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Posted on 08/23/2004 5:19:36 AM PDT by Cannoneer No. 4
The format for the support units of the new American Army divisions is being made public. The Fires Unit of Action (or Fires UA, not sure what it will be called in the final version) will take the place of the Division Artillery and perhaps the separate Field Artillery Brigades at corps level. Each Fires Unit of Action will consist of a Headquarters, 3 MLRS Battalions (all ATACMS, long range missile, capable), two 155mm self-propelled howitzer battalions, and a support battalion. At one level, they will reinforce the fires of the Brigade Combat Team’s artillery battalion, which is a somewhat smaller two-battery battalion of 16 guns (but may change to 3 batteries of 5, 6, or 8 guns). Normal battalions have 18 guns. With this organization, the Division Commander (or whatever the Unit of Employment will end up being called) will be able to weight his main effort with additional artillery and dedicated assets to the counter fire battle. The new organization nearly doubles the amount of artillery assigned to a division. Interestingly, there are hints from the USAF that the tube count will go way down and that the Army will depend more and more on the Air Force for fire support, using it to replace both artillery and attack helicopters. This remains to be seen…
Each Unit of Employment (Division) will receive a Maneuver Enhancement UA. This will consist of a Rear Operations Center, a Civil Affairs Battalion, An Engineer Group, an MP (Military Police) Battalion, an NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) battalion, an ADA (Air Defense Artillery) Battalion (now apparently called Air and Missile Defense), and a Support Battalion. These increase and centralize many of the separate units currently in divisions (such as the NBC Company, ADA battalion, and MP Company), and resurrects the Division Engineer Brigade, albeit in a Group format.
The Sustainment unit of action looks to be taking the place of the Division Support Command and the Corps Support Group. It will consist of at least three Support Battalions, with Supply, quartermaster, medical, and maintenance units of different capabilities), a Medical Group, A Personnel Battalion, and a Finance Battalion.
The Reconnaissance and Security Unit of Action will be a brigade sized unit that effectively takes the place of the Armored Cavalry Squadron. The new R&S UA has an headquarters company, an MI (Military Intelligence) Battalion, a Support Company, and a Long Range Surveillance Company (LRSC). This organization looks to be a bit weak to this observer, as it does not provide the Division Commander with a dedicated set of eyes and ears in the form of the divisional Cavalry squadron. Indeed, the R&S UA looks a little like the MI battalion, made into a brigade, to compensate for losing its cavalry companies to the Brigade UAs. It will be interesting to see how this unit gets fleshed out, perhaps it will have JSTARS and AWACS ground stations, long range UAVs, and other radio-electronic equipment previously maintained at Corps. This unit would seem to be a better fit in the Maneuver Enhancement UA, while the LRSC should be in the Aviation UA, specifically in the General Support Aviation Battalion.
It appears that the new Heavy division has now been designed. Undoubtedly it will be tweaked as a result of combat and regional training center experience. It was not able to get to the five Units of Action (now Brigade Combat Teams) that was originally hoped for (and perhaps too near to the organization of the old Pentomic Division – which was an abject failure) and nearly returns to the old World War I “square Division” of 12 Battalions. Expect the Infantry Division to have a similar look.
With this reorganization, the division grows from 10 maneuver battalions (4 or 5 tank, 4 or 5 infantry, and a cavalry squadron) to 12 (4 tank, 4 mechanized infantry, and 4 cavalry), with more tightly integrated supporting arms organic to the Brigade Combat Teams. It has more soldiers, as well, and groups all its units into 9 brigade sized units instead of the current divisions 7 brigade sized units (3 Maneuver Brigades, Aviation Brigade, Division Artillery, Engineer Brigade, and Division Support Command, plus several separate units: Division HHC, ADA Battalion, MP Company, Signal Battalion, MI Battalion, and Band, somewhat reducing the Divisions span of control.)
It is hoped that the new organization will be more deployable, more flexible, be able to generate more combat power, more supportive of rotation of units to overseas duty and alert status, and, through basing initiatives, withdrawal of forces to the Continental United States, more stable and therefore better trained and led.
At this point, this observer sees the division will be able to support rotation of its units better, though they will be no more or less interchangeable than the old brigade, appear to have less combat power, and are no more deployable. They may be more flexible than the old division, simply because they have more maneuver units to employ, but it remains doubtful if information will become the new reserve on the battlefield. -- Mike Robel
Wouldn't a brigade-sized cavalry unit taking the place of an armored cavalry squadron be better designated an Armored Cavalry Regiment?
ping
An MI “battalion” and HQ “company”. I think they have that backwards.
Put them on the border for a year or two ...let them run ops against the invaders....
that should shake them out enough to deploy them when needed against other
terrorists enemy nation/camps
No, the R&S UA has a HQ Company just like the current brigade structure has a HHC to support the brigade headquarters.
I think what the author is trying to say is that the troops from the Div Cav Sqdn will be parceled out to the BDEs. Thats the way it seemed to work anyway when I was in.
DOA tested part of this plan (or something like it) back in the early 90's with the addition of a "LRRU" platoon to the division's MI unit.
Worked fine until we needed avation support. Should have kept us in the DivCav with our own Sqdn Av assets. Turned into a real CF until the MI CoC figured out how to coordinate airlift and commo.
By then it didn't matter. 2AD became history and we got farmed off to 18th ABN as a forward security/recon asset for DS/DS. We then got split up and sent to line units in 1CD when we got home. (SIGH) It was fun while it lasted.
Our motto: "We slaves, we can't be fired. We can only be sold..."
No, because it seems like their Recon and Security UA doesn't actually have any cavalry. Its a beefed up MI BN.
