by Harold Coyle
As hard as he tried, Bannon couldn't downplay his joy as the colonel had. After all they had been through, be couldn't hold back. "Men, unless we receive information to the contrary, effective midnight tonight, a cease-fire will take effect along the entire front. Unless something terrible happens, the war is over."
Epilogue
Nothing terrible did go wrong. The cease-fire held. Over the next few days the Team stayed in place, maintaining its vigilance and preparing for a possible continuation of hostilities.
While they were careful not to let their guard down, life began to improve. Regular hot meals became available, as did mail service. The men began to catch up on their personal needs, from bathing to clean laundry. Even the weather improved as they moved from the heat of summer into the cool days of early September.
It was during the first week of September that the division was replaced by a National Guard unit recently arrived from the States. The job of disarming the Soviets went to them and other units. Division was temporarily moved back into West Germany, where it received some replacements of equipment and personnel. By then the Soviet regime that had started the war was dismantled, and the chances of a new war were nonexistent.
With the crisis over, the Army bureaucrats began to reassert themselves. Those people who had lived in government quarters in Germany before the war were being sent back to conduct an inventory of their property, if it were still there, and to prepare a claim for any damages. The decision as to whether personal property that survived would be sent back to the States or families brought back to Germany hadn't been made yet.
It was strange returning to the military community the battalion had left a little over a month earlier. So much had changed. The community looked the same, empty of people but otherwise unchanged. The MP who escorted Bannon's group verified their names and quarters' addresses before letting each of them into their quarters. Bannon, like most of the others, had lost his keys somewhere along the way.
When he walked into his quarters, Bannon was overcome by a feeling of relief and joy. For the first time, he knew that it was all over. The horrors, though they would never be forgotten, were now relegated to the past. He looked around the quarters. Everything was as it had been when he had left. He was home.
He picked up the family album and sat on the sofa, just as he had that night in early August.
As he leafed through it, he realized how much he missed his family. Looking at the pictures of his children, he was secure in the knowledge that they had a future free of the fears both he and his wife had grown up with. Again, Americans had been called on to pay for their freedom. And again, they had met the challenge, paid the price, and prevailed. Bannon prayed this would be the last time. But he knew better.
Glossary
A-10: A U.S. Air Force jet designed specifically to provide close air support to ground forces.
AH 1: The designation of the Cobra attack helicopter. There are several versions, and armaments range from 7.62mm miniguns up to TOW antitank guided missiles. The TOW provides the main punch of the Cobra.
AK: Short for AK47 or AK74 rifle, the standard assault rifle of the Soviet infantryman.
Armed Forces Network: The official radio and television network of the U.S. Armed Forces, serving American military forces deployed overseas.
Assembly Area: A location normally behind friendly lines where a unit closes into a tight circle in order to rest, rearm, and prepare for further operations.
Autobahn: The German equivalent to our interstate highway system, the autobahns, in fact, inspired and acted as a model for our interstate highway system.
Auxiliary Radio Receiver: Sometimes referred to as the AUX, it is simply a radio receiver, unable to transmit. Command vehicles normally carry a radio that can receive and transmit set to the radio frequency of the commander's unit and an auxiliary radio set to the radio frequency of his commanding officer.
Basic Load: A prescribed number of rounds or amount of supply carried by a combat vehicle or individual soldier.
BBC: British Broadcasting system.
BMP: A Soviet fully tracked infantry-fighting vehicle mounting either a 73mm gun or a 25mm cannon in the BMP-2 version, an antitank guided missile, and 7.62mm machine gun. The BMP carries a crew of three and a nine-man infantry squad. The BMP provided the prime motivation for the design and production of the Bradley fighting vehicle.
BTR: A designator identifying any one of several types of Soviet armored personnel carriers from the four-wheeled BTR-152 of World War II vintage to the BTR-70, an eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier now being fielded.
