Armor, March-April 1997 Edition

56 Pages·2011·4.45 MB·English

Stand To
Readers ask a number of questions, several of which seem nals. How often have you seen the theme, been instantly
to be recurring. I thought it was appropriate to answer them turned off, and then pitched the magazine onto the dead pe-
now because ARMOR magazine math says, for every guy riodical pile? We want to avoid that. You all know what is
who asks, there are at least three others (or only two if you important because you are living it every day. If you still want
have a three-man crew) who have the very same question. a little bit of guidance though, articles which could help oth-
I’ll start out with the number one question by far. ers following in your training shoes, OPD/NCOPD suitable
articles, are always in short supply.
Q: Why does my personal copy of ARMOR come to my
house three or four weeks later than when I see a copy go Q: Do you take material from non-tankers/cavalrymen/
through the unit distribution? scouts?
A: Hah! All ARMOR magazines are not alike. First, the two A: ABSOLUTELY! Anyone who has something to say about
magazines, despite identical contents, come from different any facet of the heavy fight is a potential contributor to the
sources. The unit/agency/directorate copies come from the dialogue in ARMOR.
government, i.e., they are free. Your paid subscription maga-
zines come from the U.S. Armor Association, a private or- Q: I just finished a great book, didn’t see a review in AR-
ganization. Before you get your NOMEX in a bunch and say MOR yet, and would like to do a review on it. Do you accept
that is the stupidest thing you ever heard, know that we are unsolicited reviews?
on firm legal ground here. In the mid-1980s, a legal decision
A: Yes, we do. Shorter reviews, less than 500 words, are
determined that the association and government could not
better for our purposes than longish ones. If you want to ask
continue to run their copies off on the same press, by the
us before you go to the trouble of doing the review, we will
same printer, as they had been doing for years. The determi-
tell you if anyone has ever reviewed the book in ARMOR or
nation was that this constituted an unfair advantage to the
if someone else is currently working on it for us. We are also
association, and necessitated a separation between public
interested in computer simulations that have something to of-
and private copies. Under what is called the Negative Loan
fer both in training and entertainment to the professional war-
Program, it was legal, however, for the Association to “bor-
fighter.
row” the negatives and to reprint copies of the magazine
once the official press run was complete, so the Association Q: Do you accept article submissions and letters to the edi-
could offer reprints as part of its association membership. tor via electronic means?
This drove up costs for both the government and the asso-
ciation, since both had to negotiate individual print contracts A: Of course, however, a word of caution is in order here.
with separate printers, with neither benefiting from economies Please be sure to include your name, address, and tele-
of scale. This also delays the second printing. Once the gov- phone number somewhere in the submission. People often
ernment run is complete, the association must get the nega- don’t. It is awfully difficult to determine who you are from a
tives mailed back to Fort Knox; then mail them to the Asso- user ID, especially if it is one of the more creative ones, like
ciation’s printer, who then has to set up the issue for another a number.
run; and finally mail it back for approval. This process usually
Q: Why isn’t there more stuff from enlisted men in the
takes 3-4 weeks if there are no hiccups. That is why your
magazine?
personal copy always seems a month “late.”
A: There is no bias nor hidden agenda to limit the num-
Q: What kinds of articles are you most likely to publish?
bers of enlisted appearances. The simple fact is that cur-
A: We are wary of asking for any “type” of article. A long rently we get few submissions from NCOs and enlisted sol-
line of Chiefs of Armor and ARMOR magazine Editors-in- diers. We are actively searching for material from that too-
Chief have believed over many decades that it is best to silent part of the force. If you have an idea for an article,
work with what people from the force think is important. We run it by us. If you have a good idea in your TC or PLT
have resisted creating the M1A1 Fort Knox-approved discus- SGT binder that others could use, recall SSG Krivitsky’s
sion topic for each issue here at Fort Knox. We prefer not to back cover in the Sep-Oct 96 issue, and send it to us.
have “theme” issues such as are found in other military jour- — TAB
By Order of the Secretary of the Army: Official:
DENNIS J. REIMER JOEL B. HUDSON
General, United States Army Administrative Assistant to the
Chief of Staff Secretary of the Army
03093
The Professional Development Bulletin of the Armor Branch PB-17-97-2
Editor-in-Chief
Features
LTC TERRY A. BLAKELY
8 British Tradition vs. German Innovation
Managing Editor
by Major David P. Cavaleri
JON T. CLEMENS
12 Patton Versus the "Motor Maniacs": An Inter-War Defense of Horse Cavalry
by John Daley
Commandant
MG GEORGE H. HARMEYER 16 Mine Resistant Tracks
by Ralph Zumbro
ARMOR (ISSN 0004-2420) is published bi 21 TERM -The Tank Extended Range Munition
monthly by the U.S. Army Armor Center, 4401 by Lieutenant Colonel John C. Woznick
Vine Grove Road, Fort Knox, KY 40121.
