5th Signal Command (Theater), headquartered on Wiesbaden Army Airfield

History of 5th Signal Command
5th Signal Command (Theater), headquartered on Wiesbaden Army Airfield, provides forward-based deployable command and control communications supporting theater, joint, and combined forces. This support leverages the Global Information Grid (GIG) to enable extension and reachback capabilities for the Combatant Commander, European Command.
U.S. Army, Europe (USAREUR) and Seventh Army provides operational control for the Command, which consists of 2nd and 7th Signal Brigades. Its commanding general also serves as the deputy chief of staff, G-6 (chief information officer) for USAREUR and Seventh Army.
Headquarters, 5th Signal Command was constituted in the Regular Army and activated in Germany on July 1, 1974. The Command traces its original heritage to the U.S. Army Signal Command, Europe, organized under USAREUR General Order dated March 20, 1958, which consolidated military communications in the European Theater. It consisted of the 4th and 516th Signal Groups and 102nd Signal Battalion supporting Army Group, Central Europe; North Atlantic Treaty Organization; USAREUR; and other elements in Europe as directed.
The organization expanded from 1961 to 1964, adding 22nd and 106th Signal Groups, with theater responsibilities extending from Belgium, through France and Germany, to Italy. A group of sub-commands evolved from USSTRATCOM, the first of which was STRATCOM-Europe, established July 1, 1964, in Schwetzingen, Germany.
The collapse of communism, dismantlement of the Soviet empire, and disintegration of the Soviet Union introduced a new international world and prompted an Army-wide drawdown. This resulted in changes to military policy during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Base closures accompanied troop drawdown. The closure of the Worms Military Community brought the Command to its current home at Funari Barracks in Mannheim in September 1996. The closure of Karlsruhe Military Community required 7th Signal Brigade and assigned units to relocate to Sullivan and Taylor Barracks, also in Mannheim. The commanding general of 5th Signal Command became the senior mission commander for the Mannheim military community.
Since the 1990s, 5th Signal Command’s subordinate units have maintained a consistently high operational tempo. During Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the Command deployed elements of 7th Signal Brigade to the Persian Gulf. In July 1991, the 7th Signal Brigade supported the humanitarian relief and protection efforts for the Kurds during Operation Provide Comfort.
From 1996 to 1998, 7th Signal Brigade deployed to Hungary and Bosnia, in support of Operation Joint Endeavor providing humanitarian efforts in Bosnia- Herzegovina and Croatia. Later in 1999, elements of the Brigade deployed to Albania in support of Task Force Hawk and to Kosovo in support of Task Force Falcon. 2nd Signal Brigade provided major satellite platforms to sustain the operational base in USAREUR during each of these missions.
Since September 11th, 2001, 5th Signal Command’s role as USAREUR’s communication arm has become even more critical in the effort to support the Warfighter. With the increasing demand for bandwidth and diversity across the USAREUR footprint, 5th Signal Command initiated an intense effort in 2003 to develop the infrastructure with fiber optic connectivity throughout Europe and to begin elimination of the legacy microwave infrastructure.
In support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), 5th Signal Command provides deployable communications packages from 2nd Signal Brigade for fort-to-port operations to support deployment and redeployment operations throughout Europe.
Additionally, 5th Signal Command deployed significant tactical capabilities in support of GWOT. 7th Signal Brigade deployed in February 2003 into Turkey and later southern Iraq in support of 4th Infantry Division and the 173rd Airborne Division’s invasion into northern Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF 1). Through the years, 5th Signal Command has served the United States Army with distinction in a broad range of peacetime, stability, and contingency operations, including: Partnership for Peace; numerous operational and humanitarian missions; and the Global War on Terrorism. The Soldiers, Civilians and Family Members of 5th Signal Command continue to espouse its motto, “Dragon Warriors, Any Mission, Anywhere!”