already worn out in the campaign and many others had deteriorated in disuse. The original condition of the vehicles placed a severe test upon the Constabulary which, at the time it was inaugurated, had no service elements. Weaponry The standard shoulder weapons of the Constabulary included the .30-06 cal M1 Garand rifle, .30-cal M1/M2 carbines, and .45-cal M1/M1A1Thompson submachine gun or M3 grease gun. Additionally, each Constabulary member was issued an M1911A1 .45 pistol. The standard 13-man (reconnaissance) patrol had seven rifle and five sub-machine gun armed men. Strength The US Constabulary consisted of up to 38,000 men organized into: Headquarters, United States Constabulary, Located first at Bamberg then moved to Stuttgart. Three Brigades, 1st, 2nd and 3rd 10 Regiments, 1st through 3rd and 5th through 9th, assigned to the brigades. The 4th Regiment, an independent unit with: Two squadrons in Austria and One squadron in West Berlin. Controlling: Thirty Squadrons. Each battalion-size squadron had five (at first) and then later on only four company-size troops. Disbanding The Constabulary was disbanded in 1952, after Germany had developed its own police forces. Many of the Constabulary troopers returned home and joined local and state police forces. As the perception of the threat to border security changed from one of criminal activity to a potential invasion by the Soviet Army, the border operations mission along the Soviet zones in Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Austria was taken over by armored cavalry units of the U.S. Army. While the Constabulary did not have a direct successor, its duty of close cooperation with German authorities is now maintained by Military and Civilian Police Officers of the U.S. Armed Forces. A strong working relationship continues to exist today between German Police Forces and United States Forces Europe Police who operate out of U.S. military installations throughout Germany. Joint patrols involving U.S. Military Police, U.S. Army Civilian Police, and local German Police are still relatively commonplace throughout towns near U.S. military installations in Germany. These patrols are directed at enhancing the safety and security of military and German communities by instilling a culture of mutual trust and cooperation between U.S. and German Police forces. A small monument to the U.S. Constabulary was erected in 2008 on Patch Barracks in Germany. See also Military police Constabulary Philippine Constabulary Gendarmerie 4th Armored Division (United States) References Further reading Robert Perito, Where is the Lone Ranger When We Need Him?, outlines