet thoughtful manner for the care of billions of dollars Worth of equipment is one of the most massive tasks in the 71 h army. It is no secret that it takes upwards of10,000 men to maintain the thousands upon thousands of pieces of equipment handled by ordnance from a .45 Cal pistol to 280mm, guns and from the Light tank to 50 ton trailer trucks. Maj John t. Robinson chief of the maintenance division pointed out that maintenance work on 7th army equipment is accomplished by Many units. Even guided missiles receive maintenance attention. Equipment owned by the 7th army runs into billions of dollars Petrolino said. The ordnance equipment of an Armor division reaches fabulous figures. Major workloads Are thrust upon what Pettolino described As heavy maintenance  actually the breakdown of maintenance outfits runs something like this there Are two ordnance groups the 47th, commanded by col Carroll j. Williams and the 51st, commanded by col Milton o. Bicknel.1. These groups Are broken Dow into battalions each group having a heavy maintenance battalion. Apt Robert d. Funke assistant chief of the maintenance division observed that heavy maintenance battalions Are com posed of one or More heavy automotive maintenance companies one heavy maintenance company and a recovery and classification unit. Further within the groups said Funke there Are direct support battalions com posed of companies which Are the firs link Between the customer and ordnance  support the customer directly. Maintenance beyond the capability of direct support is turned Over to the heavy maintenance units which handle combat equipment. Heavy automotive maintenance handles wheel vehicles. But ordnance maintenance goes beyond both groups each division having its own ordnance battalion functioning Pri Marilyas direct support. All in All upwards of 10,000 technicians Are Active in maintenance. Even armoured cavalry regiments Are each supported by a direct support company adding to the total of the 7th army ordnance maintenance Force. There in t a piece of equipment handled by a Soldier which has t been handled by ordnance said Petrolino. Most of the ordnance people have a very wide Back ground. This kind of training is necessary because of the vast and Complex Type of equipment  no work is Loo Small or too Large for ordnance maintenance to handle. Keeping the equipment in shape for the huge 7tharmy is a function which requires men not easily daunted by the magnitude of the Job. As Petrolino said we Are in the business of providing the Best possible weapons for the world s Best equipped  skilled ordnance technicians adjust wires of radar Antenna february 25, 1959 the stars and Striks tag 11