23 Bush Bar: A South African Solution for Jungle Busting
Disclaimer: The information contained in AR
by First Lieutenant Adam Geibel
MOR represents the professional opinions of the
authors and does not necessarily reflect the offi 24 19K One Station Unit Training Information On-line for All Armor Personnel
Cial Army or TRADOC pOSition, nor does it by Captain Brandon L. Zupancic
change or supersede any information presented
25 Creating the OffIcer Corps of the Future to Execute Force XXI Blitzkrieg
in other official Army publications.
by Major Donald E. Vandergriff
Official distribution is limited to one copy for
each armored brigade headquarters, armored 33 An Engagement Area Primer
cavalry regiment headquarters, armor battalion by Lieutenant Colonel Ben Santos
headquarters, armored cavalry squadron head
36 Gagetown: Training Combined Arms in Canada
quarters, reconnaissance squadron headquar
by Sergeant Major Charles C. Hayhurst
ters, armored cavalry troop, armor company,
and motorized brigade headquarters of the 38 Leclerc -New French Tank, Like the M1A2, Uses Digital Architecture
United States Army. In addition, Army libraries, by Lieutenant Colonel John Moncure
Army and DOD schools, HQ DA and MACOM
41 It's a State of Mind
staff agencies with responsibility for armored, di
Captain Charles H. Benson III
rect fire, ground combat systems, organizations,
and the training of personnel for such organiza 43 The Race
tions may request two copies by sending a mili by Lieutenant Colonel Walter F. Ulmer III
tary letter to the editor-in-chief.
46 Above and Beyond (SSG Ruben Rivers Honored)
Authorized Content: ARMOR will print only by Private First Class Darryl M. Metcalf
those materials for which the U.S. Army Armor
Center has proponency. That proponency in 53 Armor Conference Information
cludes: all armored, direct-fire ground combat
Back Armor Conference Tentative Agenda
systems that do not serve primarily as infantry
Cover
carriers; all weapons used exclusively in these
systems or by CMF 19-series enlisted soldiers;
Departments
any miscellaneous items of equipment which ar
mor and armored cavalry organizations use ex
2 Contacts
clusively; training for all SC 12A, 12B, and 12C
3 Letters
officers and for all CMF-19-series enlisted sol
5 Commander's Hatch
diers; and information concerning the training,
6 Driver's Seat
logistics, history, and leadership of armor and ar
7 CLC and SPLC Course Dates
mored cavalry units at the brigade/regiment level
50 Cavalry Branch Update
and below, to include Threat units at those lev
51 Books
els.
Material may be reprinted, provided credit is
given to ARMOR and to the author, except
where copyright is indicated.
March-April 1997, Vol. CVI No.2
Directory - Points of Contact
DSN - 464-XXXX
U.s.
Army Armor Center
Commercial - (502) 624-XXXX
Commanding General (ATZK-CG)
MG George Harmeyer 2121
ARMOR Editorial Offices E-Mail: HARMEYER@FTKNOX·EMH7.ARMY.MIL
Deputy Commanding General (ATZK-DCG)
Editor-in-Chief BG Clayton E. Melton 7555
LTC Terry A. Blakely 2249 E-Mail: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected]
Chief of Staff (ATZK·CS)
Managing Editor
COL William E. Marshall 1101
Jon T. Clemens 2249
E-Mail: [email protected]
Editorial Assistant
Command Sergeant Major (ATZK-CSM)
Vivian Oertle 2610
CSM Ronnie W. Davis 4952
Production Assistant E·Mail: POSTCSM@FTKNOX·EMH7.ARMY.MIL
Mary Hager 2610
Directorate of Force Development (ATZK-FD)
E-Mail: [email protected]
COL John F. Kalb 5050
Staff Illustrator E-Mail: [email protected]
Mr. Jody Harmon 2610
Directorate of Training and Doctrine Development (ATZK-TD)
COL G. Patrick Ritter 8247
U.s. E·Mail: RITIER@FTKNOX-DTDD·EMH5.ARMY.MIL
Army Armor School
TRADOC System Manager for Force XXI (ATZK·XXI)
COL Robert L. Westholm 4009
Director, Armor School (ATSB-DAS)
E-Mail: [email protected]
LTC James R. Harrison 1050
E-Mail: [email protected]
TRADOC System Manager for Abrams (ATZK-TS)
Armor School Sergeant Major (ATSB-CSM) COL David M. Cowan 7955
CSM Gerald D. Utterback 5405 E-Mail: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected]
Mounted Maneuver Battiespace Battle Lab (ATZK-MW)
NCO Academy (ATZK-NC) COL Gary Krueger 7809
CSM Kevin P. Garvey 5150 E-Mail: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected]
Office, Chief of Armor (ATZK-AR)
16th Cavalry Regiment (ATSB-SBZ) Mr. Aubrey Henley 1272
COL Gregory M. Eckert 7848 E-Mail: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] FAX 7585
1 st Armor Training Brigade (ATSB-BAZ) Special Assistant to the CG (ARNG) (ATZK-SA)
COL Fred A. Treyz III 6843 LTC Randall Williams 1315
E-Mail: [email protected] E-Mail: [email protected]
ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS: To improve speed and accuracy in edit gets lost or distorted.) If you have any questions concerning electronic
ing, manuscripts should be originals or clear copies, either typed or art submissions, call Vivian Oertle at the phone number above.
printed out double-spaced in near-letter-quality printer mode, along with
a 3'/i or 5';'-inch disk in MultiMate, WordStar, Microsoft Word. Word MAILING ADDRESS: ARMOR, AnN: ATZK-TDM, Fort Knox,
Perfect, Ami Pro, XyWrite, Microsoft Word for Windows, or ASCII KY 40121-5210.
