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Warriors in Peace Operations - Strategic Studies Institute - U.S. Army

Warriors in Peace Operations - Strategic Studies Institute - U.S. Army

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CHAPTER 6<br />

THE 28TH TRANSPORTATION BATTALION:<br />

“EN TEMPS” SUPPORT TO<br />

OPERATION JOINT ENDEAVOR<br />

Lieutenant Colonel James D. Sharpe, Jr.<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

I witnessed world events <strong>in</strong> the N<strong>in</strong>eties imp<strong>in</strong>ge upon<br />

the United States <strong>Army</strong> Europe (USAREUR). Dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

assignments <strong>in</strong> Germany, from 1990-92 and aga<strong>in</strong> from<br />

1994-96, I saw how USAREUR’s mission changed to meet<br />

the challenges of a New World Order. USAREUR forces,<br />

which once <strong>in</strong>cluded four divisions and two corps<br />

headquarters, no longer direct their resources and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

aga<strong>in</strong>st the Soviet threat at the Fulda Gap. Instead, their<br />

focus extends to more than 100 nations <strong>in</strong> the European<br />

Command (EUCOM) and Central Command (CENTCOM)<br />

areas of operation.<br />

Today, USAREUR’s mission is to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> a combatready,<br />

forward-deployed force of 65,000 soldiers, capable of<br />

provid<strong>in</strong>g immediate responses <strong>in</strong> support of the North<br />

Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), U.S. bilateral, U.S.<br />

multilateral, and U.S. unilateral objectives. On any given<br />

day <strong>in</strong> 1996, as many as 30,000 USAREUR soldiers were<br />

deployed outside the NATO Central Region (CR) <strong>in</strong> support<br />

of such activities as jo<strong>in</strong>t contact teams, comb<strong>in</strong>ed tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

events, humanitarian assistance, noncombatant<br />

evacuation, and peacekeep<strong>in</strong>g missions. Humanitarian<br />

relief operations <strong>in</strong> Africa and Operation JOINT<br />

ENDEAVOR (OJE) <strong>in</strong> the Balkans are just a few examples<br />

of the expansion of USAREUR’s new mission.<br />

169

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