BTR-60: A Soviet eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier. This vehicle comes in several versions, from the original, which has an open top, to the BTR-60PB, which is completely enclosed and carries a small turret mounting a 14.5mm and a 7.62mm machine gun. In addition to the personnel carrier version, the BTR-60 serves as a command and control vehicle, close air support vehicle, and other such uses.
Bradley: An armored fighting vehicle that comes in two versions, the M-2 mechanized infantry fighting vehicle version and the M-3 scout version. Both have a two-man turret that mounts a TOW missile launcher, a 25mm chain gun, and a 7.62mm machine gun mounted coaxially with the 25mm gun.
CEOI: Short for communication and electronic operating instructions. The CEOI contains all radio frequencies, radio call signs, signal information, and passwords and countersigns.
CEV: Short for combat engineer vehicle. This vehicle is a specially modified tank that carries a large caliber demolition gun used for reducing obstacles, a dozer blade for digging positions or clearing debris, and a boom and winch.
Chemical Alarm: A small portable device the size of a bread box that samples the air and alerts its users when a chemical agent, gas, is detected.
CINC: Short for commander in chief, the term is pronounced "sink." In this case, it is referring to the four-star general in command of all NATO forces in Europe.
CO: Short for commanding officer.
COAX: Short for coaxially mounted machine gun. This weapon is normally a 7.62mm machine gun mounted next to the main weapon of a fighting vehicle.
Cobra: Nickname of the AH I attack helicopter. The Cobra is also referred to as a "Snake."
Cupola: A small, freely rotating turret on top of a tank turret or personnel carrier that incorporates a hatch, vision blocks, and usually a weapon such as a machine gun.
CVC: Short for combat vehicle crewman's helmet. This helmet provides protection to the tracked vehicle crewman's head as the tank bounces around the countryside. It is also wired to the vehicle's radio and intercom, allowing the crewman to hear what is being broadcast and to broadcast over the radio and intercom.
Division Rear: Military units occupy terrain. The terrain that the unit occupies is called a sector and is normally subdivided into sectors with subordinate units responsible for the sector they occupy. The division rear is that part of the division's sector that is to the rear of the forward-deployed combat brigades. The division rear is normally managed by the division's support command, called DISCOM, and contains most of the noncombat support elements such as supply units, maintenance units, medical units, etc.
DPICM: Short for dual-purpose, improved conventional munitions. This is an artillery round that contains many small submunitions or bomblets that are capable of defeating the thin armor located on top of armored vehicles as well as being effective against personnel and other "soft" targets.
Dragon: A medium antitank guided missile launcher. Manportable, the Dragon is the infantry's medium-range antitank weapon, with a range of 1000 meters.
Executive Officer: The second in command of a unit. In a company, the executive officer, or XO, is a first lieutenant; in a battalion, he is a major. Traditionally the XO is responsible for handling the administrative and logistical matters in the unit.
45: Short for the caliber .45 M 1911 A 1 pistol, the standard side arm for the U.S. Army. This weapon has bee
n in the Army's inventory since 1911.
Field Phone: Simple telephones that are powered either by sound TA-ls or D-cell batteries TA-312s and connected by two-strand wire called WD-1.
Fighting positions: The location or position from which a soldier or fighting vehicle fights.
This position is usually improved to provide protection to the soldier or vehicle and camouflaged to hide the position until the soldier or vehicle fires.
First Sergeant: The senior NCO in a company, normally a master sergeant or E-8. In combat, the First Sergeant assists the executive officer in handling the administrative and logistical needs of the company.
FIST: Short for fire-support team. This team is headed by an artillery lieutenant and coordinates all requests for artillery and mortar fires as well as close air support. The FIST team consists of four to six men and travels in an M-113, normally within arm's reach of the company commander.
FSOFSE: Fire-support officer and fire-support element. The fire-support officer is responsible for coordinating all indirect fires, i.e. artillery, mortar, and close air support, for the battalion or brigade to which he is attached. The fire-support element is located at the battalion or brigade command post.
