Ayers Kaserne "the Rock" at Kirch-Göns

Known throughout USAREUR as "the Rock" in reference to the original "Rock" in San Francisco Bay.
The area on which the kaserne was located served as a recovery field for the German Luftwaffe during World War Two. The entire base was demolished, except for one bunker.
The present US installation was built in 1952 as part of the major construction efforts under the US Army troop augmentation program of the early 1950s. The new installation is named Ayers Kaserne in honor of SSG Lovall E. Ayers, B Company, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Inf Div, killed in action in WWII.
Combat Command A, 3rd Armd Div was stationed at at Ayers Kaserne beginning 12 May 1956.
As of 1 October 1963, Combat Command A was is reorganized and redesignated as the 1st Brigade, 3AD.
This US Army photo (circa 1989) by SP4 Jay Sehi shows the newly built barracks for the 2Bn/3d Field Artillery. When the 3AD redeployed to Kuwait for Desert Storm, this post was left a virtual ghost town, and in 1998 the site was given back to the German government.
The land is now used by a transport company named "Bork".
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Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigade
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:  50°28'41"N 8°38'23"E

Comments

  • I was stationed at Ayers Kaserne from September 1956 to January 1 1958 George McGarvey
  • Spc. Wright. Was stationed at the rock from 1988 to 92. 2/3fa
  • Spc. Torres, i was stationed at the rock from july 1974 to dec 1974
  • Spc, Torres i was stationed from julu 1974 to dec 1975
  • I was statiioned at The Rock in D Co. 2/36 from 1985-1988
  • I was station at the Rock from Dec, 1985 - March, 1988. Headquarters, S -3 Operations, 3/36 Infantry, 3rd Armored Division.
  • Gene Phillips, December 1963-July 1966. December 1963, arrived around midnight from the States, up the next morning and shipped out to Grafenwöhr 3/36 Infantry. Later chosen as driver and assistant to Col. Carl P. Kiser, followed by Col. Vasko J. Fanelli until my tour was finished July 1966. Exec Major Grady W. Williams and Col. Fanelli tried to get me to re=enlist as Col. Fanelli was about to become Brigadier General Fanelli. THat Generals can take whoever they want to their next duty station, that General Fanelli would certainly take me with him! He did take me everywhere he went in Germany, and placed so much trust and responsibility with me and my judgements and suggestions. I learned to speak German in my first year there, and became Herr Phillips, the Americanishen Film Star!! The best 3 years of my life!!! I returned to The Rock in 1990, during a Country Music Festival with Country Rose in Kassel, and then Western Days Festival in Gotha Germany, in what was very recently East Germany. Where I met legendary Loman, who celebrated the wall coming down by riding his horse, on a saddle he made from an American West magazine, wearing a cowboy hat he made, waving the rebel flag, celebrating the destruction of the wall! He was on front pages of European newspapers, on talk shows and later had his own radio program of country music. He learned to speak English, listening to Country Music. Loman was an official of this festival. He insisted I stay at his home, instead of the local hotel. We sat up all night as he shared his stories of life under the communist rule. I have lots of photos from that festival. The second day I was there, Loman gave me a newspaper the next day, of me on the front page. I was the American Cowboy from Nashville, TN at that festival. In 2010 I was remembering Kirch Goins, looked it up and learned most of the post had been demolished. I looked at the photos on the link and had so many flashbacks of my barracks, post headquarters, the parade field...so many memories!!!
  • 2/36 echo company..Kevin Hendricks.Still living in Germany
  • Sept 1974 - July 1975 . Were you there when Ford arrived ? Where are you from ? I had buddies there I haven't seen including Rudy Cedillo from San Antonio . Ring a bell ? Please respond .
  • E Co. 3/36 INF July 1984-March 1986: What a place Ayers Kaserne was back then. So many US soldiers in the middle of cold war West Germany. The world is a very different place now, I guess. It was a pretty hard life there, I remember, but there were also some good times, in between the other stuff...
  • yeap, I was there 1983 to 1984 2/36 inf. Headquarters 64 charlie. going to Graf. Wildchicken, Hoensfeld. frickin Alerts. sleeping in my 5 ton many many nights. reforger. long days and nights working on my truck in the motorpool. Thanks Sgt. Gardner. he was a workaholic ! we were always the latest squad working on our trucks. anytime we came back from the field it was a train trip to Frankfurt ! good times there.
  • There 1974 to 1976 3rd Bt 33 Arm A comp, 45R20 on M60 A2, turret mac and loved my job. Loved Germany.
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This article was last modified 14 years ago