Career News

Chief of Staff, Army, Supply Excellence Award Program

CW5 John O’Mara, Chief, Warrant Officer Proponency Office, Office of The Quartermaster General

CW3 Michael E. Toter of the Logistics Training Department, US Army Quartermaster Center and School, and myself have just completed the Chief of Staff, Army, Supply Excellence Award evaluations for FY98. This was my first year on the program and I would like to share some thoughts on what I observed during the evaluations.

As stated by a brigade commander in Hawaii, we have the best Army in the world, and we are now competing for the best supply organization in that Army. This makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Almost all units we evaluated were of the highest quality. The soldiers and civilians were professional in every sense of the word. Units were very well prepared and excited to be a part of this program. All units were winners in one way or another. Just being selected to represent a major Army command (MACOM) speaks volumes for the organizations. Our hats are off to all who competed.

One negative that we noticed on the evaluations was the lack of the total battalions that played. We may have seen one company out of a battalion, but in very few instances did we see the entire battalion compete. Having the entire battalion compete will build esprit de corps, not only in that organization but also in others. Word travels very fast electronically these days. After seeing all the attention a MACOM winner receives, units were envious. Newspaper articles, television broadcasts and other media devices spread the word quickly.

We heard this question numerous times: How can I compete? It starts at the organization level. Make commanders aware that this award is well worth competing for, as it is. Things begin to snowball as units ready themselves for evaluations. Once the word is spread, more and more organizations want to play. This will certainly make all units who participate more supply conscious. The end result is it that the entire Army is more supply conscious.

The end far outweighs the means in the Supply Excellence Award program. I encourage all organizations, big or small, to participate. You will certainly not be sorry for the experience.

Contact your MACOM representative or the chief for the Supply Excellence Award program, CW5 Robert Gowin at the US Army Quartermaster Center and School, Fort Lee, VA. Phone him at DSN 687-3163 or (804) 734-3163. E-mail to gowinr@lee.dns1.army.mil. For information about the program’s history, objectives and benefits, access the Supply Excellence Award page.

Joint Positions in Total Life Cycle Management

LTC Richard J. Poole, Lieutenant Colonels Assignment Officer

Since taking the lieutenant colonels desk in November 1998, I have become increasingly aware of the importance of understanding the total life cycle of an officer and how career decisions which seem inconsequential at one rank can have major implications at another. One consideration along the path to success is that of serving in a joint position. As one of our more senior Quartermaster Generals said at a recent briefing, "If you ain’t joint, you ain’t!" This simple quote serves to drive home the point that the Goldwater-Nichols Reorganization Act of 1 Jan 87 is here to stay. More importantly, we (as individual soldiers and as a Quartermaster Branch) need to understand just what "joint" means and does not mean to us in career paths.

In looking at an officer’s career path that includes battalion command, senior service college, brigade command and the possibility of obtaining general officer (GO) rank, there are some finite times when a joint opportunity can fit. The first is immediately after branch qualification as a major. If this does not work, the next opportunity arises after battalion command and senior service college. If this is not available, the time is immediately after brigade command. I lay this out very quickly to point out the realities of a shortened timeline and the constraints: you have to fit 10 pounds of career into a 5-pound bag.

This timeline is also directed toward a career path that is competitive to the rank of GO because the fact of the "joint law" is that an officer will not be promoted to the rank of brigadier general without previously serving in a joint tour. There are exceptions by waiver, but these are getting ever harder to obtain.

This career synopsis is not intended to indicate that only officers on the path to "stars" will serve in joint positions. Many great opportunities exist at the 05/06 level throughout the Department of Defense that need competent Army logisticians. In reality, there are enough joint positions in order to have a pool of joint-qualified officers from which our future leaders will emerge. So, what constitutes a joint position and how do I know if I am joint qualified?

The Under Secretary of Defense approves a joint duty assignment list (JDAL) of positions that are recognized for giving joint duty credit. Title 10 mandates the tour length for these positions, which is normally three years. For GOs, the tour length is reduced to two years. There are exceptions to the tour length rules. However, a Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) waiver is required when an officer leaves before full tour completion. For more information on exceptions, access the Internet at http://www-perscom.army.mil/opmd/myths.htm.