I have mixed emotions about this. I support the devolution of assets. For instance, giving BDEs a cav troop. I don't support the continuing expansion of support troops to combat units. Basically everything in the rear area grew...MI BN becomes an R&S BDE. MP company becomes a BN. &c. I think our tooth to tail ratio is already too low. And I definitely think that the DIV still needs some heavy cav.
The change I would most like to see, especially since the 11 series reclassification, is the separation of the dismounts from the Bradleys and an expansion of the # of infantry. The dismounted Infantry and the Bradleys to get them to the fight should be under different commands...they should not be under a single leader.
I also think we should consider moving away from a divisional structure towards a regimental structure. Given the dramatic expansion of combat power, the size of independent manuever unit should shrink.
Still, a Brigade size unit with a battalion size MI? I don’t get it.
Interestingly, there are hints from the USAF that the tube count will go way down and that the Army will depend more and more on the Air Force for fire support, using it to replace both artillery and attack helicopters. This remains to be seen…
This article makes me feel as out-dated as a Civil War soldier, not a VN vet...
The Army's new Heavy Division will feature increased MP and Civil Affairs, as thought, but - here's a surprise - increased Artillery as well!
Here's what I think is going on. The Army's new Heavy Division is stepping up to something like the old Corps, with the Corps becoming the "right size" for the kind of intermediate-sized wars we expect. The Corps would then control the ground forces (at least the U.S. ground forces) under the overall (and probably international) joint forces command.
With this in mind, the capabilities formerly found in Corps artillery (most significantly, counter-battery) are being pushed forward to Division artillery.
The Army's new Heavy Division will be complemented by the Army's new independent Brigade. (The Army has had a few independent brigades, such as the 173rd Airborne Brigade stationed in Italy, but these were exceptional. The new independent Brigade is expected to be an integral part of the force structure.)
A Heavy Division, when deployed, might expect to control not only its own indigenous combat brigades (which have increased in number) but one or more independent Brigades as well. This might include (light) infantry bridgades, as well as additional (heavy) mechanized and armor brigades, giving the Division additional capabilties as well as increased size.
We saw, in Iraq, with the 4th Infantry Division, that the Division can be enormously lethal when complemented with Air and Special Operations forces, and real-time intelligence.
We also saw, in Iraq, that the Army force structure is lacking in MP and Civil Affairs capabilities relative to today's threat.
"Transformation" speaks well of the entire civilian and career military team at the Department of Defense, to put the maximization of out defense capabilities ahead of all other considerations, including parochial concerns within the military, the defense industry, and the Congress.
The Leaf Chronicle has an article pertaining to the 101st new brigade, but FR is not allowed to even link to the article
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/news/stories/20040818/localnews/1068289.html
Rendezvous with destiny awaits infant 4th Brigade
By CHANTAL ESCOTO
The Leaf-Chronicle
Numerous errors in this article. I will cite just one for now, perhaps more later if I have time.
Each heavy Brigade Combat Team consists of a field artillery battalion, a reconnaissance & surveillance squadron (RSTA)(cavalry), and two combined arms battalions (tank and mechanized infantry). No more tank and mech infantry battalions, although early indications are that they will retain their traditional armor and infantry designations. Light and Airborne/Air Assault Brigade Combat Teams are similar, but with two infantry battalions instead of combined arms battalions.
Apparently there is a big stink ongoing over the designations for the RSTA battalions in the light/abn/aa BCTs. The RSTA battalions for the 101st have been given temporary designations of non-existant regiments (for example, 1st Squadron, 76th Cavalry). The Center for Military History is working on the final scheme. The Airborne club wants to use Parachute Regiment designations for these battalions, while the Armor Center wants them all to be cavalry outfits. Any guesses on who will win this fight?
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If the Army is going to depend on the Air Force for close air support, a lot of soldiers are going to be disappointed. The Air Force will never provide the sort of close air support to the Army that Marine air provides to Marine ground units.
Does this smack a little of being PC?
"Reconnaissance and Security Unit of Action", just doesn't sound as "aggressive" as "Armored Cavalry".
Sort of like changing the "War Department" to the "Department of Defense"
Army formations are quite different from Marine formations. You guys are much more pragmatic.
Bump for later review. Sounds interesting, thanks for the ping.
While the RSTA UA is a brigade sized unit, each brigade combat team also has its own RSTA squadron, as do the current Stryker Brigade Combat Teams. Greatly increased recon and target acquisition capability in these new organizations, but less ground combat power than exists in current cavalry squadrons and armored cavalry regiments.
As I mentioned in Post #14, there is a fight going on over unit designations. Post #13 provides a link to a local paper that reports the activation of the 4th Bde, 101st Abn Div. It says:
Although it is unknown at this time what the new brigade's regimental name will be, the division is working hard to bring back the storied 506th Infantry Regiment. The 506th jumped into Normandy during World War II, and it is from the regiment that Easy Company was highlighted in the HBO series, "Band of Brothers."
In the current Army plan, the 4th Bde, 101st Abn Div will include: 3d Bn, 327th Inf (from 1st Bde), 3d Bn, 187th Inf (from 3d Bde), 1st Sqdn, 61st Cav (new unit, placeholder designation until they make up their minds), and 4th Bn, 320th FA (new unit).
In another battle that's brewing, no word on what happens to the 3d Armored Cavlary Regiment in all of this. They are counted in the total for the Army's force of 48 Brigade Combat Teams, but exactly what type is unclear. The 2d ACR will convert to a Stryker Brigade Combat Team (infantry), but will retain its cavalry designation much as the 1st Cavalry Division did in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. The 11th ACR remains the NTC OPFOR, but I haven't heard what happens to 3d ACR.
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