The Berlin Wall

[CSB]

Story/Question:

My son asked me if I ever saw the Wall. I was in the FRG -- back when there was an FRG and a DDR -- at a little place called Bad Toltz in 1981, just on a short tour of 21 days from an unclassified middle east project. I wanted to go see the Wall, but i was told that SHAFE HQ had to approve all trips into East Germany if the tourist/soldier had a TS/SCI clearance. And I was told, the process would take weeks.

Anybody know if that was true, or just the S2's way of keeping me on Flint Kasern (not that I minded too much, since the ski season had just begun).

[Surf n Turf]

Originally Posted by CSB

Story/Question:

My son asked me if I ever saw the Wall. I was in the FRG -- back when there was an FRG and a DDR -- at a little place called Bad Toltz in 1981, just on a short tour of 21 days from an unclassified middle east project. I wanted to go see the Wall, but i was told that SHAFE HQ had to approve all trips into East Germany if the tourist/soldier had a TS/SCI clearance. And I was told, the process would take weeks.

Anybody know if that was true, or just the S2's way of keeping me on Flint Kasern (not that I minded too much, since the ski season had just begun).

CSB,
Don’t know about 1981, but in the 1960’s if you had such a clearance, you had get approval from your unit, take the “B” train to Berlin, register with Berlin Brigade S2, and as you were not permitted to go into the East Zone under any circumstances. You could visit in the Brits and the French areas. For exfil, again with Berlin Brigade S2, and the “B” train. There were a few MOS that were "travel restricted"(known prior to deployment to Europe), but as far as I remember, none specifically in the Special Forces area.
SnT

[Dozer523]

Originally Posted by CSB

i was told that SHAFE HQ had to approve all trips into East Germany if the tourist/soldier had a TS/SCI clearance. And I was told, the process would take weeks.Anybody know if that was true,.

It's why my dad stayed behind. As an FA officer, Dad had a TS. Heading into Communist territory and getting the "you'll have to be the 'man of the house' since I can't go" speech had a litle bit of an impact on me. At every Christmas dinner since, that trip is subtitled "when Bro Doz went nutso". "Hey", as Dad points out, "He brought you all back alive, didn't he?"

[CSB]

Thank you for the information.

[Richard]

Being in the 50-5 program and holding a TS/SBI - we weren't permitted to travel to Berlin.

Richard