An additional skill identifier (ASI) of 3A is now awarded officers who have completed a joint duty assignment position and been awarded FULL tour credit. The 3A ASI will be annotated on the Officer Record Brief (ORB). PERSCOM’s Joint Management Branch awards the ASI. The annotation of the 3A ASI on the ORB replaces joint experience in the remarks section of the ORB. For those who have received FULL joint credit, double check for the ASI. If the ASI is not properly annotated, contact your branch manager.

An additional ASI of 3L is awarded officers who qualify as a Joint Specialty Officer (JSO) by a central selection board. To be eligible for selection as a JSO, a Quartermaster officer must complete Joint Professional Military Education Phases I and II (JPME I/II) and have fulfilled a FULL joint duty assignment in sequence. There are exceptions by SECDEF waiver for officers who have not completed JPME II but have completed two or more full joint tours. If selected as a JSO, the officer will receive the ASI 3L and be managed as one of a few 3Ls within the Quartermaster Branch.

Quartermasters have many quality officers who are serving or will have the opportunity to serve in joint billets. The process is nominative and takes about 9 to 12 weeks from the nomination to the actual Request for Proposal (RFO). If interested in serving in a joint capacity, let your desires be known early. There are exciting positions worldwide which require the strengths of the best the Quartermaster Corps has to offer

Questions That Officers Often Ask PERSCOM

MAJ Bob Cheshire, Majors Assignment Branch

The following are a few topics that have been of interest to officers calling into the Quartermaster Branch:

Regular Army (RA) Oaths

As soon as you pin on your major’s gold oak leaf, make sure you execute the RA Oath of Office. All officers, regardless of RA standing at the time of promotion to major, must ensure they are administered the oath if they want to become or remain RA officers. The oath is certified on a DA Form 71 (Oath of Office - Military Personnel), which your command must forward to the Accessions Branch, PERSCOM. PERSCOM then cuts the orders which officially appoint officers into the RA. Significantly, officers who fail to take the RA Oath within the first 30 days of promotion may be involuntarily accessed as Reserve Component officers and then mandated to retire at 20 years of service.

The Quartermaster Branch is now working with PERSCOM’s Accessions Branch to validate the RA status of Quartermaster majors. For any questions about the RA Oath, contact your field grade technician at the Quartermaster Branch by E-mail at virgilm@hoffman.army.mil.

Nominative Assignments

Some confusion exists about nominative assignments for field grade officers. A quick review of the nominative process may help answer some questions. Nominative assignments require the gaining command’s concurrence before placing an officer into certain key positions. Examples of nominative assignments include Inspector General (IG) positions, joint duty assignments, exchange positions and some major command (MACOM) staff positions. These positions are representative, but not inclusive, of the type of positions that are nominative for field grade officers.

Nominative Process

Step 1. The assignment officer receives an assignment requirement and then screens possible officers who meet the prerequisites and are available for reassignment. Not all assignments are created equal. Most nominative assignments have prerequisites that specify skills required for the position. Specific requirements vary by each position, but specifications may include areas such as security clearance levels, family considerations (such as no Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)), military education level (MEL) 4 completed, branch-qualified, recent troop experience, and/or MACOM staff experience to list just a few examples of job qualifiers.

Step 2. The Quartermaster Branch coordinates with the candidate officer and nominates him to the gaining command. Depending on the proposed duty position, this nomination may involve a short biography detailing the officer’s qualifications along with a copy of the nominated officer’s ORB. It is important to understand that once nominated for a position, the officer is no longer considered available for other assignments until the nominative process has run its course.

Step 3. Nominations go through a series of checks and balances at PERSCOM to ensure equity in the system before nominations are released to the gaining command for approval. Once approved by PERSCOM’s Distribution Division, the nomination is forwarded to the field unit for review. The review process at each gaining command varies. For example, a nomination for a position in Kuwait may require approval of the officer by the Kuwaiti Minister for Foreign Affairs (or a similar office). Exchange nominations require acceptance by the defense attache and the host country. Conversely, a position at the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) may require the review of the directorate and division, followed by the approval at the Chief of Staff of the Army level. The point: each command is unique in its acceptance process and the level of review. In each example, the one common thread is that the nominative process is time-consuming and may take 6 to 10 weeks to receive approval of an officer nominated for a position.

