ARMY NAVY & AIR FORCE JOURNAL
19 March, 1949

United States Forces, Austria
By Lt. Gen. Geoffrey Keyes
Commanding General, U.S. Forces in Austria

May, 1949, will mark the fourth anniversary of the activation of Headquarters, United States Forces in Austria (USFA), which is charged with the mission of reestablishing a free, independent and democratic Austria, possessing a sound economy capable of insuring an adequate standard of living.

Progress toward fulfillment of this mission has resulted in numerous changes in the detailed organization and functions of USFA, a natural result of our gradual readjustment from an initial policy of strict military control over the impoverished and disorganized country at the end of the war, to a policy of observation, advice and assistance to a freely-elected and capable Austrian Government, to which the great majority of controls and responsibilities has been returned. Coincident with the release by USFA of these functions and responsibilities, a gradual but large reduction of headquarters personnel and troop strength has logically taken place.

USFA today consists of USFA Headquarters in Vienna, Headquarters Command which administers the US Sector of Vienna, and Headquarters Zone Command in Salzburg which administers the US Zone of Austria, the nearest area of which is separated from Vienna by some one hundred miles of Soviet Zone. Headquarters Zone Command has two major subordinate area commands with areas of responsibility fixed according to Austrian political boundaries; Land Upper Austria Area Command with headquarters at Linz and Land Salzburg Area Command with headquarters at Salzburg.

USFA Headquarters is an integrated headquarters which discharges both Civil Affairs and Military functions. The Commanding General, USFA, is also the U.S. High Commissioner in Austria. In his capacity as High Commissioner, he is responsible directly to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington for all Civil Affairs matters. As the Commanding General, USFA, he is responsible for military matters to the Commander-in-Chief, European Command in Germany. The Civil Affairs functions of the headquarters are very closely coordinated with the United States Legation in Vienna. To ensure this coordination, the US Minister to Austria, the Honorable John G. Erhardt, is also Political Advisor to the High Commissioner. Similarly extremely close coordination has been achieved with the Economic Cooperation Administration (ECA) in Austria where the Chief of the ECA Mission, the Honorable Clyde N. King, is also Economic Advisor to the High Commissioner.

USFA troop units are stationed in the US Zone of Austria and the US Sector of Vienna. These units are practically all committed on stationary occupation duties in support of Civil Affairs activities and presently include the 350th Infantry and 4th Constabulary Regiments with supporting troops.

Contrary to the opinion of many people, there are several major differences between the Occupation of Austria and that of Germany. Austria has in existence a Federal Government elected by popular vote, with active executive, legislative, and judicial bodies. Germany has no central government. Unlike Germany, Austria is a liberated, not a conquered country. In Germany, there is complete control administered by a strictly Military Government Organization (OMGUS), with its separate Chain of Command. In Austria, the days of strict control passed in June 1946, with the signing of the New Control Agreement by the four occupation powers, to a completely Civil Affairs status insofar as the US Occupation Forces are concerned. The resulting Civil Affairs functions are administered by a comparatively small staff of experts who are an integral part of USFA, a staff section (USACA) with no separate organization or Chain of Command. In addition, there is still in existence in Austria an Allied Commission composed of representatives of the four occupying powers at the Allied Council, the Executive Committee, and Directorate levels, which continues to meet regularly.

It is the United States policy in Austria to turn over responsibility to the Austrian Government as rapidly as the Government is capable of accepting it and this policy is invariably followed by the US Element in the Allied Commission. Where agreement cannot be reached because of Soviet reluctance to relinquish control, our policy is to turn over the responsibility to the Austrian Government in the United States Zone except where such action might place the Government at a disadvantage with one of the occupying powers.

Although Austria's progress to date is very encouraging, she is far from self-sustaining. Much of her industrial and transportation equipment is badly in need of repairs, spare parts, and replacements. Industry, having been geared to the German economy and war effort, must be rebalanced. Over-expansion in certain heavy industries must be replaced by the development of appropriate production of finished and semi-finished goods which can furnish the necessary foreign credits for the import of food, raw materials, and capital equipment. Soviet removals of industrial equipment, oil, and machine tools claimed as German assets and war booty have increased the economic problem. In addition, there is the heavy burden of four-power occupation.

Despite the serious obstacles of the past and the different problems still to be overcome. Austria has established a firm foundation for rehabilitation and her people and Government have demonstrated the strength of character and industry necessary to rebuild a sound economy. The relief supplies and assistance given to Austria have been judiciously distributed and profitably utilized. Industry, almost at a complete standstill at the end of the war, has steadily increased production, particularly the basic chemical, wood, textile, paper, metallurgical, and machinery and equipment industries. In October 1948 production of pig iron, magnesite, crude steel, rolled steel, aluminum, ball-bearings, incandescent lamps, and soda ash exceeded average monthly production in 1937, her last pre-war year as an independent nation. Although still 700 calories below that of normal years, the food ration for the normal consumer was raised twice during 1948 and the Austrian people are presently better fed, housed, and clothed than at any time since 1945. Employment at the end of September 1948 was the highest in Austrian history. With further assistance by the shipments of capital goods and essential ra materials through the European Recovery program, Austria can again become self-sustaining and an asset to the world of nations. She has earned this chance.

