Integration of German Territorial Forces in NATO Planning.
Abstract
By law, the peacetime strength of the West German armed forces cannot exceed 500,000 soldiers; however, its waritime strength will grow to 1.34 million. Over 800,000 soldiers are members of the German military reserve system, with the majority assigned to the Territorial Army. Increased awareness by the U.S. of the rear area threat in the event of war in Germany, coupled with the commitment by the FRG to provide 93,000 Wartime Host Nation Support (WHNS) soldiers to reinforce U.S. forces, demands that we fully understand the contributions of the German Territorial Army (GTA). Realization that WHNS to U.S. forces is a direct responsibility of the GTA, and this support wil impact on how NATO forces wage war in the event of Warsaw Pact aggression, mandates the formal integration of the GTA into the NATO planning system. This essay shows that most of the groundwork to accomplish this goal has been accomplished. WHNS must become U.S. doctrine and must be presented in appropriate technical and field manuals that would foster a better understanding of the GTA, as: an Army that is structured identical to its Field Army counterparts; an Army that plans to have up to six of its Home Defense Brigades serving in Field Army divisions; and a force with its primary mission being the security of the Rear Combat Zone.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA168151
Entities
People
- Heinz Fiebig
Organizations
- United States Army War College