(please indicate wordprocessing format on disk or cover letter and in
clude a double-spaced printout). Tape captions to any illustrations or PAID SUBSCRIPTIONSJST. GEORGE-ST. JOAN AWARDS: Re
photos submitted. port delivery problems or changes of address to Connie Bright or Dar
lene Kennedy, P.O. Box 607, Ft. Knox, KY 40121, or call (502) 942-
SUBMISSION POLlCY NOTE: Due to the limited space per issue, we 8624. FAX [phone].
will not print articles that have been submitted to, and accepted for pub
lication by. other Army journals. Please submit your article to only one UNIT DISTRIBUTION: Report delivery problems or changes of ad
Army journal at a time. dress to Mary Hager, DSN 464-2610; commercial: [phone]. Re
quests to be added to the free distribution list should be in the form of a
GRAPmCS AND PHOTOS: We can accept electronic graphics and letter to the Editor-in-Chief.
photo files in most formats except Harvard Graphics. Compressed for
mats - .jpg and .gif take up the least disk space. We prefer PC Paint ARMOR HOTLINE - DSN 464-TANK: The Armor Hotline is a 24-
brush (.pcx). If you use Powerpoint (.ppt), please save each illustration hour service to provide assistance with questions concerning doctrine,
as a separate file. Try to avoid the use of color and shading, but if you training, organizations, and equipment of the Armor Force.
must use shading to illustrate your point, send us an unshaded version of
the illustration along with a printout of your shaded version. (We have ISSUES IN ARMOR: Visit the ARMOR Web site at the following ad
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2 ARMOR - March-April 1997
The TWGSS/PGS System: four sides of the MILES vehicles. Finding Hybrid Tank” contained in the Novem-
enough retro-reflectors to equip all vehicles ber/December 1996 issue of ARMOR.
One Unit’s Experience
like this is most likely not feasible.
In this article, the author, Robin Fletcher,
Dear Sir: Machine gun engagements with TWGSS attempts to make the case for a tank de-
are quite a challenge. First, the TWGSS sign that implements a main gun carried
I found General Bolte’s article, system doesn’t integrate the M2 .50 caliber and reloaded while recessed in a cavity in
“TWGSS/PGS: Combat Vehicle Gunnery machine gun into the system. We used a the body of the vehicle hull. When brought
Training Takes a Great Leap Forward” standard MILES transmitter on the .50 cali- into action, the main gun is to be raised
(Nov-Dec 96), to be a very good descrip- ber machine gun for the “Simo” engage- above the top of the tank on a rotating
tion of the TWGSS system. The “Men of ment. For the coax machine gun, we had a pedestal in order to bear and fire on a tar-
War” of the 1-33 Armor Battalion at Fort difficult time hitting troop targets composed get. Mr. Fletcher asserts in this article that
Lewis just completed an extensive TWGSS of E-type silhouettes at Table VIII ranges by recessing the main gun within the tank
gunnery and platoon STX exercise in which (700-900 meters). We discussed the prob- body, the crew will regain the “top vision”
we became thoroughly, and sometimes lem with a civilian technical representative lost in other future tank designs. Mr.
painfully, acquainted with TWGSS. from SAAB who was on-site during our Ta- Fletcher’s assertion is in error.
We conducted gunnery tables VII, VIII, ble VII, and he eventually shrugged his The top vision that is lost when the
and XII, as well as offense and defense shoulders and wished us luck. He ex- manned rotating turret is eliminated can
STX lanes, with the TWGSS system. plained the TWGSS coax wasn’t designed only be regained by giving the crew effec-
TWGSS enabled us to greatly improve the to hit that small of a target at the extended tive vision at an elevation equal to that
realism and intensity of our home station ranges required for Tank Table VIII. achieved in the manned turret. Robin
gunnery training program. Given that Fort The Training Data Retrieval System was Fletcher’s assertion that such top vision is
Lewis does not have any ranges capable of an excellent tool in assisting tank crew essential to the effective operation of any
supporting M1A1 Tank Tables, TWGSS al- evaluators in conducting after-action re- armored vehicle is, of course, correct, but
lowed us to conduct mounted gunnery views. We found that hooking up a televi- his proposed solution of lowering the main
training during a period we were not sched- sion set to the laptop computer better en- gun into the turret fails to provide the nec-
uled to deploy to the Yakima Firing Center abled us to display the information to the essary elevation for a direct vision equiva-
to conduct live-fire ranges. crew. For tank tables up to Table VIII, the lent to (i.e. a replacement for) that which is
The following paragraphs cover some of TDRS system will show the location of the found at the top of a manned rotating tur-
the lessons we learned during our exten- firing crew and the target, as well as point ret. Mr. Fletcher’s hybrid tank concept nei-
sive training. of impact and a variety of other data. How- ther solves the vision problem nor serves
ever, for Table XII, when we used the “mul- to simplify or improve operation, maintain-
First, on the issue of compatibility of
tiple card” function of loading data from ability, or construction any more than a de-
TWGSS and MILES for either force-on-
four tanks, we found that the system wasn’t sign implementing an external unmanned
force or panel gunnery with LTIDS, TWGSS
designed to show the same gunnery data. rotating gun turret.
