________________________________________________________________________Richard S. Kem
So, Europe's case for arguing and justifying its funding needs was based on pretty good
things. We had books and charts and pictures to show the good things that had been funded
and the things that remained to be done. The budgets turned down, and it was starting to run
out.
We'll talk about this later, but to make the point, this became an essential part of Butch
Saint's approach when it came to drawing up plans for any potential drawdown. That was to
keep the best facilities--I should say the best installations, not facilities--in terms of
providing for the needs of the command.
When we were picking a brigade location where we were going to stay, the fact that it had
better facilities, better housing, better support facilities, and better local training areas
became a very key factor for that decision. We would select locations out of what was there
and thus, then, offset the reduced funding we were to receive. The funding would have been
for other places, now no longer going to be needed.
Q:
Well, that seems to have required lots of good current data on the facilities, the state of
facilities, the backlog of maintenance and repair, all those sorts of issues. So, DCSENGR
kept a lot of data, I presume. I mean, that was one of its responsibilities, to keep up with the
state of facilities.
A:
Yes. We also had the regional DEHs at the Corps levels--the XXII Corps Command, VII
Corps, V Corps--who had input data, too, so that we could put together all the necessary
data and analysis.
Speaking of quality of life, that was really an emphasis point and something that we needed
to take care of. The command took that to heart, and it was across the board. I'm really not
only speaking of the facilities, but in all elements there was a real attempt to provide a
community life that was American in its aspects of providing for people and for our soldiers
and their families who were uprooted from their home, from their home country, and brought
over to Europe. We wanted to not only open them to the culture and things German and other
nationalities but also provide for them the quality of life essentially equal to what they left
behind.
One of the other organizational changes when ISAE disappeared was that the responsibility
for furnishings and appliances came to DCSENGR. Now ISAE, of course, had worked for
DCSENGR so, in a sense, it was there to begin with.
Let me depart, just to finish one other organizational change that comes to mind too.
Previously, the Real Estate Offices had been brought under ISAE, back in the '79 time frame.
Now, under the OtisSmith reorganization, they had come back to report to George Fuentes,
the Chief of Real Estate in the Office of the DCSENGR.
One of the things I think we did pretty well was in appliance change out. Our folks were able
to order and bring in appliances to a central location and then feed them to all the other
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