US Installations details - 11 - History of Roosevelt Barracks

The former Roosevelt Barracks are located at Gardeschuetzenweg / Tietzenweg / Moltkestrasse in Berlin's district of Steglitz. About 400 yards away, following Gardeschuetzenweg to Drakestrasse, was RTO with its railway tracks to West-Germany. (Duty train)
The U.S. Army section of that huge compound was 'neighbor' of the local Police Department 'Abschnitt45' (various German police units), which have occupied some of the historical buildings next to Augusta Platz.

The barracks got the name from Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., who served with distinction in both World Wars, receiving the medal of Honor posthumously in September 1944.

This compound, later known as Roosevelt Barracks, was built in 1884 to house a Royal Prussian Guards Regiment. It was used for this purpose until the end of World War I, when it was occupied by Berlin Police units. It later became site of the German Army Ordnance School, a function it served through World War II. On July 3, 1945, this compound was confiscated by U.S. forces, the day, when American battle units moved into Berlin.
From 1945 to 1950 were billeted there units of the 3^rd & 16^th U.S. Infantry Regiments. From 1950 until 1991, it was home of the 6941st Guard Battalion, (known as Labor Service), an German guard unit with the mission to provide security to all U.S. installations. (further details you can find at the end of this section). In early 1991, the Guard Battalion moved to Andrews Barracks to make room for the Headquarters of the Bundeswehr Regional Defence Command in Berlin.
Now the 'Bundesnachrichtendienst' (BND) has taken over that legendary military compound. Many of its secret missions (similar to CIA) beginning or ending behind the old red bricks. The whole compound is video controlled now, countless cameras providing security.

The 6941^st Guard Battalion GB) was set up August to September 1950 after the pattern of a military battalion. It also was known as -Labor Service- (LS). This guard unit was manned by German employees only. There were 4 guard companies: 4012^th, 4014^th, 4077^th, 4078 GB Co. The GB worked for the Berlin Brigade authorities similar to other German guard men whom worked for the Berlin police president departments. (so-called 'Wachpolizei', also known as 'Black Watch').

The Berlin Brigade was, like the 2 other Western Allies, 'job giver' for many of thousands German employees. These civilian workers were to find everywhere and in all professions. (Maintenance sections, DEH etc.)

The GB personnel was equipped with American army gear. Their duty weapons have changed in all the years, from M1 carbines, colt .45 cal, M1 Garands, M14, M16 & at the end 9mm Berettas. All guard members were dressed in old 'Fatique' uniforms. In the American sector they had to respond security missions around the clock, from the Golf & County club compound in Wannsee, to the barracks, firing ranges, ammo dumps & countless misc installations like 'T-Berg', everywhere you could find them.

In the course of his 44-year-old history the Guard Battalion was renamed three times, namely not for organizational reasons, but also to return of his special tasks in a more proper name. The Berlin Guard Battalion was a successor and connection between "Civilian Guard" and "Industrial of insurance policy" organizations which were activated after end of the WWII for the protection of American arrangements and facilities. The name of these unities and its special salaries in connection with the Berlin blockade and the aerial bridge will remain unforgotten. The Guard Battalion was accommodated from 1950 to 1958 at Roosevelt Barracks, the former 'Gardeschuetzen- Kaserne' next to Gardeschuetzenweg.

1958 it was moved to Andrews Barracks. The arrival of American augmenting troops at the height of the Berlin crisis (1961) and their billeting at Andrews Barracks made a return of the GB to Roosevelt Barracks necessary.

In Summer of 1991, after several American units already had departed Berlin, the GB was moved again to Andrews Barracks.

In July 1993, arms and ammunition had to be collected at objects with gate posts. The tower guards kept their M16A2 rifles up to the resolution of the ammo dumps in Fall 1994. In Summer of the same year the GB personnel covered its last accommodation at Clay compound (HQ). 500 guards only of former approximately 1000 men were billeted in the basements of Bldg #2 next to the MP Desk now. But the days of the guard duties were counted.
Guard missions of the 6941st GB have ended end of September, 1994.

Tragic reality was the fact, that all members of the legendary German guard unit like all the other civilian employees had lost their jobs now, the Berlin Brigade was gone and history. Many thousands of German civilian workers were involved, many of them could never find a new job again.

Remark
by Reinhard von Bronewski:
The Guard Battalion or Labor Service did a great security job in Berlin. Everybody who once has provided some kind of guard duties knows about I'm talking. It's sometimes a very boring and stressful job to spend endless hours on lonely watch towers, days and nights, all seasons the year, 24 hours around the clock. The men of the GB were there, the Berliner police had not also to respond these important missions.
The GB members were not GI's, they belonged not to the Berlin Brigade but they once have provided security for them until the departure in 1994.
All GB members were German civilians, workers in uniform. It's sad, that all of them like all the other German civilian employees of the Berlin Brigade have lost their jobs & it's hard to understand that our government took not care of all these men & women.
That Berlin got reunited was wonderful but this was a "shadow side".
Thank you, to the GB for the well done job!