From 1979 to 1982 worked as a Special Agent (SA) with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) at Hanau Germany.
On arrival at Hanau got assigned to what was called the General Crimes Team and life was good, and I was not working drug suppression for a change.
The Special Agent In Charge (SAIC) called me in one day and ask if I ever worked on a drug suppression team (DST), looked him straight in the eye and lied, NOPE never worked DOPE and do not think I would be good at it. Dodged that tasking and got back to investigating other felony crimes taking place in Hanau.
Hanau SA strength was at an all time high and yet we were still over loaded with work, crime was alive and well in the Hanau Resident Agency (RA) area of responsibility. While assigned to Hanau we had more SAs than that office every had and could still just managed to keep up with the crime in the area.
Our office had a drug suppression team as large as our regular office and they worked daily at curbing drugs in the area.
We even had a Branch Office (BO) at Gelnhausen just down the road with two SAs and they were also busy.
As mentioned life was good for me at Hanau, loved the steady work, never bored, got to work every sort of felony crime there was numerous times and for the first time in many years worked with some very talented folks and WE ALL got along, not an easy tasking in an Army CID Office.
Should have known life was going to well and I was having to much fun, something not found often in an Army CID Office, not sure why, but when you find such a good work situation you better hold on to it as long as you can, was doing just that.
About six months into my fun assignment all the SAs were called into the office for an awards ceremony. Noticed the SAIC was looking my way and smirking! Not a good sign, but hey life was still good to that moment.
Several folks got good conduct medals, certificates of achievement, commendations and then the SAIC announced the next recipient was moving from the General Crimes Team to the DST, called my name and presented me with my Army Commendation Medal with Third Oak Leaf Cluster for meritorious service for the period June 1977 to January 1979 for serving as Chief, Drug Suppression Team, Fort Ord District, 6th Rgn!
The SAIC was glaring at me the entire time the Chief Investigative Support (CIS) was reading the commendation. The SAIC then pined the commendation on me and managed to stick me good with the pin and pointed out I would be in charge of one of the two drug teams. We had a CW2 DST over all Chief, with a SFC running a team and me as a SP6 running the other team.
Life as I knew it changed in an instant and I was back to the shadow world of drug suppression operations.
My team worked a portion of the Hanau area including Gelenhausen and we were busy every day of the week, drug abuse in Germany at that time was at an all time high and drugs were available every where.
Over the years have written several stories about drug suppression operations in Hanau, check them out if you can find them, smiles.
One such incident was in Gelenhausen where working on a surveillance at 11PM drew the attention of the German Police (GP) who no one wanted to upset. My partner and I were in a German plated vehicle and looked suspicious as hell and of course we were armed. GP approached and wanted to know what we were doing and wanted our identification, they both had automatic weapons trained on us as they talked.
On their approach told my partner to put his identification on the dash board as I did so we would not be making any movements the GP would shoot us for! Pointed to the badge on the dash board, the GP looked at it, smiled and motioned to his partner to leave us alone and they left...whew that was close and my partner and I were both emotionally worn out cause you never knew how the GPs were going to act if they did not know you and you looked suspicious.
For more fun and excitement way back when in Hanau Germany tune in for more or find the older versions on line...smiles.
Bob Busby
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