Gasthaus: A small German neighborhood restaurant and pub that may also include a hotel.
GB: A chemical agent.
Gun Mantel: The armor that protects a tank's main gun and its cradle.
Halon Gas: A gas used to extinguish fires in the M-l and Bradley vehicles. Automatic fire sensors detect fires and release the halon gas within milliseconds of activation.
HEAT: Short for high explosive antitank, a round that depends on a shaped charge explosion to penetrate an armored vehicle's armor. Because the round contains high explosive, it has a secondary role as an antimaterial round.
Hind: Nickname of the Soviet MI-24D attack helicopter.
Improved TOW Vehicle or ITV: A modified M-l13 armored personnel carrier that has an antitank guided missile launcher mounted on a small rotating turret. TOW stands for tubelaunched, optically-tracked, wire-guided antitank guided missile. The TOW is currently the heaviest antitank guided missile in the U.S. Army's inventory capable of hitting a tank-sized target out to a range of 3700 meters with a 90 hit probability.
Intercom: Short for intercommunications system. The intercom links all tracked vehicle crewmen together and allows the crew to talk amongst themselves.
LAW: Short for light antitank weapon. The current U.S. Army LAW contains a 66mm antitank rocket that has an effective range of 300 meters. The LAW comes in a collapsible tube that is discarded when the rocket has been fired.
LBE: Short for load-bearing equipment. This is the web gear worn by soldiers that includes suspenders and a web belt to which equipment is attached, such as ammo pouches, the soldier's first-aid pouch, canteen, grenades, bayonet, pistol holster, etc. LBE is designed, in theory, to evenly distribute the weight of this equipment on the soldier's body.
LOGREP: Short for logistics report. Submitted to higher headquarters to inform them of the current status of ammunition, fuel, maintenance, and supply of a unit.
LP: Listening post. A listening post is an outpost that is used during periods of limited visibility to provide security and early warning to the unit that it is covering. As its name implies, the LP relies on hearing the approaching enemy.
M-l: This is the current main battle tank of the U.S. Army. It has a crew of four, mounts a 105mm main gun, an M2 caliber .50 machine gun, and an M240
7.62mm machine gun. The 63-ton tank is powered by a 1500 horsepower turbine engine and is capable of 45 mphs. The fire-control system incorporates a laser range finder, a solid-state computer, a thermal imaging sight, and other electronics that allow the main gun to fire while on the move with a high degree of accuracy, day or night.
M-3: The scout version of the Bradley fighting vehicle. See Bradley for a description.
M60: A 7.62mm machine gun that is the mainstay of the U.S. Army's infantry squad. It has an effective range of 900 meters.
M-113: Until recently, the M-l13 was the primary armored personnel carrier. Weighing 13 tons, it has a crew of two, driver and commander, and the capacity to carry an entire infantry squad. The M-113 is normally armed with a caliber .50 M2 machine gun located at the commander's position. Because infantry cannot fight while mounted, the M-113 is being replaced by the M-2 Bradley fighting vehicle. The M-113 still remains a mainstay in the U.S.
Army, performing support roles on or near the front.
M-577: A specially configured personnel carrier used as a command and control vehicle at battalion and brigade level.
Mech: Short for mechanized or, in the case in this book, mechanized infantry.
MI-241: A Soviet attack helicopter similar to the U.S. Army AH 1. The MI-241, named Hind, is heavily armed with an automatic cannon and antitank guided missiles and is well armored.
Mine Roller: An attachment to a tank that clears a path through a mine field for an attacking armored force. The rollers are nothing more than large metal wheels that are pushed ahead of the tank and set off mines as they run over them.