ARMY NAVY & AIR FORCE JOURNAL
23 February, 1952

Austria Tactical Command

A new shoulder sleeve insignia, incorporating the colors symbolic of the three basic combat arms, has been approved by the Army for use by the Tactical Command, U.S. Forces Austria.

Described as "a red square, with rounded corners, outlined in yellow, formed by four discs centered on the diagonals of the square and overlapping a larger central disc; worn with one point of the square up," the new insignia replaces the old 88th Division patch now in use by the 350th Infantry Regiment and the USFA patch worn by other tactical command units.

The USFA patch, a shield of red and white vertical stripes with a blue sword and olive branch, will continue to be worn by headquarters and service units of USFA.

The Tactical Command, headed by Brig. Gen. James C. Fry, USA, includes the 350th Infantry Regiment, the 4th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, the 11th AAA Battalion, the 510th Field Artillery Battalion, the 77th Field Artillery Battery, the 70th Engineer Construction Battalion, the 532nd Engineer Combat Co., the 518th Engr. Combat Company, the 7613th Flight Section, the 516th Signal Company, the 7621 Headquarters and Service Company and USFA NCO Academy.

ARMY NAVY & AIR FORCE JOURNAL
20 September, 1952

U.S. Forces in Austria
By Lt. Gen. George P. Hays, USA

U.S. Forces in Austria, a separate command, are charged with the mission of supporting the U.S. High Commissioner of Austria in his effort to reestablish a democratic Austria with a sound economy capable of insuring an adequate standard of living.

The importance of this small but strategically located country is noted when studying a map of Europe. From the standpoint of Western Europe security, Austria constitutes the Eastern-most salient of the free-nations of West Europe. This mountainous country has common borders with two of the Soviet satellites - Czechoslovakia and Hungary - forms the southern flank of Germany, and extends to the northern boundaries of Italy and Yugoslavia.

Important for its water and trade routes, Austria boasts the Rhine-Danube, main waterway of Europe, which borders the U.S. Zone on the north and flows on through Vienna. The north-south route through the Brenner Pass to Italy is the most important rail and highway route through the Alps. The southwest routes from Russia and Poland intersect with the others to make this a "cross-roads" country.

U.S. Forces in Austria (USFA) are composed of four military posts at Salzburg, Vienna, Linz, and Leghorn, Italy. The latter is USFA's Port of Embarkation from which the logistical support emanates.

The Festival City of Salzburg is the site of the largest concentration of U.S. troops, quartered in various camps around the city. Here USFA headquarters are located.

Traveling eastward, famous landmark in the Linz Military Post area, is the Soviet checkpoint at Enns, last outpost before starting the 110-mile trip through the Soviet Zone top Vienna.

Vienna is divided into four sectors, plus the International zone, which are administered directly by the Vienna Inter-Allied command. This command consists of one city commander and deputy from each of the four Powers, and each has a representative for administering the International bezirk (district).

Each month, a different Power assumes control of the International bezirk. During July, the French administered, with the USSR, US, and British following in that order. In addition to the Austrian police, five colorful International patrols, each consisting of one military policeman from each of the four Powers, police the city. Inspections of the patrols rotate daily among officers of the four Powers.

Tactical Command

Tactical troops of U.S. Forces in Austria are commanded by a Headquarters appropriately named "Tactical Command." Tactical training in USFA begins on the squad and platoon level, working up to combined American and British or French maneuvers. Austria's topography is sufficiently varied to permit training of troops in all types of terrain.

Exercise REBOUND in the summer of 1951 taught infantrymen of USFA how to operate in hot weather on terrain that is fairly level with some rolling hills. During Exercise MULE TRAIN in the French Zone of Austria last fall, USFA infantrymen doubled as mountain troops. Exercise AVALANCHE held this spring in the mountainous Arlberg area of Austria, gave USFA's ski troops a taste of rugged winter warfare in mountains as high as two miles with 20 feet of snow. USFA's artillerymen learned to get their big guns over almost impassable roads and dug-in, surrounded by walls of snow. Other combined French-American and British-American maneuvers instruct USFA's troops in the geographical details of Austria and Southern Germany. These joint maneuvers also give American men and officers practical experience in coordinating their actions with other Allied powers in Austria.

River Crossing Exercises

Other tactical training consists of problems and exercises similar to those taught the soldier in the United States. Because of the many mountain streams and rivers in Austria, river crossing exercises are an integral part of the USFA soldier's training. For unit firing exercises up to company-level, USFA tactical troops practice fire and movement on the maneuvering area at Grafenwoehr, Germany.

Just as in the United States, training is a continuous process in Austria. Training on an individual basis is done by requiring a certain percentage of the command to attend schools, operated by USFA. The Tactical Command NCO Academy graduates a class of intensively-trained soldiers every eight weeks. USFA personnel also may take advantage of the high standard of teaching offered in various Army schools throughout the European Command. The USFA Troops Information and Education program presently is engaged in educating the soldier with courses designed to improve his skill in military occupation.