Thread: Transforming the Army at War: Designing the Modular Force

COPIED FROM ANOTHER THREAD

Originally Posted by zraver

Uhm double face palm for me not knowing that and there not being heavy armor brigades anymore.

Z,

I stand corrected on the 2 x maneuver BNs - SBCTs do have 3 x maneuver BNs. However, the I(nfantry)BCTs and H(eavy)BCTs both only have two. In order to grow the # of BDEs and grow assets down at the BDE level (e.g., a RSTA squadron) while not creating a huge equipping bill and without growing slots, something had to give. The simulations used to model the effectiveness of a 2 x maneuver BN structure showed an improvement over the previous structure (3 x maneuver BNs but without all the enablers within the BDE), and so they went with the construct.

As for no more armored BDEs, they, along with the mechanized infantry BDEs were converted over to the HBCT design. The final heavy formation, 3rd ACR, will begin conversion next year to a SBCT.

So as to not sidetrack this thread, I created a thread over at the Staff College with a lengthy CMH article about modularization.

However, even BDEs with 3-4 maneuver battalions still wouldn't be able to fight across enough space to be able to fight at the operational-level.

Sir , going back to our football fields,
Does the Striker Bde have some Stingers tucked away somewhere ? Or is it in that area augmented by the Maneuver Enhancement Brigade also ?

To back up Shek, the BCTs are complete units which are deployable as a whole. Division commanders do not task organize battalions across brigades anymore. The increased and improved targetting and recon provided by a recce squadrona as well as a dedicated MI company owned by the brigade commander allows a for better application of the combat power. Remember also that the 2 combined arms battalions have 2 tank and 2 mech companies each for a total of 8 company teams in a BCT while the 3 battalion brigades had only 9 companies. There was only 1 dedicated recon troop at brigade level...now there are 3 in the squadron. The new BCTs actually can bring more combat power to bear than the old ones.

Buck, I might assuming we're discussing a heavy brigade combat team. I'd perfer an ability to task-organize brigades should there be a multi-brigade battle requiring divisional control.

Originally Posted by Albany Rifles

To back up Shek, the BCTs are complete units which are deployable as a whole. Division commanders do not task organize battalions across brigades anymore. The increased and improved targetting and recon provided by a recce squadrona as well as a dedicated MI company owned by the brigade commander allows a for better application of the combat power. Remember also that the 2 combined arms battalions have 2 tank and 2 mech companies each for a total of 8 company teams in a BCT while the 3 battalion brigades had only 9 companies. There was only 1 dedicated recon troop at brigade level...now there are 3 in the squadron. The new BCTs actually can bring more combat power to bear than the old ones.

We ran 4 company battalions, scout platoon, mortar platoon. Brigade added more scouts, FA, engineers and some MP's. 2nd Brigade 2nd Armor thus had 12 actual companies plus 2 companies worth of scouts plus mortars, engineers and FA.

Z,

When did you serve?

Joined the WAANG in 1990 (19E) transitioned to 19K via OJT at Yakima. I went active in late 91 , and retrained as a 63T last duty station was Ft Hood as part of 2AD's 2nd Brigade (St. Lo). 2AD was not on the books yet, when I was sent from 1ATB(cadre) at Knox to III Corps replacement I was assigned to 2AD provisional and sent TDY to Polk where the 5ID was in the process of PCS'ing to Hood as the new 2AD. We finally got spun up and "officially" reactivated right before I got out. I spent several months at Polk and we finally loaded all the vehicles on the rail cars in July of 92IIRC.

Z,

All heavy battalions went to 3 maneuver companies back in the mid 1990s. The AT company was also dropped from mech battalions (every Bradley had a TOW launcher...not needed). A lot of the CSS in the maneuiver battalions was pulled out and put into the forward support companies of the FSB. Technically, back then, the only permanent part of the brigade was the HHC and the brigade recce troop. Everything else came from DISCOM, DIVARTY and/or separate battalions. The brigade commander could task organize within that brigade anyway he wanted to...and the division could pull and move assets as well. Forces were organized along the lines of habitual relationships (whcih is why I ALWAYS crossed attached tot eh tank battalion as a company commander).

With modularity the brigade commander owns everything. The 2 maneuver battalions, recon squadron, fires battalion, special troops battalion (MI Company, SIG Company, Engineer Company) and brigade support battalion are an organic part of that brigade. Division headquarters now serve as policy making institutions in peacetime and mans several deployable command posts in wartime. You no longer see a battalion moving from one brigade to another. The Army has moved to a brigade centric force for combat operations. Since around 2006 it has been rare for an Army division in combat to be deployed with all of its own BCTs. You may see that more in Astan than Iraq but several different brigade patches under a division command was the norm.

This organization for combat is the same for IBCTs as for HBCTs...just that the infantry battalions have an AT company. The rest of the structure is the same...just a difference in weapons and equipment.

DIVARTYs, Engineer Brigades, MI & Signal battalions and DISCOMs are all gone. They became fires brigades, MEBs, Battlefield Surveillance Brigades and Sustainment Brigades.

Ok, thanks for the update. I knew the mech units had dropped the AT company, but not that all battalions went to a 3 company format.

Originally Posted by zraver

Ok, thanks for the update. I knew the mech units had dropped the AT company, but not that all battalions went to a 3 company format.

Knowing this force structure and using it on a daily basis is literally my job...coems second nature to me.