battalions of the 70th Armor Regiment. Throughout their individual histories, all the battalions of the 70th Armor Regiment were either stationed in Germany or were based in the United States with contingency plans to reinforce the forces in Germany case of a crisis or actual conflict with the Soviet Union and its allies in the Warsaw Pact. As the perceived threat level in Europe waxed and waned, so battalions were activated or inactivated to counter the threat. Additionally, one battalion assigned to 24th Infantry Division during the 1980s was part of the Rapid Deployment Force designated for deployment to the Middle East in the event of a crisis there. Initially, three battalions were activated in January 1963, equipped with M60 tanks, and all were assigned to the 24th Infantry Division in southern Germany. These battalions were: 1st Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment (1–70 Armor) – assigned to the 1st Brigade, 24th Infantry Division, Augsburg, Germany 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment (2–70 Armor) – assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division, Augsburg, Germany 3rd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment (3–70 Armor) – assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division, Munich, Germany 1–70 Armor and 2–70 Armor were withdrawn from Germany along with their respective brigades of the 24th Infantry Division in late 1968 and stationed in Fort Riley, Kansas. However, by the end of 1970 the rest of the division, including 3–70 Armor, had also been withdrawn from Germany and all elements of the 70th Armor Regiment were inactivated at Fort Riley. 1–70 Armor was reactivated in 1975 as an element of the 4th Infantry Division when it activated a 4th Brigade at Fort Carson, Colorado. The brigade was selected to rotate to Germany during Exercise REFORGER in 1976 and dubbed "Brigade 76". Once deployed, the Brigade's assignment to Germany was made permanent and attached to the 8th Infantry Division. 1–70 Armor operated from Wiesbaden Air Base from 1976 until the brigade was inactivated in 1984. 1–70 Armor was reactivated when the 1st Battalion, 40th Armor Regiment (1–40 Armor), was reflagged as 1–70 Armor in 1988. The battalion was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Although organized as a modernized "J-Series" battalion with four tank companies, the battalion was initially equipped with M60A1 tanks instead of M1 Abrams tanks. The battalion was inactivated with the rest of the division in November 1992. 2–70 Armor was