Step 4. Upon acceptance of an officer for a position, the assignment officer may finally provide assignment instructions (cut the RFO) to the officer.

Two important points about the nominative process:

• The commitment to the nominated position begins when the assignment officer nominates an officer. This is a commitment to the gaining command that an officer is available for the assignment.
• The process is time-consuming, and patience is required.

Nominative assignments can be some of the most challenging and professionally rewarding assignments that the Army offers. However, much like general troop assignments, nominative assignments come in every shape and size. Assignments are dictated by the Army’s needs. Positions in Iceland, Turkey and Korea are every bit as important and challenging as the jobs in Hawaii and the Pentagon. As with every assignment out there, the only bad job is the one done poorly.

Command and Staff Colleges

While the "Class of ‘98" is now entering new assignments, the incoming class is preparing to take positions in command and staff colleges (CSCs) around the world. This article will provide insight into the process for slating officers selected for resident CSC.

Historically, Quartermaster Branch receives 50(+) seats at CSC schools each year. The number varies, based on population size of the year groups in the window of consideration. This seat allocation includes slots for Air, Navy, and Marine CSCs as well as foreign staff colleges.

The timing of CSC attendance from point of selection will vary based on a number of factors. A quick analysis shows that about 60 percent of a given class is made up of officers selected that year, with 40 percent deferring attendance for reasons such as branch qualification, US Army Military Academy instructing or many other professionally important reasons.

CSC slating is made from the combined list of newly selected officers and the officers selected but deferred from previous lists. This list is prioritized into one branch-unique order of merit list (OML). It is important to note that the OML is established not to exclude officers from CSC attendance, but to prioritize officers for attendance. All officers selected for resident CSC attendance will attend a CSC. (Discount the one-time Department of the Army-directed "constructive credit" as a one-time Army fix to bring CSC backlog into line.) Slating factors include time on station (TOS) including DEROS, Year Group (YG), branch qualification status, below the zone promotion, and number of times deferred. These factors are assessed in a complex computer model that provides a baseline OML. This baseline is adjusted to ensure the branch complies with guidance received from the Chief of Staff of the Army and PERSCOM’s commanding general. Each officer is assessed a numerical score, and the slating process begins with that score.

The officer who is relatively senior in terms of YG, has met all TOS requirements, needs bachelor quarters, and may have been deferred once already will be probably be higher on the list than a recently selected/promoted major who was just selected for CSC and just arrived at his duty position outside the continental United States (OCONUS). Between these two extremes is the remaining population of officers selected for CSC.

As a general rule, the more senior the officer, the higher his standing on the OML. Likewise, longer time-on-station raises the overall score and is applicable for the obvious stability factors (both personal and professional) and the dollars associated with permanent change of station moves. Officers who have previously been deferred will be slated ahead of recently selected officers, when all else is equal. The process is the same with branch qualification.

After the OML is established, a preliminary slating is conducted. In some cases officers slated high on the list may be deferred at their request (or their command’s) based on branch-qualifying opportunities. Also, officers with unique language capabilities may jump into a school position to take advantage of a foreign service school with special language requirements. (This invariably provides Quartermaster officers an extra slot versus taking one from a peer). After a series of prescreens and briefs through the PERSCOM command structure, the list of slated officers is approved by the director of OPMD and released to the field.

The premises of the slating process are to put officers into school consistent with their professional development requirements and to act in a fiscally responsible manner. Quartermaster Branch endeavors to meet the professional and personal needs of each selected officer while adhering to Department of the Army slating guidance and Army requirements.

Enlisted Personnel Management Branch

LTC C. S. Vakas, Chief, Quartermaster Enlisted Personnel Management Branch, vakasc@hoffman.army.mil

Our first priority at PERSCOM continues to be taking care of our fine Quartermaster soldiers and their families. Service to you is the most important thing that we do in the Quartermaster Enlisted Personnel Management Branch. Each and every Quartermaster soldier deserves the best, and the 27 senior

noncommissioned officers (NCOs) and Department of the Army civilians who work in the branch are committed to providing you first-class assignment and professional development support.