MOPP Level: Short for mission-oriented protective posture. MOPP levels prescribe how prepared individuals are to be to meet a chemical attack. In MOPP level I, soldiers simply carry or have their protective gear available. In MOPP level II, soldiers will don the chemical protective suit and carry their protective masks, gloves and boots. MOPP level III requires the soldier to wear the chemical protective suit, gloves, and boots. MOPP level IV, the highest level, requires the soldier to wear all his protective clothing and his protective mask.
MIZE: Short for Meal, Ready to Eat. MREs have replaced the age-old C-rations as the standard combat ration in the U.S. Army.. MREs are a combination of dehydrated and ready-to-eat foods that come in plastic pouches.
MTU: A Soviet tank-mounted bridge that can be laid under fire across obstacles such as antitank ditches or small streams.
NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Founded in 1949, it is a military alliance whose expressed purpose is to prevent Soviet expansion in Europe. Today, NATO consists of Norway, Great Britain, Denmark, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, the Federal Republic of Germany, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Canada, and the United States. France is still a member but does not actively participate in NATO maneuvers or exercises.
NBC-1 Report: An initial, chemical attack report.
NCO: Short for noncommissioned officer or sergeant. NCO ranks are: E-5 or buck sergeant, three stripes; E-6 or staff sergeant, three stripes and one rocker or lower stripe; E-7 or sergeant first class, three stripes and two rockers; E-8 or master sergeant, three stripes and three rockers; and E-9 or sergeant major, three stripes, three rockers with a star between the stripes and rockers.
Night Vision Goggles: Night vision devices that amplify available light and provide the user with a visible image.
OH-58: Designation of the U.S. Army's current scout or observation helicopter.
OP: Short for outpost or observation post. An outpost is placed well forward of a unit's main position and is intended to provide security and early warning for the unit. An OP can be manned by two or more dismounted personnel or armored vehicles.
Panzer: German for armor.
Panzer Grenadier: The German term for mechanized infantry.
Platoon Sergeant: The senior noncommissioned officer in a platoon, normally an E-7. The platoon sergeant is the second in command of the platoon and performs the same duties that the executive officer does at company or battalion level.
PRC-77: A small man-portable FM radio used by the infantry.
Protective Mask: Gas mask.
REFORGER: A peacetime exercise that practices the redeployment of U.S.. forces from the continental U.S. to Europe.
Remote Box: Part of the track's radio system, it allows the track commander to change frequencies from his position without having to climb down into the vehicle.
RPG: Sho
rt for rocket-propelled grenade. The RPG is the standard Soviet infantryman's antitank rocket, the equivalent to the U.S. Army's LAW.
S-1: The "S" is for staff. The S-1 is the staff officer responsible for all personnel matters in the battalion or brigade.
S-2: The staff officer responsible for gathering, analyzing, and producing intelligence on enemy activities and intentions.
S-3: The staff officer responsible for planning, coordinating, and monitoring combat operations of the battalion or brigade.
S-4: The staff officer responsible for providing and coordinating for supply, maintenance, and non-combat transportation needs of the battalion or brigade.
SABOT: The word is actually French for shoe. Here, it is the name of an antitank round.
SABOT is short for armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot. The round consists of a small tungsten alloy or depleted uranium penetrator that has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the gun tube. To compensate for this, the penetrator is seated in a boot that is the same diameter as the gun.
This boot, called the SABOT, falls away after the round leaves the gun, leaving the penetrator to continue to the target.
SHELLREP: Short for shell report. Used to report the impact of enemy artillery.
SITREP: Short for situation report. Subordinate commanders use the SITREP to update their superiors on the current activities, location, and condition of their unit.
SOP: Short for standing operating procedures. A unit SOP prescribes set actions to be taken given in a given situation.
Spot Report: A short, concise report used to provide information on the sighting of enemy activity. At a minimum, the report provides information on who has made the sighting, when the sighting was made, where the enemy was observed, how the enemy was equipped, and what he was doing.
Stand-to: A set time, normally before dawn, when all members of a unit are awake and manning their weapons and fighting positions.