Operations Brigade S3 Replaced by Operations Battalion

Abstract

In 2009, Lt. Gen. Thomas G. Miller, Commander, First Army, directed the development and implementation of an improved method to train and certify deploying units. LTG Miller's directives meant to improve and streamline First Army's operations and training support by consolidating the broader organization into seven Mobilization Training Centers (MTCs). The MTCs' purpose was to concentrate on training reservists for their specific missions while maintaining the ability and flexibility to support other missions directed by the Army in the future. The organizational restructuring was followed immediately by a change in the training process that resulted in each Operations Brigade adding two battalions -- a Plans, Exercise, Maneuver, and Control Battalion and an Operations Battalion. First Army's organizational transition after the Abu Ghraib investigations materialized out of a desire to correct training flaws within the RC and streamline a dysfunctional process surrounding deploying RC units. This transition, however, raises the question of why LTG Miller replaced the Operations Brigades' traditional S3 staff section with an Operations Battalion? If the intention of the reorganization was to better integrate RC units into the normal active duty deployment cycle, then why was the primary operational staff function stripped? The author's research shows that First Army's rationale for replacing an Operations Brigade S3 staff section with an Operations Battalion was to improve and sustain RC training through the ARFORGEN process. First Army intends to remain the primary RC trainer during peacetime by replicating Combat Training Center (CTC) capabilities at the MTCs. Its goal is to maintain an operational reserve force and ensure that the United States is well-prepared for future conflicts and natural disasters.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 06, 2012
Accession Number
ADA569332

Entities

People

  • Brad K. Burns

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Army Training
  • Combat Operations
  • Command And Control
  • Department Of Defense
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Employment
  • Lessons Learned
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • Military Science
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Training
  • Training Management
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military Mobilization and Reserve Forces Studies.
  • Military Training and Readiness Simulation