Reorganization and Cold War service 70th Armor Regiment

m60a3 main battle tank company a, 2nd battalion, 70th armor, 24th infantry division, conducting gunnery practice during multinational joint service exercise bright star 85 in egypt, august 1985.

2–70 armor reactivated , once again assigned 1st brigade, 24th infantry division @ fort stewart, georgia, part of army s rapid deployment force (rdf), provided significant portion of rdf s heavy tank capability. in role, unit participated in various southwest asia operations , deployments, including cyprus , egypt (operation bright star). in 1986, not long before again being inactivated, 2–70 armor modernized m60a3 s m1a1 abrams tanks under division 86 force structure. in order facilitate unit realignment according u.s. army regimental system (usars), on 15 october 1987, 2–70 armor inactivated @ fort stewart. on 16 december 1987, battalion again activated , assigned 1st armored division, erlangen, west germany, remained until deployed saudi arabia in 1990.

3–70 armor activated in 1975 , assigned 2nd brigade of reactivated 5th infantry division @ fort polk, louisiana. battalion equipped m60a1 tanks. reorganized modernized “j-series” battalion, 4 tank companies instead of three, in 1985, m60a1 series tanks not replaced m1 abrams tanks until 1988.

in 1989, army reorganized regimental system under u.s. army regimental system (usars) , 70th armor regiment again saw units redesignated. of battalions of 70th armor retained prior designations , bases, reorganization saw creation of fourth battalion (4–70 armor) first time. expansion reflected military buildup begun under reagan administration. battalions of 70th armor regiment remained active until after disbanding of warsaw pact in february 1991 , dissolution of soviet union in december 1991. @ time of reorganization, units designated follows:

1–70 armor – 5th infantry division, fort polk, louisiana
2–70 armor – 1st armored division, ferris barracks, erlangen, germany
3–70 armor – 5th infantry division, fort polk, louisiana
4–70 armor – formed 2–81 armor, ferris barracks, erlangen, germany, , assigned 1st armored division, germany.




^ mcgrath, pp. 190–191
^ mcgrath, p. 185
^ history of organization of 5th mechanized infantry division @ fort polk, la http://perso.numericable.fr/~yvesjbel/polk_org2.html
^ center of military history, lineage , honors, 2nd battalion 70th armor, http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/ar/070ar002bn.htm
^ da go 1989–25