Description Exercise Reforger (from return of forces to Germany) was an annual exercise conducted, during the Cold War, by NATO. The exercise was intended to ensure that NATO had the ability to quickly deploy forces to West Germany in the event of a conflict with the Warsaw Pact.
The Reforger exercise itself was first conceived in 1967. The Johnson administration announced plans to withdraw approximately two divisions from Europe during 1968. As a demonstration of its continuing commitment to the defense of NATO and to illustrate its capability of rapid reinforcement, a large scale force deployment was planned that would deploy a division or more to West Germany in a regular annual exercise. The first such exercise was conducted beginning on 6 January 1969. These exercises continued annually past the end of the Cold War, except for the year 1989, until 1993.
Major units: (Germany based units) USAREUR (U.S. Army Europe): 3rd Infantry Division (Mech),Würzburg; 2nd Armored Division, Nuremberg; 3rd Armored Division, Frankfurt-am-Main. (U.S. based units): 1st Infantry Division (Mech), 1st Cavalry Division, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (sent to Northern Germany to support British forces stationed there for the first time), 2nd Marine Division/32nd Marine Amphibious Unit
