Reforger
American forces remained on a heightened state of alert during the Cold War, especially those in West Germany, should a war against the Soviets ever materialize. One way in which the U.S. Army prepared itself for such an event was through conducting military exercises aimed at testing combat readiness, operational planning, and other contingency measures.
Exercise REFORGER (Return of FORces to GERmany) was an annual military exercise conducted by NATO forces during the Cold War. These exercises aimed primarily at ensuring NATO’s ability to rapidly deploy troops to West Germany in the event of war in Europe. More importantly, the REFORGER exercises were designed to test American military response procedures and the ability to move conventional forces quickly from the continental United States to Central Europe.
REFORGER exercises combined two fundamental phases: the first was a small scale deployment of American forces from the continental United States to supplement U.S. Army and Air Force units already in Europe, and the second was field training exercises in West Germany. During a REFORGER exercise, thousands of Soldiers along with tank convoys maneuvered around the German countryside, testing and analyzing every aspect of modern warfare. More than just a mere show of force, REFORGER exercises provided valuable feedback
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Elements from the 24th Infantry Division participated in the first Reforger (sic) exercise in 1969. The annual event culminated during the 1988 REFORGER, when the 1st Cavalry Division deployed nearly 9,000 Soldiers to Holland, drew prepositioned equipment, moved to a staging area, and then conducted field exercises were the largest European ground maneuvers since the end of World War II. By 1993, the last REFORGER was a mere fraction of the original.
Erected by U.S. Heritage and Education Center.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, Cold.
Location. 40° 12.15′ N, 77° 9.495′ W. Marker is near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in Cumberland County. It is in Middlesex Township. Marker can be reached from Army Heritage Drive. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Carlisle PA 17013, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Team Spirit (here, next to this marker); Chief Warrant Officer 4 William F. Hale (Retired) (here, next to this marker); The Army’s New 50-Ton Killer (here, next to this marker); Cold War (a few steps from this marker); Lieutenant Colonel Brent C. Bankus (Retired) (a few steps from this
Also see . . . Exercise Reforger. Wikipedia entry. (Submitted on April 14, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2017, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 755 times since then and 182 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 28, 2017, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