We are also charged to ensure the proper worldwide distribution of Quartermaster soldiers, and this leads to some inevitable challenges as we balance soldier wants with Army needs. We continue to make about 1,250 assignments every month. Your input is a vital part of the assignment process. Let us know what you want and we will always consider you preferences. Frequently our telephone lines are busy, but we are always interested in you and will make the time to discuss your assignment and professional development needs. Please be persistent and also consider using PERSCOM’s alternative contact procedures.

Our PERSCOM Online newsletter is a good source of continuously updated information. We recently established direct web linkages to and from the Quartermaster Home Page for your convenience. Also note that you are now able to send E-mail directly to the specific assignment managers and professional development NCOs that represent you by clicking on their underlined names once you enter PERSCOM Online. E-mail is a great alternative to the telephone. You should receive an E-mail reply within two normal work days. Please make sure you include your complete name and social security number. Also provide your complete E-mail address in the body of your note and a work telephone number in case we need to call you.

Communication - whether by voice, E-mail or any of several other methods - is important, particularly as relates to your next assignment. All of the assignment managers want to fully consider your preferences. We make assignments six to nine months into the future. About a year from your normal permanent change of station, you should begin to communicate with us. Get your preferences in early so that your assignment manager can best work on your behalf.

E-mail is not a substitute for the traditional DA Form 4187 (Personnel Action). In many cases, the assignment manager will require you to follow up an E-mail discussion with a DA Form 4187. This ensures your chain of command fully supports your requests.

Promotion Within the Quartermaster Corps: SFC and MSG Selection Procedures

CPT Bruce E. Cox, Deputy Branch Chief, Quartermaster Enlisted Personnel Management Branch, Coxb0@hoffman.army.mil

Recently, the master sergeant (MSG) selection board was released, with the Quartermaster Corps getting the best-qualified noncommissioned officers (NCOs) promoted to their new ranks and higher levels of responsibility. Questions about this process often center around the procedures to determine the number of selections and to evaluate the individual files. I will explain some of the logic used in determining selection rates and discuss some items necessary to prepare your file for a selection board.

For many soldiers (myself included until assignment to my present job at PERSCOM), the promotions process seems to be derived and operated in a cloudy environment, shortchanging military occupational specialties (MOSs) and year groups within MOSs. This is quite far from the truth. Detailed analysis is completed before each board convenes. The Quartermaster Branch submits recommendations based on the number of positions that we predict will be vacant by the next year. In other words, the branch recommends how many soldiers in each MOS are needed next year in that particular grade. Selection rates for the ranks of sergeant first class (SFC) and MSG vary widely from MOS to MOS. This is not due to selection bias but tied to individual MOS structure.

Each MOS’s structure is unique, and this structure represents the proportion of grades to each other within the MOS. The old standard grade and distribution matrix outlined the preferred structure for any MOS (based on a mathematical formula). The implementation of the Change in NCO Structure (CINCOS) reshaped all MOSs to reflect the proponent-authorized posture for field units. This is based on assigning the proper number of privates first class to sergeants (SGTs), the proper number of SGTs to staff sergeants (SSGs), and so on throughout the grades.

Because of field requirements, there is grade band variation within each MOS. For example, each Army unit is authorized a supply sergeant. However, most units only have one or two supply clerks. This places the supply sergeant in positions where he normally supervises a handful of personnel from his MOS. However, in an Infantry unit, a SSG is usually in charge of numerous skill level 1 (SL1) soldiers and a number of SGTs of the same MOS. Therefore, there is a greater number of SL1 soldiers authorized throughout the Army for an Infantry SSG. This change in the mix of NCO to SL1 soldiers changes the balance of the MOS and creates greater promotion opportunity at different levels of rank for each MOS. This is best illustrated by the charts with this article. These charts represent two sample MOSs that show different grade distributions. The bars of the chart represent the level of authorizations (number of positions in the field for the MOS by grade):

In the case of this MOS, there are almost as many SSG positions authorized as there are SGT positions. In this type of MOS, promotion to SSG will be competitive but provide a solid opportunity for a SGT to be promoted to SSG. The promotion progression to SFC in this MOS becomes much more competitive, however, with fewer authorized SFC positions than authorized SSG positions.

The second MOS represented by a chart presents a different structure entirely. For this MOS, authorizations in the field are notably higher at different ranks. Notice in this MOS that the authorizations for SSG are much lower than those for SGT. In this case, progression from SGT to SSG is reserved for the most competitive soldiers. However, once a soldier makes SSG in this MOS, his progression to SFC will be easier. This is because there are nearly as many SFC positions as SSG positions. This creates an above-average opportunity for SSGs to make SFC during their career.

