• Wildflecken Training Area

• Unit History

• Read what GlobalSecurity.org say's about Wildflecken

• 3rd ARB 50th Infantry 7th Army

• 2nd Battalion 15th Infantry 3rd ID

• 54th Engineer Battalion

• 144th Ordnance Company

DEDICATED TO TRAINING THE WORLDS FINEST SOLDIERS

The Beginning Days

Another name to be added to the Rams "visits-of-the-year" was that of the "small wild place" -- or in the German -- Wildflecken. Located in the wilds of West Germany, near historic Fulda, Wildflecken first was heard of in history when Prince Gustavus Adolphus went through during one of his sweeps through Central Europe, as the 30 Years War of the 17th Century surged up and down German marches and mountains. The local area continued to be small, wild and rural until Hitler visited it in 1936. From then on, it was one of the largest casern's in Europe, with miles of wire and closely spaced sentry boxes making it one of the "invisible places" of the Third Reich. During World War II, it became the home of suffering people, first as a prison camp for Polish and Russian prisoners of war and then, in 1945 and the years following, until 1951, a Displaced Persons Camp for Eastern Europeans fleeing across the Iron Curtain. During that time, the United Nations Rehabilitation and Relief Administration processed 15,000 Eastern Europeans into a new life in the West. The American Army took 54 kilometer square area over in 1951 as a field training center. The area, which can hold 10,000 to 15,000 troops at a time. From the 1st to the 15th of March, Wildflecken seen its first visit of American troops from the 85th Infantry, as the Battalions, supported by Tank Co, Heavy Mortar Co and the 25th FA Battalion, phased through practice battalion tests, in preparation for their April - May "Wet Runs" in Grafenwohr.
 

Wildflecken Training Area

(WTA) began in 1936 with the German Supreme Army Headquarters decision to construct major training areas for the IX Corps. Total land acquired was 15,000 acres in Bavaria and 3,000 in Hessia. Construction began in 1937, and more than 8,000 men were employed to complete the project in one year. In addition to building the main caserne, an ammunition factory was build at what is now Oberwildflecken. WTA was constructed concurrently with the establishment of Hohenfels Training Area, the Vilseck Garrison and the expansion of Grafenwoehr Training Area.

German IX Corps Commander General Dollmann fired the first round for the opening of the training area on 8 February 1938, and numerous German army units trained at WTA during World War II. Due to the densely wooded vegetation and effective camouflage, WTA was never discovered by allied aerial reconnaissance throughout the War. German military training terminated before 6 April 1945, when elements of the Third U.S. Army occupied the area. After a short fight against the retreating Germans, units of the 14th Armor Division and the 3rd Infantry Division gained control of the vast installation. At the end of the war, the caserne became a displaced persons camp for approximately six years under the direction of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA). In April 1951, the U.S. Military assumed control of the caserne, and shortly thereafter WTA became a major training area for U.S. and other NATO forces.

From 1951 to 1967, the training area was under various command headquarters. On 2 July 1967, WTA was assigned to the 7th Army Training Command in Grafenwohr. The training area remained under this headquarters until October 1982, when control of the military community was transferred to V Corp; however, the training area command remained under grafenwohr. On 1 October 1990, control and supervision of both the community and training area was again assumed by 7th Army Training Command. Concurrently, an Area Support Group organization was implemented throughout USAREUR to administratively and logistically support installation/base operations for tactical units and the major training area command.

Click the graphic below (donated by WVA Member J. Chorazy) and it  gives you a perspective of where Wildflecken is and how close the border was.

This is what it looks like today from a Satellite View.

As a result of the new area support realignment, WTA became a separate and subordinate command under the 7th Army Training Command in Grafenwohr, supported by the 100th Area Support Group. Subsequently, the 283nd Base Support Battalion was activated 16 October 1991 at WTA, one of four base support battalions of the 100th Area Support Group. The mission of the 283rd Base Support Battalion was to plan, coordinate, and execute base operations for the Wildflecken community and to provide mission support to the WTA Command.

Over the years, more than 4.5 million soldiers from U.S. and NATO units have conducted training at WTA to maintain their combat readiness. The training area has also hosted the following USAREUR level competitions: the Infantry Skills, the Engineer Sapper Stakes, the Air Defense Stinger Shoot-out, and the Cavalry Cup.

