Posted on Aug 22, 2019
SPC Angela Burnham
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A gentleman I did security with a long time ago served in the Berlin Brigade in the 80s, and said that if a conventional WW3 ever broke out, all of West Germany would have likely fallen in less than a month, West Berlin far sooner. How long do you think they could have lasted against a sustained assault from all directions?
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Responses: 33
SPC Kevin Ford
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Not long. The real reason they are there is for a similar reason the 2ID sits in front of the Chorwon Valley, to ensure a war with the US is triggered if they attack with associated US public support. It is a heck of a deterrent.

Are you sure you want a huge war with the US? Are you really sure, because guaranteed that's what's going to happen if you attack here.
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SPC Angela Burnham
SPC Angela Burnham
>1 y
Thats an excellent point SPC Kevin Ford!
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CPL Joseph Elinger
CPL Joseph Elinger
5 y
Suicide mission
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MSG Thomas Currie
MSG Thomas Currie
>1 y
CPL Joseph Elinger - What do you think ALL the US forces in Germany were from the mid-1970s when we moved everyone east to be closer to the Inner German Border.

The technical term for such forces is "tripwire" -- the same thing as the 2nd ID that SPC Ford mentioned in Korea, and the same reason we sent the 82nd for Desert Shield.
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MAJ Ken Landgren
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I think they would have been a speed bump.
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SSG Dave Johnston
SSG Dave Johnston
5 y
That is an interesting "Alternative History" idea maybe even worth a 'Sci-Fi" novella or novel; but consider this tidbit... 56 Bde. FA, Pershing, had 12 tactical nuc warheads ready for launch from 4 Combat Alert Sites from the early '70's.
http://www.coldwar.org/articles/50s/pershing_missiles.asp
http://pershingmissile.org/
Something to think about... Some DOD planners actually had the FRG capitulating to GDR and Soviet demands of removing NATO troops from Berlin
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MSgt John Cina
MSgt John Cina
5 y
I think they would have pushed us hard for about 30 days until their supply chain collapsed! Air superiority would have been on our side, and their cargo aircraft- while larger than ours - were primitive to load and required much more manpower!
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MAJ Ken Landgren
MAJ Ken Landgren
5 y
MSgt John Cina - A very likely scenario.
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MAJ Ken Landgren
MAJ Ken Landgren
5 y
MSgt John Cina - I think it will be a knockout brawl for strategic and tactical air superiority.
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SPC David S.
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The Russian armor formation was split into two specialized formations - the tank division and the mechanized division. In regards to main battle tanks NATO vs WARSAR pack - it was like 17000 to 46000. It would have been a blitz assault - a couple of days.
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SPC David S.
SPC David S.
>1 y
PO3 Donald Murphy - agree would have been a "gone rouge" event - most likely a sub. Many people do not know how close we came to a nuke war back in '62. Thank God to cooler heads - shows as well why you need people who can think and not just push buttons in positions with latitude in use of nukes. Valentin Savitsky should be a global hero.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/03/you-and-almost-everyone-you-know-owe-your-life-to-this-man/
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MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D.
MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D.
5 y
We used to joke that cavalry platoon leaders on the Czech and East German borders had a life expectancy after "the balloon went up" that would have given them time to key the mic on their CVC and shout, "Here they co--"!
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CPL Joseph Elinger
CPL Joseph Elinger
5 y
In WW2 Germany that would be the same: Panzer for Armor, & Panzer Grenadier for Mechanized Infantry (attached to an Armor Division).
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CPL Joseph Elinger
CPL Joseph Elinger
5 y
SPC David S.
I fully agree. Also remember: Stalin was not a Communist, he was a Nationalist ruling a Communist Country. He had no interest in expanding Communism beyond Russia's neighbors. Russia is still enormous & plentiful in resources as well. They need to "reclaim" the quality of their lands & develope it, * Just like Israel rec;aimed a barren, underdeveloped, underpopulated desert.
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