is only truly compatible with MILES equip-
Specifically, the system doesn’t record point
ment when the target panels or vehicles A review of armored vehicle design litera-
of impact and location of targets as it did
are outfitted with TWGSS retro-reflectors, a ture over the past decade shows that no
for single disk operations. So, it was impos-
fact mentioned only once in the TWGSS author has fully recognized the only possi-
sible to tell if the platoon was using correct
operator’s manual, but borne out in our ble solution to the conundrum posed by the
fire distribution and control and hitting all of
training. TWGSS does indeed send out need to more effectively protect the tank
the targets with only the TDRS cards. The
MILES-compatible firing information; how- crew, while simultaneously reducing the
OC personnel had to watch targets go
ever, if MILES-equipped vehicles aren’t overall size and weight of the vehicle, and
down as they were hit, a difficult if not im-
equipped with retro-reflectors, the TWGSS equaling or bettering the combat effective-
possible task at night. We worked around
system cannot compute accurate ballistic ness of current designs.
this decreased capability in our Tank Table
data to send out an accurate laser beam. XII AARs by loading single disks for repre- I believe that the only feasible way to re-
TWGSS relies on its initial laser pulse to sentative crews, and then discussed their tain or improve upon the vision system cur-
determine the range to the target and lead crew level gunnery. rently incorporated in today’s main battle
required. It then determines a ballistic solu- tank designs is to provide the commander
tion and then fires the TWGSS round. Oc- Overall, the TWGSS system enabled us and gunner vision from a point located on
casionally, TWGSS-equipped vehicles can to conduct some outstanding training. Hav- top of a rotating external gun. Current main
“kill” MILES-equipped vehicles just as a ing a system that reinforces good gunnery battle tank designs incorporate very effec-
non-boresighted MILES tank can occasion- techniques using the entire fire control sys- tive night vision and fire control, but only in
ally kill another vehicle. We tried manually tem during force-on-force operations rather the frontal arc of the tank chassis and tur-
inputting battlesight ranges with a minor in- than MILES “gunnery” was definitely an ad- ret. A limited 360° direct vision is normally
crease in effectiveness. Also, when vantage. provided to, at most, two crew members,
TWGSS vehicles shoot at MILES-equipped and then only through the use of an ar-
vehicles without retro-reflectors, the Train- CPT KENNETH R. CASEY rangement of prisms located in hatch cov-
ing Data Retrieval System disk in the tank Cdr, B/1-33 AR ers. The viewing angle obtained from such
does not record the point of impact and Ft. Lewis, Wash. hatch prisms is very limited in the vertical
other gunnery information because the plane, is unmagnified and not linked in any
TWGSS tank never computed a ballistic way to the vehicle’s fire control system.
solution. So, the crew loses a great deal of There is no way to provide this type of
Main Gun on Elevating Pedestal
the potential feedback they would have re- 360° top vision when the gunner and com-
ceived had all vehicles either been Doesn’t Solve “Top Vision” Need mander are housed in the vehicle hull, as
TWGSS-equipped or MILES- and retro-re- there is no practical way to physically posi-
flector-equipped. For panel targets, we tion the commander’s “Mk.1 eyeball” at the
Dear Sir:
mounted the retro-reflector with Velcro® in top surface of the main gun. The only pos-
the center of the panel with the LTIDs ar- sible solution available to designers today
ranged in a tight circle around the retro. The purpose of this letter is to offer a bet- is to incorporate a “Virtual Reality” (VR) vi-
For MILES-equipped vehicles, we found ter solution to a major issue raised in the sion system that will give each crew mem-
that retro-reflectors must be mounted on all article titled “From the External Gun to the ber an independent 360° direct view at or
ARMOR — March-April 1997 3
above the level of the top surface of the Fostering Initiative Some years ago, I did a study on junior
main gun. officer leadership shortly after Desert
In a Downsizing Force
Storm, attempting to assess how juniors
We have available today both the com-
performed there, and how much latitude
puting power and solid state charge-cou-
Dear Sir: they had to demonstrate initiative in the
pled device (CCD) sensor technology to
command climate that prevailed. Did the
provide just such a vision system. In the
Major Vandergriff’s letter (Nov-Dec 96) is leadership environment created by seniors
past five years, advances in virtual reality
most interesting to me as he believes the encourage junior officers to forge ahead
software and associated electronics have
Army must “encourage entrepreneurial sol- reasonably on their own? No. If you are in-
been tremendous. By the year 2010, which
diers as a revolutionary idea. Our Army terested in a brief summary of my study, I’ll
appears to be the earliest date that the
must tolerate entrepreneurial officers — be happy to oblige.
U.S. Army will be able or willing to field a
leaders, soldiers — as equally revolution-
new main battle tank, the then-available
ary,” claiming the old system just doesn’t
computing and sensors will be capable of DR. GEORGE G. EDDY
work anymore. How right he is!
producing VR vision which will be several via E-mail
orders of magnitude better than that which As a professor of entrepreneurship, and
can be built today. It is clear that in the author of a book on the subject some time
Counterreconaissance:
time period from 2000 through 2005, the ago, I have long believed that with the
U.S. Army will be able to obtain from com- changes in the battlefield environment, What It Is, and Isn’t
mercial sources all of the components nec- where small units are highly likely of being
essary to construct a military standard, cut off and alone, unable to communicate
Dear Sir:
combat survivable artificial vision system with higher-ups, that more than ever we’ve
capable of presenting a substantially less got to identify, encourage, and willingly
limited 360° horizontal field of view equal to support entrepreneurially-inclined officers. In reference to the article in the Novem-
or better than what is currently possible in This surely goes right up against the pre- ber-December 1996 issue titled “Counterre-
the M1A2. Additionally, by placing vision vailing “brick wall” attitudes of senior offi- connaissance,” I feel obligated to make
sensors on the top, front, sides, and rear of cers where the emphasis has always been some observations. I fully appreciate the
both the external armored main gun as- for junior officers to conform and obey. two captains’ desire to see units do well at
sembly and the vehicle hull, the designer Those who challenge such a culture are the NTC, however, they must make sure
can provide a fully computer-stabilized, doomed unless they happen to come under that what they advocate is within the
lightweight, helmet-mounted, VR vision sys- the protection of an influential senior willing bounds of our current doctrine.
