202nd MP Co. patches from the Cold War. V Corps was worn from 1978 to 1981. The 42nd Field Artillery Brigade Patch was worn from 1981 to 1992.
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202 MP COMPANY HISTORY WEST GERMANY

The 202nd Military Police Company was reactivated in Europe on April 15, 1978 as a nuclear weapons depot security unit. The unit was responsible for the Lance missile site at Giessen Germany. There, the unit became responsible for the security of what was known as NATO Site 4. The Giessen Depot, one of six such sites established in Europe, stored thermonuclear and neutron warheads for the Lance missile system of the 42nd Field Artillery Brigade.


NATO Site 4 was part of the general Army post and consisted of a secure area encircled by three guard towers, one contained within the Site Security Control Center (SSCC). NATO Site 4 was a comparatively small storage site, with two bunkers and one small storage building. Adjacent to the site was a NIKE battery that also operated 24/7. The NATO Site was completely rebuilt after the 202nd received responsibility for site security from the Field Artillery. The old wooden guard towers were replaced with those of all steel and reinforced concrete construction and armored glass, a ‘modern’ SSCC was constructed that dominated the bunkers, and a microwave detection system was installed to detect movement. Special lighting illuminated the Controlled Area, that area between the fences, and all towers were equipped with searchlights.

The 202nd MP Co. was billeted at Pendleton Barracks in Giessen along with a Platoon of the 564th MP Co., the unit that performed post patrol. The historic town of Giessen is on the Lahn River and is located about an hour’s drive north of Frankfurt. The Company was assigned to V Corps; head quartered in Frankfurt, and later (1981) was assigned to the 42nd Field Artillery Brigade (also under V Corps). V Corps was one of two corps units that participated in Operation Overload in Normandy in 1944. V Corps fought in France and Germany throughout 1944-45. It remained in Germany as part of 7th Army throughout the Cold War.

Although the arrival of the Lance missile system and the resultant activation of the 202nd MP Co. in Europe occurred relatively late in the Cold War, there was no lack of either mission or purpose. By 1979, civilians in Europe, recalcitrant over the “mutually assured destruction” defense posture, had identified most of the Special Weapons depots, including Site 4, and initiated demonstrations outside the facilities. In addition, U.S. forces had been targeted by both extreme and radical groups and during the late 1970’s and into the 1980’s several bombings of their facilities occurred throughout Europe. In the fall of 1982, a bomb was detonated at the Giessen dependant housing area across from Pendleton Barracks.

Sergeant Jeff Mack, an MP with the 202nd from January 1980 to July 1982, gave the following description of both NATO Site 4 and his work with the unit.

The unit, under control of V Corps, was later assigned to the 42nd Field Artillery Brigade (also under V Corps). Unit mission was the protection of LANCE nuclear warheads at NATO Site 4. I stood towers my first year then became a custodial agent controlling access to the weapons.
One platoon was always on site…Personnel off-site were subject to recall during emergencies. Personnel living in the barracks made up part of the response force in emergencies or alerts…The other response forces included Artillery and Armor units.

There were three towers at NS4. One concrete tower… and two steel towers. All had bullet resistant windows, firing ports and searchlights…They were all new, having replaced the wooden ones… A Site Security Control Center (SSCC) was connected with the concrete tower, called Tower 1… The site itself was made up of two weapons bunkers and out buildings. The Restricted area was the outer zone, the Controlled Area was the zone between the two chain link fences topped with concertina wire, the Limited Area was the zone within the site where the bunkers were located. The Exclusion Area was the zone within each bunker. Each zone had rules of engagement. Deadly force was authorized.

The installation of a million dollar microwave detection system kept us busy in all kinds of weather… There were two vehicles on site… The M880 used to transport part of the Platoon and for chow runs (Mermite Can pickup/returns) and a jeep (Mutt) with M60 Machine Gun… used by the Custodial Agents and LT.

Each bunker contained LANCE nuclear warheads in transport containers… As a Senior Custodial Agent/Sergeant, one of my first duties each morning was to count the weapons. I also had to check the special locks used each night.

The basic uniform was the field OD green, which later changed to all camouflage. A steel pot, flak jacket, Decon kit, field dressing, gas mask, canteen, poncho, two ammo pouches, 120 rounds, plus 1 twenty rounder in the M16A1 were all standard. Some soldiers in each squad carried the M203 grenade launcher, two members crewed a M60, and two members crewed the 90mm recoilless rifle.
Filed operations were challenging, we were dependent on the Field Artillery…Where they went, so did we… of duty Custodial Agents made up the SAT team. They had to respond to any section of the site within 3 minutes. They were deployed often. The BAF was made up of the off-duty Guard Force. They had to deploy within 10 minutes.

The 202nd had taken over from the Field Artillery. They had been the target of terrorist operations in the 70’s. A bomb was placed at the POL point near the site. The blast did some damage, but the tanks were empty and no damage was done to NS4. During the 202nd tour at NS 4 the security enhancements continued… Anti-nuclear demonstrations began in earnest in the early 80’s… It was no uncommon to have large crowds massing near the site…During this type of event; the Platoon would stand by all the fighting positions. On one occasion, the armor unit paid a visit during a demonstration… The site was completely ringed by tanks, just in time for us to watch demonstrators hover over our bunkers in about six hot air balloons.

Some of the actions impacting NS4 were not so peaceful. Third Platoon was briefed that a planned terrorist attack on our operations was prevented only by a fatal traffic accident… Then a chow run that I was on led to our M880 being surrounded by crowds of demonstrators. Only the batons of the German Polizei got us free… In 1982, bombings of vehicles in the dependant housing area across from Pendleton caused much property damage.