As you can see from these two examples in charts, each MOS varies greatly from grade to grade. However, the structure of each MOS presents a clear picture of promotion opportunities as each soldier progresses from one rank to the next. For Quartermaster MOSs, promotion opportunity through the ranks tends to balance out across time over the career of each soldier. Most important on a personal basis is to make yourself as competitive as possible.

These two charts show the selection rates for Quartermaster and Chemical soldiers in the grades of SSG and SFC during the past few years. Although there is some fluctuation within the MOSs from earlier years, promotion rates have become more stable and the standing promotion lists that were out for two to three years have been eliminated.

Chief among a soldier’s responsibility to his career is to keep personnel records updated. This means developing a "pack rat" mentality when you receive ANY administrative data about your military career or civilian education. Many soldiers call Branch to try to find certificates that have "dropped" off records. Although PERSCOM does maintain some records for SSGs and above, we do not usually have the ability to research and add lost items to your file. The Enlisted Records and Evaluation Center in Indiana is the official agency responsible for the maintenance of soldiers’ records. Typically, if some of your administrative data is not on your microfiche, then there is no immediate record of the action. There are different steps to research every item that may have been erroneously omitted from a file and too many to list in this article. The best defense to counter this occurrence is to develop a folder for all personnel actions in case proof of completion of a course, an award presentation, or other actions disappear from your professional record.

Other important actions include updating your official photograph. All photographs should now be in the standard, digitized format. Most facilities have upgraded to the new camera system and your photos should remain current, especially before a board. An updated 2A and 2-1 should be included with all updates entered through the Standard Installation/Division Personnel System (SIDPERS) and show no pen and ink changes unless absolutely necessary. A professional-looking file is a good first impression for members of a promotion board. Conversely, a sloppy file is sends a signal to the board that the soldier is not concerned with attention to detail, even in regard to his own career.

Finally, it is important to mention some file enhancements that will improve your promotion potential. While there is no secret job that guarantees soldier promotion to the next rank, there are jobs that will enhance your file. Jobs such as drill sergeant, recruiter, and Active Component/Reserve Component assignments are non-mainstream jobs that can enhance your file. Many excellent NCOs will miss promotion opportunity because their files show little diversity. It is critical to do any job to the best of your ability to be competitive. However, when an NCO demonstrates the ability to perform well outside of his normal career field, this displays the adaptability and flexibility of an NCO and reflects very favorably to the promotion board panel. These are critical jobs for which the Army gets an enormous number of volunteers. However, prerequisites are tough, limiting selection to the very best. After all, the Army wants to put its best foot forward when selling or teaching the Army philosophy to new recruits and when assisting partners in the Army National Guard and US Army Reserve.

In this article two MOSs were used as models. During site visits by PERSCOM to installations, all MOSs and promotion potential are discussed. If you have questions about promotions based on the structure of your MOS, feel free to E-mail me and I can generally answer your questions. For review of your personal record, call your Professional Development NCO and for an assessment based on your professional military file.

OPMS XXI - Its Impact on Reserve Component Quartermaster Officers

The Army’s Officer Personnel Management System (OPMS) XXI is the new system that will groom a generation of Reserve Component (RC) Quartermaster officers. It will prepare them for senior leadership and decision-making positions at all levels of the Department of Defense into the year 2025.

With the advent of the Reserve Officer Personnel Management Act (ROPMA) in October 1996, it quickly became apparent that the current management system in the RC was inadequate in terms of developing the "best qualified" Quartermaster officers who could successfully compete with their Active Component (AC) counterparts in Army XXI and the Army After Next.

Also, the RC continues to be an essential resource in the Army’s worldwide missions. For example, as operating tempo has increased, RC Quartermaster units and individual soldiers have found themselves activated for duty in Bosnia, Haiti and Southwest Asia. This trend of the increased mobilization of RC Quartermaster assets is expected to continue and increase in scope. Therefore, RC Quartermaster officers must be able to meet the challenges put before them. OPMS XXI is the vehicle that will allow RC Quartermaster officers to maximize their abilities and provide relevant and expanding contributions as leaders in America’s Army.