tem giving each crew member an inde- to take a chance on them while they make In the opening portion of their article, they
pendent 360° hemispheric view. By imple- mistakes during the learning period. Many state, “the task of conducting a counterre-
menting redundant sets of CCD sensors, senior leaders talk the talk about the impor- con fight incorporates a screen, hasty at-
sensitive to both visual light and thermal ra- tance of developing initiative, resourceful- tack/defense, zone recon, and the unique
diation, each crew member will have full ness, and the like on the part of juniors, but execution of tactical logistics, to name a
day/night vision for automotive operations, they don’t really believe in this, and they few.” This is the description of a guard mis-
target acquisition, and fire control. Further don’t support it. Now, in today’s Army, sion. As I read the article, I could not deter-
computer integration of the VR vision sys- where seniors are looking for ways to weed mine what kind of security mission this
tem with a fire control system and voice out “undesirables” in meeting the continu- mythical unit was conducting. I came to the
recognition may actually produce a main ing drawdown impositions, those juniors conclusion that it was a guard mission.
battle tank which can be operated and who dare to challenge are quickly spotted
Counterreconnaissance is not a mission.
fought by a two-man crew. Another possi- and as quickly riffed. Those who remain
Counterreconnaissance is a subset or ena-
bility of such a VR vision system would be understand to follow orders.
bling task of the security missions of cover,
synthetic vision enhancement (magnifica- Some years ago when I briefed the Chief guard, or screen. The authors may not ap-
tion) without the use of optical lenses. of Field Artillery at Fort Sill, I urged him to preciate this, but it is a fact. The basic
Robin Fletcher, and virtually all other consider requiring senior raters — LTCs problem is that if you state that “A/1-999 is
authors of articles on this subject, appear and above — to show specifically how they the counterrecon force,” does this mean
to be unaware of the current state of com- had contributed to the development of their everywhere within the unit area or just in
puting and visual reality technology and are juniors, especially emphasizing the provi- the security area? If the answer is every-
perhaps unable to envision its use as a so- sion of opportunities for juniors to “show where, then there must be a security force
lution to some of the problems resulting their stuff” without fear of condemnation for forward to protect the security area. If the
from the elimination of a manned rotating the type of mistakes that are inherent in answer is only in the security area, then it
turret. It should also be noted that these this process. This does not mean that ma- is not a counterrecon force unless it is a
very same devices could easily be imple- jor careless or thoughtless errors should be sub-element of a larger formation.
tolerated. Seniors, in turn should not be
mented on current M1A2 units or incorpo- The BCBST program comes up against
pushed off the promotion track because
rated into future product improvement this issue in almost every rotation, and in-
some of their juniors make mistakes. There
packages yielding at a minimum, significant variably the use of the term counterrecon is
should not be penalties for honest and vig-
increases in lethality. misunderstood and generally applied incor-
orous effort.
rectly. We must understand our doctrine
I urge you to continue to publish the type I did not achieve my objective on the and stick to it. No one person in the field
of article represented by Mr. Fletcher’s OERs, but I still believe that what I pro- can change it on a whim; that is why it is
work. It is crucial that Armor personnel be posed is most important. As best I can un- called doctrine and not a suggestion.
exposed to discussions of not only the his- derstand, current leaders — should we re-
tory and doctrine of armored warfare, but ally call them that? — still practice the old
also of current and future armor technology. ways and treat learning mistakes as unac- JACK E. MUNDSTOCK
ceptable. We’ll never develop juniors into LTC, IN
competent seniors this way. How can we? Maneuver BOS Chief
JOSEPH F. MIGLIACCIO I believe that we still practice upper-level OPS GRP C BCTP
President, Software Solutions Unlimited leadership in the manner of painting by the
Albuquerque, N.M. numbers. Continued on Page 48
4 ARMOR — March-April 1997
MG George H. Harmeyer
Commanding General
U.S. Army Armor Center
Training the Mounted Force in Transition
The theme of the last TRADOC of the Soldier’s Manuals and Mission the field, the training in the Virtual
Commander’s Conference at Fort Sill, Training Plans that we use to train ar- Training Program is structured, based
OK was “Training the Force in Transi- mor and cavalry soldiers, leaders, and in doctrine, and focused on the execu-
tion.” We here at the Armor Center rec- units in the field. tion of armor and cavalry missions.
ommended this theme because training The preponderance of these missions
To make our doctrine more accessible
is our highest priority, training soldiers, occur primarily in a terrain data base
to units in the field, we have estab-
leaders, and units to be successful on that duplicates the National Training
lished the Armor and Cavalry Doctrine
the battlefield and in any other mission Center. With special coordination, bri-
Home Page on the Internet. Armor and
they are asked to accomplish. Without gade-level training — using structured
cavalry soldiers, leaders, and units all
tough, battle-focused training, no tech- training support packages designed for
around the world can get instant access
nology we acquire, no organization we use with the JANUS constructive train-
to all of our mounted force doctrine
develop, and no soldiers we enlist can ing model — is also available here at
through this web site. Additionally,
be successful. Training is indeed the the Home of Armor and Cavalry. The
they can comment on that doctrine di-
glue that holds this Army, particularly Armor Center isn’t resting on its laurels
rectly with the authors who wrote it
the Armor and Cavalry Force, together. though. We are also developing a num-
through electronic mail. That is ex-
We at the Armor Center have not for- ber of projects for training soldiers,
tremely important to us at the Home of
gotten that, and we are doing several leaders, and units in the future.