In 1994 the U.S. Army returned WTA to the German government. The German Army (Bundeswehr) assumed control of the place shortly after the U.S. forces had left. Today the German Army Center of Tactical Simulation plus several army units found a new home in the large complex. The training area is still used by NATO Forces. U.S. Army units, now as guests of the German Army, still train regularly at, what formerly had been known as WTA.

Brief Unit History Continued...

From the 1950's to July 15th, 1962 the 3rd Armored Rifle Battalion 50th Inf. 7th Army was the primary OPFOR Battalion Stationed at Wildflecken. Wildflecken was a Major training area along with Grafenwohr, and Hoensfels. These areas were the European version of National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin California. The 50th's mission was to provide Opposing Forces (OPFOR) for units that came to Wildflecken to train. Wildflecken's goal was to provide Low Mountain Warfare and Cold Weather training. Under the 7th Corps our training time in the field was mild compared to what was to come in July 1962. Under 7th Corps, if we spent 10 days at a time and 6 Months in the field it was considered excessive. But! When the 50th retired its colors in July of 1962 and we were re-designated the 2nd Bn. 15th Inf. 3rd ID. All that changed. We were now going to do 7 to 9 Months and as many as 30 days in the field and that was to include breaking starch and spit shinning boots. We had readiness test at least once a month and if we weren't quick enough we did it again. Most of the time the readiness test coincided with a war game that lasted 10 to 15 days. Of course this all happened in the winter. Both the Battalion's be it the 50th or the 15th had maybe 950 to 1000 personnel. They were mechanized infantry. HQ had the Scout, 106, 4.2 mortar, transportation, Medical and commo platoons. The Mess split into two mess sections; 1. Trans. and the other a Command Post (CP). When we were the 50th the Scout Platoon had M38A2's with 30 cal Air Cooled MGs and later were upgraded to M151's and were mounted with M60's. Later on in 1962 the 15th was upgraded to the M114's Scout Track which was a 3 man APC and two M60 Tanks. The 106 and Motor platoons stayed the same. The line companies were made up of all 11 Bravos with M59 APC's which were later replaced with M113 APC's. During the 1960's the energy that the men of the 50th and 15th had in them from all that training made them the best Infantry unit in USAREUR but when it came to garrison we were a little bad. lots of DR's. The 15th later went on to forge a path for peace in the Balkans and the Mid-East where they proved their metal again during OIF. As stated above the US Army transferred the WTA in 1994 back to the Germans. If you are a member of the Wildflecken Veterans Association You can read more about the History of the units in our Message Board

What GlobalSecurity.org say's about Wildflecken

Wildflecken is the German army’s Battle Exercises Simulation System Center. Wildflecken is on the old border between East and West Germany, in northernmost Bavaria in the middle of the Fulda Gap. The area is about 15k acres in Bavaria and 3k in Hessen, east of Wasser Kuppe (water cup) with Fulda being west of the same. It had a distinct Alpine tone. The 100th Area Support Group (ASG) originally included four base support battalions (BSBs): the 281st in Vilseck, the 282nd in Hohenfels, the 283rd in Wildflecken, and the 409th in Grafenwoehr. In 1994 the 283rd Base Support Battalion inactivated and the Wildflecken Training Area returned to German control. Wildflecken was a NATO training post -- the US ran it but most NATO countries came there to train. During the Cold War the Wildflecken Maneuver Training Area was one of three Major Training Areas -- Grafenwoehr, Hohenfels and Wildflecken. These facilities were established and developed by the German army. The Wildflecken installation began in 1936 as The German Supreme Army training post. Some insist that the name means other things, but flecken means "spot", hence, “Wildspot”. It was used during WWII for POWs. The "American Era" began with the end of World War II in 1945. The two big training areas taken over from the Nazis were Wildflecken and Grafenwoehr in Bavaria. Along with Graphenwoher and Hoenfels, Wildflecken is (or was) one of the largest maneuver areas available to US forces in Europe. By 1988 an engineer task force were planning the construction of a $22 million tank gunnery range at Wildflecken Training Area, Germany. Wildflecken is a famed and feared Army Training Area. The US Troops and later on NATO troops went up there to do combat-training.