405th AFSB staff ride focuses on the Army Ethic

By Steven Stanfill, 405th AFSB Public AffairsJune 12, 2015

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1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – George Eaton, U.S. Army Sustainment Command historian, and Sgt. Maj. Martin Heinlein, German army, discuss the Rail Logistics between Lohr and Gemuden, Germany, during a Staff Ride near Kaiserslautern, Germany, May 28-29. (Photo by Steven Stanfill, 4... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Maj. Martin Heinlein, German army, discusses the 405th AFSB River Crossing Operations -- Rhine and Main Rivers -- as well as the structure of a German Combat Command during a Staff Ride near Kaiserslautern, Germany, May 28-29. (Photo by Steven S... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany -- As the war in Europe was speeding to its conclusion in late March 1945, Lt. Gen. George Patton received a bit of personal intelligence: his son-in-law, Lt. Col. John Waters, was being held in a German prisoner of war camp just 50 miles east of Patton's 3rd Army front. At the height of his fame, and with orders to advance his army north into the heart of Germany, Patton peeled a 300-man task force off his formation and sent it due east to Hammelburg with orders to liberate the American prisoners there.

Although "Task Force Baum" reached the camp at Hammelburg, the totally unsupported formation was too depleted and out-gunned to return to American lines, and was subsequently destroyed. Thirty-two American Soldiers died to retrieve Waters, and the entire affair remains a stain on the record of the brilliant but volatile George Patton.

The 405th Army Field Support Brigade took up the study of TF Baum during a staff ride in May that introduced leaders from throughout the command to the operation. Under the direction of George Eaton, U.S. Army Sustainment Command historian, leaders were asked to prepare weeks ahead of the event through suggested readings and were assigned individual briefings on topics ranging from late-war German tanks to POW living conditions.

While the staff ride discussed the tactical details of the battle, the real focus of the event was Patton's decision to conduct the raid at all. The legal, moral and ethical implications of ordering Soldiers into battle for personal reasons provided an opportunity to explore ethical decision making.

"With this year's profession of arms campaign focusing on the Army Ethic, I saw this particular staff ride as a perfect opportunity to build camaraderie while forcing our leaders to think through a real-world ethical problem," said Col. Todd Bertulis, commander, 405th AFSB. "It is my hope that the 405th leaders will take the lessons learned to heart as our Army looks to them to lead us through the coming years."

Sgt. Maj. Martin Heinlein, a German soldier, also participated in the event. He grew up and lives in the area and has studied TF Baum for years. He met Capt. Abraham Baum, the commander of the raid, and his ability to relay Baum's perspective to the attendees added to the experience. Heinlein led the staff ride from the comfort of a personally owned and fully restored 1943 U.S. Army Willys Jeep, adding a touch of authenticity to the day.

The American front advanced 50 miles to Hammelburg over the course of the next 10 days, and Waters was liberated with the rest of the roughly 1,500 American officers held with him. He would later earn four stars and serve as commander, U.S. Army Pacific.

"The staff ride did not disappoint," said Command Sgt. Maj. Stanley Richards, 405th AFSB. "Motivated participation from everyone, along with expert guidance and details provided by Mr. George Eaton and Sgt. Maj. Martin Heinlein, made for an interesting and fun event. I've participated in many staff rides over the course of my career and this one far exceeded all."