Maneuvers at Hohenfels, 1988    

These pictures were taken during the semi-annual Maneuver training exercises called "Iron Forge", conducted at the Hohenfels Maneuver Training Area, now called the CMTC, or Combined Maneuver Training Area. This is one of the larges training areas in Germany and is still used by US and German military forces to conduct "force-on-force" training in a realistic setting. Most recently, the CMTC is also where units from the US and Europe are 'validated' before beginning missions in the various Former Republics of Yugoslavia.

All of the pictures below I took while riding with the "Observer-controllers", or "OC's", who were the umpires for this force-on-force exercise. The exercise rules called for all formations to be accompanied by an OC to keep them honest. The OC I rode with, Major Russ Thaden, was the officer-in-charge of the All Source Intelligence Center (ASIC) for the 1st Armored Division, where I was assigned. Since he knew we got bored on these long deployments (typically over a month) he often offered to let us accompany him on his tour of duty as an OC. Major Thaden was usually the OC for the "OpFor", or Opposing Force, the force that mimicked Soviet doctrine and tactics that the "BlueFor" was supposed to fight against.

I took these photos from the rear hatch of an M-113A2 Armored Personnel carrier, which labored hard to keep up with the M1A1 Abrams tanks our division was equipped with.

Above: Starting out on a cold April morning, we struggled to keep up with "our" M1A1 tanks

Below: M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank (MBT) roars off down the trail, spraying mud from its tracks. Hard to believe that something that weighs 120,000 lbs can move this fast!

Above and below: M1A1's "make smoke" by dripping diesel fuel onto their exhaust pipes. Note the red flags and the black star surrounded by red: Symbols of the "OPFOR"

Above: Deciding we were going too slow, this M1 from the Opfor decides to cut around us in the thick, gooey mud. Despite the mud, these tanks "float" over the ground like magic carpets. Truly a sight!

Below: Opfor M113 (notice the red tape making an "X" on the side: This marks the vehicle as OPFOR) decides to pass us so he can get into deployment position. This photo is from the Summer rotation in August of 1988. Notice that the mud has turned to dust.

Above and below: Two more pictures from the August rotation. In the photo above, the M1 wheels around in a sharp turn, throwing dirt to the side as it "skids" around. Tank was moving at about 25mph when this photo was taken.

Below: OPFOR M1 emerges from behind a concealing tree stand to search for BLUEFOR targets of opportunity.

All images are © by Martin Albright unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

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