European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 28, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars and stripes lbs file Sippil super St group has tar reaching projects is up to Inen of to civilian labor service a Karlsruhe s Neureul an around the clocks that stretches Over of Miles and reaches hundreds of feet Blumenstein super it of the civilian Labo explained that he is authorized 543 German employees to work for . Forces by a Spe Cial agreement Between the Ger Man ministry of labor and the German Trade association. We Aren t governed entirely by the German government or by the . Forces. We have a partnership with both said Blumen operate under the com Mand of col. Earl j. Hollim Anand the 516th signal group Here in Neureul. Since our unit was activated in 1952 we have in stalled close to 2,450,000 feet of Cable and put up 42 different major Antenna projects for the . Army he added. The 543-Man unit has Cable an Antenna repair teams on Emer gency standby 24-hours a Day to fix downed communications la " eases Sesse Victory wheels the 53rd transportation in has marked the 5th anniversary of its organization in French Morocco Ini 1943 with an elephant Day Parade and other festivities. The battalion headquartered at Kaiserslautern Germany is commanded by it. Col. J. T. Sprague. The unit s colourful history i symbolized in its Crest showing an elephant Ana cause Tower. The Tower s four Points allude to world War 11 As Sault landings at Sicily Anzio Naples Foggie and Southern France. The German word sieges Raeder is the battalion designation Victory the Crest of red Ana Gold the colors of the transportation corps was awarded the battalion by the department of the army in dec Enioch Fiti r lineman Heinz Fischer prepares to fix a Telephone is Only one Job the communications unit performs. Is photos by Wayne Dixon towers broken transmitter discs or interrupted communications lines for . Forces in Europe. Within one hour after the uni gets an emergency Call teams Are on their Way to troubled areas which May be As far away Munich or Netherland Sas Bremerhaven Bruggen on the Border. Sometimes the emergency Crews Are sent from nearby locations where they Are working on other projects. But primarily jobs has increased considerably during the past two years. In the last 12 months we have made71 emergency Cable repairs and 205 Normal Cable repairs he said. In outlining the Structure of his unit Blumenstein said we have a Headquarters and head quarters company two construction companies the 8564th an the 8565th, and a signal support company the 8563rd, which was organized aug. 1, 1966. The signal support company has three Antenna teams three Cable teams and three communications equipment installing teams most of which Are usually out on location. Blumenstein says the army has from 12 to 15 communications stations continuously manned with electronic teams from his unit. He said he also keep round 10 Power Generator oper Ator teams out on location with he . Army maintaining an operating generators where local Ower is unavailable. At stations Here Power is provided by either ocal or army sources his Power Generator operators keep stand by generators in readiness. All new employees Are give courses in Basic signal equip ment Basic electronics and a advanced operators course according to Blumenstein. The German labor group also provides a five week Power Generator course a five week course for linemen and a special three week Driver training course thatis attended by about 80 persons a year. I feel this unit has a very satisfactory partnership and a High degree of cooperation wit the 516th signal group Here that monitors and controls our Job orders said Blumenstein. They go from the Karlsruhe head quarters according to a spokes Man for the unit. Primary Mission Hubert Steinbacher 6981st operations officer explained that the unit s primary Mission is the construction of communications projects and the repair of signal installations in permanent facile includes installing More than 150,000 feet of Cable a Yea the installation and maintenance of Lead or plastic covered armoured Cable placement of communication terminals inside buildings Cable splicing construction and erecting antennas and providing Power for communications Sites he German labourers also help . Forces in exercises where construction operation and maintenance of Field communications Are needed. Cable laying operation Steinbacher explained that the unit s biggest Cable laying opera Tion was a 300,000-feet Job finish Din november 1966 at Hohenfels we expect to do the same kind of Job again very soon at Hohen Fels and at the Grafe Woehr training site he added. One of the 6981st s longest jobs started in february 1967 at Feld Berg in the Black Forest. We still have four Power Generator operators at this station said Steinbacher also pointing out that the number of Cable Repan four awards support Georg Tischner arc radio Van in support of left and Johann Birer Ope Rule a the . Army. Greek units cited by air South in at Kerata received tedards in All operational and Izmir Turkey special mat Gen. Bertram c. Harrison Smander of nato s 6th Allied tactical air Force has presented the Allied air forces soul porn Europe air South Tii Nisi feta and outstanding radar Hawk and Nike awards to four hellenic units in Greece the flight safety award went to the 341st so at Nea Anglia loathe f5 Squadron was honoured for its record of 12 months of Accident free radar award was made to the control reporting Cento at Parnis in recognition of the periodic conditions of practice Althe Hawk award went to Btry group at Kerat Natilou Ell air Nike award for its Overall opera Gas Sis a the Dards in All operational and Maui tenancy awards were made by Harrison on his initial visits to Ess service practice held in the so of the 350th Nike me unit Tiu it Uii in contest to highlight fee bad Stoelz Germany Ai Norsa an International skydiving com petition will highlight the annual and last Volk fest Are july 4-7. The Flint Cavern festival will be the last As the bulk of thoj0th special forces Mje a Frivol sponsors of the event w 1 be Ilu Vokic redeployed to it. Devens mass.,s a in september. I skydiving teams will coi Al spot jump my and Kan racy will be Ami m hit la no the winning Sun full "
