A History of Army 86. Volume 1. Divison 86: The Development of the Heavy Divison September 1978 - October 1979

Abstract

Abstract : This report is a record of how U.S. Army planners of the Training and Doctrine Command developed during 1978-80 modernized concepts and structures for the divisions, corps, and higher echelons of the Army that was envisioned for the late 1980s. This volume treats the background of the effort and its central first task, the development, through October 1979, of Division 86, the heavy division. Carried through by the TRADOC commander, General Donn A. Starry, the Division 86 effort had its origins in significant division restructuring studies and evaluations by his predecessor, General William E. DePuy, but posed a new departure in its conceptual approach. This was based on General Starry's view of the NATO central battle and its constituent functional elements, as elucidated in a Battlefield Development Plan prepared in November 1978. Starry involved the TRADOC schools and integrating centers fully in the study, analysis, and structuring of Division 86, employing functional task forces which developed operational concepts spelling out the battlefield functions of target servicing, air defense, suppression and counterfire, interdiction, command-control-communications and electronic warfare, logistical support, force mobility, surveillance-fusion, and reconstitution. From these operational concepts, the task forces weighed exhaustively the organizational options, as guided by the TRADOC commander and the Chief of Staff of the Army. Approval in principle of Division 86 signalled the beginning of the remaining Army 86 Studies - the light division, the corps, and echelons above corps.