Husterhoeh Kaserne


Husterhoeh Kaserne was a military facility in Pirmasens, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Kaserne is a German loanword that means "barracks." It was a United States military base 1945-1994. Since then it is a German base, most of which has closed. The base still has some US military operations and German military storage.

Location

It is at the Northern edge of the city of Pirmasens, approximately from the French border. It is bordered on the east by the Bundesstraße 270 and the west by .

Construction

Originally built in place of an apple orchard, the Husterhoeh Kaserne covered a large plateau to the North of the city of Pirmasens, as well having an extremely large system of caves and tunnels that ran to adjacent townships. The facility was initially started by the Germans during the 1930s; above-ground facilities were built to house Wehrmacht soldiers manning the Siegfried Line along the French border and included tunneling extensive underground facilities. Work was stopped in 1941 due to the war needs for personnel and resumed minorly in 1944. The facility was captured on 21 March 1945 by the 71st Infantry Division, used as a war materials storage center, then was expanded by additional construction from the late 1950s through mid 1970s; in 1976 it was officially created as a full army base of its own right. The last construction under US Military control was construction of replacement motor pool facilities for the 59th MP Co, in 1986-1987 and a new Electronic Equipment repair facility on the Kaserne and an underground Circuit Card repair facility in one of the tunnels originally constructed by the German Army. Since return to German control of the majority of the base, additional construction, removal and modification of existing buildings has occurred.

Current use

Most of the facility is now used as commercial property, with multiple car dealerships and commercial companies on the site. The city has also located a major soccer stadium on the site. The US Army Medical Materiel Center - Europe is still operational and continues to occupy its former location. The heliport landing strip has been removed and is a grass field; numerous other buildings have been removed or re-engineered for other uses including the former US Army fire station, the motorpool buildings to the north of the 76th Transportation Company 's motorpool, etc. The buildings, which have neither been re-inhabited/re-used nor demolished, are in very poor condition. The curved "Banana" Building has been modified with a museum and related entrance at the center, the entrance of which now faces outwards. The POMCUS storage facilities are now used by the German military for POMCUS storage. The American street names have been retained.

Historical use

Historical units

Detachment 13, European Special Activities Area
Husterhoeh Kaserne served as the primary base for several outlying smaller bases, including:
These smaller supported bases and storage have been returned to German control as well.
A small unit, specializing in convoy escort, was also stationed at the kaserne, though for a brief period. It was the 511th MP platoon, housed in a 2-story building well to the rear of the facility. The unit guided, managed traffic control and served as a lightly armed escort for convoys carrying exotic weapons and their parts throughout Germany. Later the unit was transferred to Maßweiler, then disbanded and the unit's members were portioned out as security guards at Dahn and Fischbach. The unit also served as OPFOR for ordnance units when they went to the field.
The US Army's 636th Ordnance Company guarded and maintained the then classified stocks of GB and VX nerve gas located at Site 59 in Clausen. This unit became the 330th Ordnance Company, 110th MP Company, 763rd Medical Det., and 98th Chemical Det. The nerve agents at Site 59, were removed under Operation Steel Box in 1990. These agents were transported by truck, rail and ship ultimately ending up at Johnston Atoll for incineration at the Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System facility.