When not on duty, personnel could work a shift with the 564th MP Co…, which provided law enforced in Giessen…We qualified with our rifles every 3 months. Since we were MPs, we did qualify annually with the .45 pistol. It was the only time any of us carried it. We also traveled to Wildflicken annually to fire the LAW, M203’s and the 90 mm… A tour of the East-West German boarder with the 11th Armored Cavalry was done annually as well. The longer one was in country the more serious the situation sank into your skin.

During its assignment in Giessen, the 202nd MP Co. was partnered with the 1st Fernmeld Battalion 320 in Frankenberg (a West German Army Unit or the Bundeswehr). Company personnel participated in annual tests of marksmanship and military specialties and were graded by German military personnel. Numerous individuals in the unit received the Leistungsabzeichen badge (German army version of the expert infantry badge) and the Schutzenschnurr (shooting cord award) in bronze, silver, or gold.

In the Fall of 1988, both NATO Site 4 and the security mission of the 202nd MP Co. came to an abrupt end. The elimination was the result of two interrelated events. First, an Enlisted-Man communication specialist left Giessen and defected to East Germany, taking with him his laptop computer that contained all the firing points for the Artillery unit. Immediately, all units went to DEFCON III alert, all targets were re-set and plans were instituted to decommission NATO Site 4. Second, the Lance system, which caused extensive public outcry in both the US and abroad, was under treaty negotiation with the German government for removal from the country. The diplomatic maneuvers actually began prior to the defection but did accelerate the abandonment of Giessen as a special weapons depot.

Nuclear warheads were removed from the site during the fall of 1988. The LANCE warheads and missiles were moved out intact on launchers. The ones that were not together were shipped via tractor & trailer with an escort from the 709th MP Bn. They took the 42nd Field Artillery Brigade’s load and moved them to the 41st FA Brigade near Hanover. The 202nd remained assigned to Giessen, without a mission, for approximately three months following the episode. Then, the unit was notified that it would be inactivated and begin a process of downsizing. Gradually, MP’s of the Company, including the Commander, departed the unit. However, by 1989 the 564th MP Platoon was reassigned back to Butzbach and the 202nd MP Co. was given the mission of providing law enforcement to the Giessen Military Community. This change necessitated the assignment of the 202nd MP Co. to the command of the 709th MP Battalion, a part of the 18th MP Brigade.

When the 202nd MP Co. went to 709th, they attended the activation ceremony of the 18th MP Brigade. That was when the troops first learned that the 202nd would be inactivated. The 709th Chain of Command came to see the unit personnel in the BAF building. LTC Norman was the 709th MP Bn commander, and gave a big speech… “Now Guys we’re going to give you live bullets and you’re going to be carrying real .45s." Shortly thereafter the 202 started MP Patrols in Giessen.

During the fall of the Berlin Wall, the reunification of Germany, and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the 202nd MP Co. was involved in the standard military police operations of patrolling off post housing, the Rock, Depot, and checking out the night clubs during the weekends. V Corps absorbed the elements of VII Corps in 1992 and became the only Corps remaining in Germany. During the Cold War, each corps had two heavy divisions, one or more separate brigades, an armored cavalry regiment, an aviation brigade with an attack helicopter regiment of two or three battalions, and an artillery command of three or four artillery brigades.

When Desert Storm began, 3rd Platoon, under command of Lt. Lou Ann Ruse (later Captain L. Thomas) was assigned to augment the 92nd MP Co. in Baumholder, Germany. The 709's plan was to increase the strength of the 92nd, which was to be sent to Saudi Arabia. Although the 202nd MP Co. was slated for inactivation, 3rd Platoon was to support the Desert Storm mission even if the rest of the company was reassigned. Once mission support was terminated, 3rd Platoon was to be dissolved and it's members reassigned. However, Col. Delk, of the 709th, sent a platoon from the 108th MP Co (An Army Reserve Unit from New York) instead. This was not well received by 3rd Platoon, which was required to both train and certify the reservists for the mission. After four to six months of this training/certification mission, 3rd Platoon, returned to Giessen.

In April 1991, the 18th MP Brigade, deployed to Northern Iraq in support of operation Provide Comfort, where they provided humanitarian relief to Kurdish refugees until July 1991. Units, which deployed included the 709th MP Battalion, from Hanua, Germany and the 527th MP Company from Giessen, Germany. Assigned to the 527th MP Company was 3rd Platoon from the 202nd MP Co. While in Iraq, 3rd Platoon handled Kurdish resettlement, city clearance overwatch, MSR etc. Operations were conducted from the Turkish border to the 36th, to static posts at JTF-B HQ.

With the return of the 3rd Platoon, the 202nd Military Police Company was inactivated in the spring of 1992. Colonel Scott Larson, Captain Pat Crisler, and First Sergeant White cased the colors for the final time at a ceremony held in Giessen.

NATO Site 4 is currently abandoned and overgrown. The U.S. Army used parts of the Giessen Depot for training and storage until 2001 when the facility was returned to the host nation. However, the Pendleton Barracks area was remodeled for refugee apartments, and no longer resembles a military compound.

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Credit and sincere THANKS to my friend Robert "Bob" Gunnarson, a 285th MP CO. veteran, for much of the information presented here. As Bob gets closer to publication, I will be putting more information out on his new book. Bob is finalizing his master work on the definitive history of the Military Police Corps during the Cold War. I have had the privilage to review portions of the work, and I recommend that all 202 vets purchase a copy.