Armor and Cavalry. We want your
things to ensure that our armor and
good ideas and suggestions so we can Under the auspices of the Force XXI
cavalry units get the benefit of top-
improve our doctrine and training de- Training Program — an Army Chief of
notch training as we modernize and
velopment efforts. Using our web site Staff directed program — the Armor
change to enter the 21st Century.
is an easy way to do that. Of course, Center is completing development of
Within the last year we have estab- good, old-fashioned letters and calls are several training support packages that
lished the Directorate of Training and always welcome too. will benefit armored and mechanized
Doctrine Development. This new direc- units of our Army. The Battle Staff
torate — focused on the armor and Over 10 years ago, the Armor Center Training System (BSTS) is a computer-
cavalry units in the field — is responsi- became the home of the largest and based training system that trains the
ble for writing all armor and cavalry most complete military virtual reality staff officers, executive officer, and
doctrine and for doing all the task training facility in the world with the commander at both battalion and bri-
analysis for that doctrine and for new establishment of SIMNET. Now armor gade echelons. Scheduled for comple-
equipment. DTDD must then determine and cavalry units, from platoon to bat- tion this year, BSTS is an individual
what we must train in armor and cav- talion task force, come here nearly trainer that trains an officer in his or
alry units. They are also charged with every week of the year to train in this her individual tasks. The Staff Group
developing training devices and train- virtual training program on a variety of Trainer (SGT) is another computer-
ing support packages for our forces, missions with an in-place and highly based trainer that trains staff groups of
and synchronizing training develop- trained team of observer-controllers.
ment with doctrine through the writing While we cannot replace all training in Continued on Page 7
ARMOR — March-April 1997 5
DRIVER’S SEAT
CSM Ronnie W. Davis,
Command Sergeant Major,
U.S. Army Armor Center
ANCOC/BNCOC
Scheduled Training For FY 97
Welcome to the Advanced Noncom- geants, and command sergeants major ment for attendance. But historically,
missioned Officers Course (AN- are key players in preparing a soldier to those who have scored lower on the
COC)/Basic Noncommissioned Officers attend ANCOC/BNCOC. Another key TABE have encountered difficulty in
Course (BNCOC/CA). Congratulations player, often unnoticed or under-util- successful completion of the course. If
on your selection for attendance, a sig- ized, is the Brigade Schools NCO. He the soldier is weak in either of these
nificant milestone in your career devel- is available to provide information and areas, provide him the opportunity to
opment. The United States Army Non- access to the Army Training Require- take courses at the local education cen-
commissioned Officers Academy at ments and Resources System ter to improve his reading and vocabu-
Fort Knox, Kentucky, is here to assist (ATRRS). ATRRS will provide the lary skills.
you to further your career by providing soldier with information necessary to
If a soldier has been detailed outside
the finest career development training. ensure a smooth transition into the
the CMF, or worked in a position that
school environment, such as the names
This fiscal year, approximately 195 calls for his MOS but does not allow
of prospective students and their class
staff sergeants and 686 sergeants his involvement in the day-to-day
dates, a welcome letter from the com-
should receive a letter that starts this MOS activities, he is at a disadvantage
mandant, equipment/clothing packing
way from the commandant of the Fort when he arrives at the course. A thor-
list, commercial and DSN telephone
Knox Noncommissioned Officers ough knowledge of Common Leader
numbers for the Academy, and a list of
Academy. However, a more realistic Training (CLT) and how to apply it
subjects taught in the respective
expectation for attendance has only properly will go a long way toward the
courses, just to name a few. Once the
50% of that number attending and get- soldier’s success. Finally, the chain of
schools NCO has provided the soldier
ting the letter. The reasons are always command must conduct a thorough in-
and his chain of command with infor-
many and varied why those who terview with the attendee to cover sub-
mation, the first line supervisor must
should don’t attend, but most of them jects such as financial stability (ade-
take swift action.
boil down to our responsibility as quate funds for the family left at pre-
NCOs to take care of our soldiers. The command must ensure the soldier sent duty station, but also sufficient
meets the Army height and weight re- funds to defray the cost of BEQ living
Course selection and attendance is a
quirements and be able to pass an while attending ANCOC; the ideal so-
significant milestone in a soldier’s ca-
Army Physical Fitness Test. If the sol- lution would be the Government
reer and directly couples to his promo-
dier has a permanent profile, the re- American Express Card); marital status
tion to the next grade, or not. Supervi-
strictions on physical activity must be (married, separated, divorced, divorce
sors must take a long hard look at the
indicated clearly on the appropriate pending); child care arrangements;
career impact of deferring, or allowing
form. Soldiers with temporary profiles power of attorney for wife and child
a soldier to defer, his attendance. With
may not attend the course until the pro- care provider; serviceman’s group life
the Army’s increased competitiveness
file and recovery periods are com- insurance (SGLI) data updated; and
and promotions scarcity, the loss of a
pleted. Soldiers who do not meet these Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) in-
school seat is potentially devastating.
requirements will be returned to their spection. Any area not properly ad-
When a soldier receives notification of
respective unit. dressed could lead to a problem that
his class date, the chain of command
causes additional stress for the student
must make every effort to ensure he ar-
Areas that are sometimes overlooked and prevents him from focusing on his
rives on time and is prepared to negoti-
include The Adult Battery of Education school experience. The Academy envi-
ate the course.