Success in the Reserve Component

In the past, success in the RC was determined by what control group the Quartermaster officer was in. Officers assigned to units or in the Active Guard Reserve (AGR) program were considered "players," while those assigned to the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) or the Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) program were not, regardless of the reason they were in that control group. Many RC Quartermaster officers were able to complete an entire career, from commissioning to retirement, in the same command. They accomplished this by networking their way into positions of increasing responsibility or by continually switching branches or functional areas to fill whatever vacancy happened to be available. The end result for those continually switching branches or functional areas were RC Quartermaster officers who became "generalists," knowing a little about the branches they served, but an expert in none of them.

To meet the Army’s demand for highly trained specialists in Army XXI and the Army After Next, OPMS XXI focuses on branch and functional area requirements as the centerpiece of life cycle career management. Under the current OPMS, RC Quartermaster officers were expected to develop and maintain the knowledge and skills required to perform effectively in many different types of positions to remain "marketable" - positions within their basic branch and functional area, plus branch-immaterial positions. Under OPMS XXI, RC Quartermaster officers are expected to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to perform effectively in only two different types of positions - positions within their branch or functional area, and functional integrator positions. Where RC Quartermaster officers have served and how many different specialties they possess will not be as important as what branch and functional area positions they have held with demonstrated proficiency. The "best qualified" officer envisioned in ROPMA (and OPMS XXI) is one with demonstrated skills in a branch or functional area through progressive assignments and appropriate professional military education.

OPMS XXI will reduce assignment turbulence among RC field grade officers. They will migrate where their specialties are in the force. Reclassification will be limited. They will have the opportunity for more repetitive branch or functional area assignments within their designated specialty in other areas of the RC. Through repetitive assignments based on their skill and increased on-the-job experience, these officers will have the opportunity to develop more in-depth knowledge and expertise within their branch or functional area.

What every RC Quartermaster officer should know about OPMS XXI:

• Excessive branch or functional area transfers will hurt your chances for advancement. You will track in a skill and remain in that skill as much as possible to be considered "best qualified."

• Do not be afraid to accept assignments in another component or program, such as IMA. Where you serve will not be as important as what assignments you have held.

• You will have the opportunity to be assigned to the IRR to complete educational requirements throughout your career, such as Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Course (CLOAC) and Combined Arms and Services Staff School (CAS3). It is not a permanent assignment. This will be an accepted and encouraged component of career progression. The IRR will be used as a temporary "holding cell" for officers who are completing non-resident PME, or cannot actively participate in the Troop Program Unit (TPU) or IMA programs due to temporary conditions. Access to the IRR will be very limited and at the discretion of Career Management Officers (CMO). The IRR will no longer be a repository for nonparticipants who are nonmobilization assets.

• You are encouraged to discuss your assignment preferences with your CMO, but understand that the needs of the RC come first.

• You are encouraged to seek the advice and guidance of senior USAR Quartermaster officers, and provide mentorship to US Army Reserve (USAR) Quartermaster officers junior to you.

• Self-development is just as critical as formal training. RC Quartermaster officers in Army XXI and the AAN cannot be taught everything they need to know.

Important New Career Management Changes for RC Officers

There are several changes for RC Quartermaster officers in the updated, and soon-to-be-released, Department of the Army Pamphlet 600-3 (Commissioned Officer Development and Career Management). As noted in the Quartermaster Life Cycle Developmental Model (Reserve), these changes are as follows:

• The CLOAC and CAS3 have been integrated. The new course is called the Captains Career Course. AC, and some RC, Quartermaster officers attend a 20-week CLOAC, immediately followed by six weeks of CAS3. Most RC Quartermaster officers, however, will continue to attend the courses in the current format until course reconfiguration and other details are worked out.You must complete Quartermaster Officer Basic Course (MEL 7) by the second year (not the third) of service.

• You must complete a degree before promotion to captain.

For more information on OPMS XXI, visit the Army Reserve Personnel Command (AR-PERSCOM) web site at http://www.army.mil/usar/ar-perscom/arpercom

Army Divisions Created This Century

Divisions are relatively new creations in the history of warfare, according to Dr. Susan Canedy of the US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). France created the first division in 1794 made up of infantry, cavalry and artillery. The British led the rest of Europe by adopting its division in 1807.

