Additional Stryker Brigade Acquistions Approved

United States Department of Defense ^ | December 17, 2003 | Media contact, DoD Pentagon

[Calpernia]

The Department of Defense approved plans for the Army to field six Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCT). Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld approved an Army enhancement plan on Dec. 8 that provides for the acquisition of Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCT) 5 and 6. The Army's plan focused on enhancing the aviation, fire support, network, and sensor capability of SBCTs 5 and 6, and retrofitting brigades 1 through 4 with newer technology as it becomes available. The approval gives the Army permission to begin expending funds for the new brigades’ acquisition and fielding.

Rumsfeld directed the Army to prepare the plan in a Dec. 2002. The memorandum approved SBCTs 1 through 4, but directed further study of SBCTs 5 and 6 before the Army would receive final approval to field them.

Additionally, the plan reviewed basing options for the brigades and the desirability of associating Stryker brigades with Air Force aerial expeditionary forces to facilitate development of joint doctrine, training, and deployment.

The fifth SBCT, scheduled for fielding in 2006, will be in the 2d Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Light) at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. The sixth SBCT, scheduled for fielding from 2008 - 2010, will be the 56th Brigade (Mechanized), 28th Infantry Division (Mechanized), of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

[Lil'freeper]

Hmmm...

[archy]

Stryker Group Ping.

[archy]

Stryker Group Ping.

[archy]

The sixth SBCT, scheduled for fielding from 2008 - 2010, will be the 56th Brigade (Mechanized), 28th Infantry Division (Mechanized), of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

Eeek! the *Bloody Bucket* Division of WWII, who took 15,000 casualties during the Battle of the Bulge. Let's hope they don't repeat history with their new wheelies....

[Darksheare]

How come I get the feeling that this is motivated by the one single success in combat the Stryker so far has had?

[.cnI redruM]

PM FCS is hiring big time. I think all six Stryker Bdes will be Army National Guard in about 4 more years. Don't be shocked if FCS gets expedited the same way Stryker did.

[FreedomPoster]

>>15,000 casualties during the Battle of the Bulge

Yipes! That was pretty much the entire division, wasn't it?

[archy]

>>15,000 casualties during the Battle of the Bulge

Yipes! That was pretty much the entire division, wasn't it?

A US Division was arranged differently then, a good bit larger than today's *triangular* arrangement of three squads per platoon, three platoons per compant, three companies per battalion, [plus HQ company] and so forth.

Without checking references, I want to say off the top of my head that a division then was around 22,000 men, now down to around 17,700 personnel, including some 15% female troops, more in some units, less in others.

In any event, the combat loss of 15,000 of your men is not at all my idea of a resounding success, though they held off Von Runstedt's forces, including 5 divisions hitting them the first day reinforced by four more following up within the following days for long enough for Patton's Third Army to do a pretty good imitation of the cavalry coming to the rescue of a wagon train. And at that they did considerably better than their sister Pennsylvania division the 99th *Checkerboard* Division, also caught by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge, including some 75 of their men caught by the First SS Panzer Division near a little spot called Malmedy.

Interestingly, the 28th Infantry Division is the oldest division in the Armed Forces of the United States, officially established by General Orders No. 1, dated 12 March 1879. Maybe today's troops of the unit will do a little better than their WWII predecessors, whether because of their new vehicles or in spite of them.

[JasonC]

Pretty much. The 106th was destroyed (about a third surrendered alive), the 28th was nearly destroyed. They were in the immediate path of the main German attack. The 106th didn't even take much time, but the 28th fought hard enough to buy time for reserves to reach the area.

[R. Scott]

I had two uncles who survived WW II in the Bucket of Blood. Both claimed to have walked from Normandy to Berlin – and were a bit scornful of the mechanized people. Called them “wimps”.

[JasonC]

Well, Patton took much longer to get there. The guys that plugged the hole were the XVIII airborne corps, Matthew Ridgeway's, with the 82nd and 101st airborne. The left side of the US position held at Elsenborn ridge early, and cut up the leading group of German armor on the north side of the breakthrough - with the 82nd helping. On the south side, the 101 got into Bastogne and was bypassed there, tying down a lot of Germans. That is the group Patton later came up from the south to relieve. The lead German elements continued west of Bastogne, and were met head on by the 2nd armor division ("Hell on wheels"), and defeated at the battle of Celles. Patton then drove in the whole south wall of the Bulge and the Germans pulled back past Bastogne. There was very heavy fighting there into January, as the Germans fought to keep the route open for their forward elements to get back. Which they basically did - half of them or so, anyway. The whole see-saw took about a month. About 75,000 men were lost on each side (if you pick different ending dates you can get just about any figure).

Cole's "Green Book" US army official history of the battle is available online at the center for military history, here.

[Criminal Number 18F]

They have done OK in previous assignments in the Balkans and in the GWOT. The KFOR and SFOR missions stink but they are good preparation for overseas life in the conventional mil today.

Before the 80s and more so the 90s the Guard was often behind in equipment (remember the Kent State soldiers with M1 rifles? Good job they didn't have full-auto 16s...) but since then the Guard often fields stuff at the same time or even before active units.

I flew into a camp in central Afghanistan in a Blackhawk belonging to one of the 82nd's assault helicopter companies. A few days later, I was medevaced in a Blackhawk belonging to a California Army Guard medevac unit... I was astonished by how much more modern the Guard chopper was. The 82nd had steam gages and would not fly after dark. The Guard guys had all space-age MFDs and flew me through the mountains to safety, in the pitch dark. The pilots were also a lot sharper about mountain weather.

When I went back out (my non-combat injuries were not serious) I was back to flying day VFR with the 82nd... very good crews and well maintained gear, but the Guard guys were that much sharper. I didn't tell the Deuce guys that (hell, we depended on them for supply... no choppers, no fresh fruits and veg).

I believe that on returning to Bragg, the 82nd guys got the new copters before going to Iraq.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Travis McGee]

Christmas 1944 in Belgium was a SOB. The old guy in the "checkpoint" chapter of my book is a veteran of the 28th.

[Proud Legions]

Actually, the decision was made some time ago, but just made oficial now.

[Darksheare]

Somehow that is even less assuring.
*chuckle*

[Thunder 6]

Actually, they have already reorganized under the new MTOE's and are filling equipment and personnel. About half the BDE is currently in Kosovo running KFOR 5A. Most of the historic regiments from the Bulge fight are included in this BDE. The actual decision on 6 SBCT's was made long ago...this just frees up funding for 5 and 6. Expect the 56 SBCT to be operational in mid-FY08, with a deployment shortly thereafter.
regards,

[Darksheare]

View #16, but with added emphasis..
*chuckle*
Thanks!

[Calpernia]

Pro Military, Pro Coalition, Pro Iraqi Freedom ping list.

The Department of Defense approved plans for the Army to field six Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCT). Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld approved an Army enhancement plan on Dec. 8 that provides for the acquisition of Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCT) 5 and 6. The Army's plan focused on enhancing the aviation, fire support, network, and sensor capability of SBCTs 5 and 6, and retrofitting brigades 1 through 4 with newer technology as it becomes available. The approval gives the Army permission to begin expending funds for the new brigades’ acquisition and fielding.

[PhilDragoo]

Bush-Cheney: building the military.

Clinton & Clinton: loathing the military, cutting funding 40%, tripling deployments.