(TABE). Presently, scoring in the 10.0 ronment is stressful enough without
We all know that the section ser- percentile or higher in reading and vo- adding unnecessary or preventable
geants, platoon sergeants, first ser- cabulary on the TABE is not a require- problems.
6 ARMOR — March-April 1997
Class Start
Course Number Date
Form 1610, orders with any amend- of CSM Kevin P. Garvey and his in-
ANCOC (19K) 005 14 Sep 97
ments, and a copy of his permanent structors, is prepared and capable of
BNCOC (19D) 502 30 Mar 97 profile or over-40 physical clearance providing high quality education to
BNCOC (19D) 004 11 May 97 if applicable. CMF 19 soldiers attending ANCOC or
BNCOC. The academy is capable of
BNCOC (19D) 005 20 Jul 97 The Academy environment will be
handling an ANCOC class of 80 stu-
a unique experience which requires
BNCOC (19D) 503 10 Aug 97 dents in both the 19K or 19D MOS;
an open mind and a commitment to
BNCOC (19K) 005 30 Mar 97 with BNCOC capable of handling 60
learn. At all times, the soldier must
students in both the 19K or 19D MOS.
BNCOC (19K) 006 11 May 97 conduct himself in a manner that
The class schedule for the remainder of
BNCOC (19K) 502 1 Jun 97 will reflect credit upon himself, his FY 97 appears at left.
unit, and the noncommissioned offi-
BNCOC (19K) 007 20 Jul 97
cer corps. All evaluations are situ- The Fort Knox Noncommissioned
BNCOC (19K) 008 10 Aug 97 ation-based and require the soldier to Officers Academy will provide each of
demonstrate how to think, rather your soldiers the necessary tools to
than what to think. It will be a chal- make them successful and an asset to
lenging and rewarding experience. their unit and the United States Army.
Ideally, the soldier should arrive at
Guaranteed. Remember, prepare your soldiers well,
least 24 hours prior to the start of the
and you will set them up for success.
course. He should have a copy of his The Fort Knox Noncommissioned
DA Form 2A and 2-1, 10 copies of DD Officers Academy, under the command Forge the Thunderbolt!
COMMANDER’S HATCH
CLC and SPLC Course Dates
(Continued from Page 5)
Course dates for the Cavalry Leaders Course (CLC)
and the Scout Platoon Leaders Course (SPLC) for FY
both the battalion and brigade echelons. Combat Training Site will 97 and FY 98 are as follows:
Containing over 100 training modules, go far to prepare our ar-
this project will be completed in FY98. mored and mech forces for CLC
The Force XXI Training Program has this very difficult mission.
Course
also developed brigade-level, construc-
Number Start Date End Date
tive training packages for use in the In this unstable and turbu-
Brigade/Battalion Simulation. Called lent world, our Army, and 97-02 31 Mar 97 18 Apr 97
97-03 29 May 97 18 Jun 97
Combined Arms Operations at Brigade particularly our armor and
97-04 4 Sep 97 24 Sep 97
Level, Realistically Achieved Through mechanized forces, will
98-01 3 Nov 97 21 Nov 97
Simulation (COBRAS), this training continually be called upon
98-02 23 Feb 98 13 Mar 98
support package has been used with to defend our national inter- 98-03 1 Jun 98 19 Jun 98
success by active component brigades ests. The bottom line is that 98-04 20 Jul 98 7 Aug 98
at both Ft. Riley, Kansas and Ft. Lewis, when Abrams tanks and
Washington. More training support Bradley fighting vehicles SPLC
packages are scheduled for develop- arrive on the scene, our op-
Course
ment in FY97 and in the future as the ponents — or potential op-
Number Start Date End Date
Force XXI Training Program continues ponents — understand that
to push the envelope for training units the United States of Amer- 97-05 7 Apr 97 25 Apr 97
97-06 9 Jun 97 27 Jun 97
in the twenty-first century. ica is committed and, in-
97-07 14 Jul 97 1 Aug 97
deed, prepared to act, and to
Within the next three years, the Ar- 97-08 11 Aug 97 29 Aug 97
act decisively. However,
mor Center will be the home of the 97-09 15 Sep 97 3 Oct 97
first training facility designed specifi- that is only possible if the 98-01 20 Oct 97 7 Nov 97
soldiers, the leaders, and the 98-02 1 Dec 97 19 Dec 97
cally for training armored and mecha-
units with those Abrams 98-03 26 Jan 98 13 Feb 98
nized units for Military Operations on
tanks and Bradley fighting 98-04 23 Feb 98 13 Mar 98
Urban Terrain (MOUT). The Mounted
vehicles are trained to 98-05 16 Mar 98 3 Apr 98
Urban Combat Training Site, currently tough, high, and demanding 98-06 1 Jun 98 19 Jun 98
under construction, will permit training 98-07 6 Jul 98 24 Jul 98
standards. That is our chal-
armor and mechanized platoons and 98-08 3 Aug 98 21 Aug 98
lenge and our priority here
company teams under realistic condi-
at the Home of Armor and Note: Report Date - Day prior to Start Date
tions in structured, live training exer-
Cavalry, today and tomor-
cises to prepare them for combat in For further information concerning these courses,
row.
built-up areas and restricted terrain. please contact Cavalry Branch at [phone]/3154
Featuring state-of-the-art targetry and or DSN 464-6235/3154.
battlefield effects, the Mounted Urban Forge the Thunderbolt!
