601st DASS, OL42

The 601st DASS was responsible for providing Air Force forward air control personnel to the United States Army and the 2nd German Army combat units in Southern Germany on a full time basis. OL42K of the 601st DASS was operating location 42K at Aschaffenburg, Germany, assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. ROMADs, as we were called, were assigned to the 3rd Brigade and each of its infantry and armored battalions. An Air Liaison Officer (ALO) was assigned full time at Brigade level and up. Our job was to train and travel with our assigned unit and provide close air support (CAS) to that unit upon request.

During the five years that I was assigned to the 3rd Brigade I supported numerous exercised all over Germany. I additionally supported units of the 2nd German Army and performed special activities outside of the 3rd Brigade. On one such exercise aircraft transponders were placed in our jeeps on the radio pallet. We were dispatched all over the countryside in Germany. The objective was to see if AWACS command and control aircraft could paint our jeeps on radar. (IFF) at all terrain levels and conditions. The theory was that if we were always front line with our Army unit the AWACS aircraft could paint a front line trace on radar. On numerous occasions we received only hours notice to meet a C-141 and C-130 aircraft with all our jeeps and equipment for deployment to Europe and Middle East countries.

Today ROMADs are that special Air Force career field that wears the Black Beret. They are highly trained combatants who operate as the only ground combat aggressor forces in the Air Force. In the early days we were a bunch of radio guys drafted together with some equipment to do a job. It was my great pleasure to be a part of the evolution of the ROMAD into this highly regarded Air Force speciality that we see today.

In the photo to the right Sergeant Les Gore and an unknown FAC from England are controlling a strike of Canadian F-104 aircraft on vehicle targets in the valley below them at the Aschaffenburg training area in 1974. Les stayed in the ROMAD field when it went professional and became jump qualified. He was later selected as Airman of the Year and retired recently as a Senior Master Sergeant E-8 (I believe) on the east coast. Note the MRC-107 Jeeps. These Jeeps each had a 500 watt HF radio to communicate with the Direct Air Support Center, a UHF radio to communicate with the aircraft, and a VHF radio to communicate with their Army unit. Also in the package was a portable UHF radio and a generator for long operations.

This MRC-107 went inverted on the rain soaked German autobahn on the way back from a mission. The ROMAD claimed to be uninjured.....except for his pride. The M151A1 jeep was, by itself, unstable. When the radio pallet was introduced, it also became very top heavy. Many a young ROMAD learned the hard way that this vehicle was not forgiving.

Links..........
www.romad.com

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