The United States’ first division appeared after the passage of the National Defense Act of June 1916. Within two months of America’s entry into World War I, 28,000 soldiers of the First Expeditionary Division sailed to France. It was organized on a square structure with two infantry brigades, each having two regiments of three battalions and a machine gun company. The division field artillery brigade had two regiments of 3-inch field guns and one regiment of 6-inch howitzers. An engineer regiment and a field signal battalion augmented the combat arms.

After the Great War, the War Department retained the square with a reduced strength of 22,000. However, during the lean years between World War I and World War II, the surviving divisions were fully staffed on paper only.

With technological advances and improved weapons developed in the 1930s, the US Army examined its division structure. After limited tests of several designs in service schools in the first half of 1937, three division designs were tested in the field. The choices were an unmodernized contemporary division, a modernized and motorized contemporary division and a new and improved advanced division. The 2d Division tested them all in two months of extensive maneuvers around Fort Sam Houston, TX.

The new and improved division won out, became the triangular division and was activated in 1940. It was much leaner -- about 15,000 strong -- with three regiments of infantry with three rifle battalions each and no brigade headquarters. A battalion had three rifle companies and a company had three platoons. There were also four battalions of 105mm howitzers. A reconnaissance troop, a signal company, a military police company, an engineer battalion, a Quartermaster battalion and a medical battalion provided additional support.

Army Divisions Change Many Times

Armored and airborne versions of the triangular division also fought during World War II. Since then, the American division has changed three more times: from the triangular division to the pentomic division of 1957-62, the ROAD (Reorganization Objective Army Division) of 1964-1984 and the current Army of Excellence.

Only one pentomic division was ever fielded. Its organizations and tactics were created for a nuclear environment, which would require small, lethal and self-sustaining units. Success would depend on high mobility, rapid communications and devastating combat power. Five battle groups were planned for the infantry and airmobile divisions. A battle group was larger than a battalion but smaller than a regiment and could be employed singly or in combination. The armored pentomic division had 14,617 soldiers while the infantry and airborne divisions had 13,748 and 11,486, respectively.

The pentomic division, while lithe and mobile, lacked depth. Two new division designs were tested in early 1962. They became the ROAD divisions, of which five—infantry, armored, airborne, mechanized and airmobile -- were eventually organized, each with 15,000 troops.

A ROAD division had a semi-fixed common base that included a division headquarters, three brigades, division artillery, a support command, an aviation unit, an engineer battalion, a signal battalion, a cavalry squadron and a military police company. Depending upon the type of division and mission, it could be tailored with other forces to give it flexibility.

By the mid-1970s ROAD divisions were found lacking as the Warsaw Pact expanded and the Sinai and Syrian battles of 1973 offered glimpses of modern warfare. After considerable study, the Army of Excellence division was designed and fielded between 1984-86. Major pieces of the Army of Excellence division had been part of an earlier Division 86 study. The Army of Excellence heavy division eventually settled at about 18,000 troops in nine maneuver battalions. Much of the field artillery, air defense artillery and aviation assets moved to the corps.

The Army of Excellence light division is a three-brigade organization with nine battalions of infantry containing about 10,800 soldiers. The light division was designed specifically to respond to contingency missions where early response was critical.

Development work began on a successor to the Army of Excellence division in 1994. Though the Army’s new division for the 21st Century is smaller, its technological enhancements will make it more agile and lethal. It can also be tailored to better handle a wide range of missions. General William W. Hartzog, current TRADOC commander, has said that the only resemblance that the new division design has to today’s division is that the organization is still called a division.

The organizational structure of the Army’s newest division has not remained the same. The units in the organization are totally different inside, and they do different things with different equipment for different reasons. Nearly every part of the division organization for the 21^st Century has fewer people. By 2000, the division will have new equipment so soldiers can operate more efficiently. By 2010, when the division is outfitted with systems now in the development phase, capabilities of the organizations will increase dramatically. Adoption of the new division is a major step to preparing the Total Army for the next century, when the military needs heavy and light forces and strike forces and special operations forces.

No matter what forms the Army’s divisions have taken over time, a division is more than a large body of troops to those in military service. The division has come to be the unit that soldiers identify with -- an embodiment of the Army family.

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