ARMOR — March-April 1997 7
British Tradition vs. German Innovation:
The Continued Development of Mechanized Doctrine
During the Inter-War Years
by Major David P. Cavaleri
“...The tank proper was a freak. The Once the breakthrough occurred, yet surprising, given the fact that Haig
circumstances which called it into ex- then, “and only then,” Orgill stated, was the most supportive senior leader
istence were exceptional and are not “might the cavalry come into its own.”2 regarding the tanks and early mecha-
likely to occur again. If they do, they But by the end of 1918, the British Ex- nized doctrine during the war itself.
can be dealt with by other means.” peditionary Force viewed the tank not The following quote portrays clearly
as a substitute for cavalry but as a Haig’s opinion of the relationship be-
-MG Sir Louis Jackson, British Army wrecker of infantry morale. The British tween innovative mechanical weapons
maintained the philosophy that the tank and the traditional combination of in-
was auxiliary to both the infantry and fantry and cavalry:
As the Armor Force prepares to enter
the cavalry; useful for penetrating de-
the 21st century, some claim that there “It should never be forgotten however
fensive belts but incapable of assuming
is no longer a need for a standing force that weapons of this character [motor
the role of a primary combat arm. As
of main battle tanks. These critics state transport, heavy artillery, machine
subsequent events showed, few British
that Operation Desert Storm was the guns, aeroplanes, tanks] are incapable
military professionals during the inter-
last large-scale requirement for massed of effective independent action. They
war period wanted to replace either the
formations of armored vehicles, and do not in themselves possess the power
infantry or cavalry with a mechanical
that future conflicts will not need the to obtain a decision, their real function
innovation.
services of our branch as it exists to- being to assist the infantry to get to
day. In the years following WWI, the Brit- grips with their opponents.”5
ish Army remained steadfastly devoted
The British Army, successful in de- Clearly, Haig viewed the proper role
to the infantry and cavalry as its pri-
veloping, fielding, and employing ar- of the tank as being auxiliary to the in-
mary battlefield combat branches, due
mored vehicles during WWI, turned its fantry. Because of opinions like these,
in no small part to the opinion of senior
back on mechanized doctrine during post-WWI mechanized development in
military leaders like General Sir
the inter-war years and paid the price the British Army slowed dramatically
Douglas Haig. In December 1918, he
for its narrow-minded outlook on the in comparison to the period between
recorded his thoughts on the effective-
future of warfare. The study of mecha- 1916 and 1918. During the last three
ness of the infantry, artillery, and cav-
nized doctrine development during the months of the war, the British em-
alry, based on his experiences with op-
period 1919-1939 is valuable for sev- ployed tanks in large numbers along
erations like the Somme, Cambrai, and
eral reasons: it can provide historical the tactical models established at Cam-
Hamel. With regard to the infantry, he
perspective concerning the develop- brai and Amiens, with great success.
wrote: “Despite the enormous develop-
ment of our branch, and it can reassure On August 21, 1918, they opened the
ment of mechanical invention... the in-
us that the argument against the reten- Battle of Bapaume with 190 tanks; on
fantry remains the backbone of defense
tion of a heavy tank force is neither September 27 the BEF launched a di-
and the spearhead of the attack.”3 He
new nor well-founded. rect attack on the Hindenburg Line
credited the increase in the number of
with 230 tanks, succeeding in advanc-
In his book, The Tank, Douglas Orgill artillery pieces and the amount of mu-
ing twenty miles in two weeks and
stated that operations between July nitions, along with improved ranging
capturing 48,000 prisoners and 630
1916 and August 1918 focused the techniques, with fostering “the intimate
guns.6 And yet, in spite of the demon-
British General Staff on the real value cooperation between artillery and in-
strated success of these and other tank
of tanks in the offensive. By using fantry... which has been a marked fea-
operations, by November 1918 roughly
tanks massed in formations of hun- ture of our operations.”4 The cavalry,
fifty percent of the almost 2,000 tanks
dreds, the British hoped to overcome whether used for shock effect, “under
used by the BEF since Amiens were
the effects of the battlefield stalemate suitable conditions,” or as mobile in-
sent to the salvage yards to be
on wide fronts. Appearing simultane- fantry, still had “an indispensable part
scrapped, and by Armistice Day only
ously with this attitude was the need to to play in modern war.” While he gave
204 tanks were operational and ready
provide what had been lacking in pre- credit to the tanks for their role in
for duty.7
vious operations, namely “an effective breaking through defenses, he was ada-
reserve for the second, third, fourth, mant in his view that mechanical inno- These statistics would indicate that
and fifth days of the battle, so that a vations were useful only for supporting the British War Office believed the
breakthrough could be made through the primary branches. These opinions need for tanks had arisen out of re-
the whole depth of the front.”1 are both unmistakably traditional and quirements peculiar to the WWI battle-
8 ARMOR — March-April 1997