B. Countering the Threats

Army preparations to fight and win on the battlefield are driven by a carefully considered and continually evolving doctrine.

1. AIRLAND BATTLE DOCTRINE

The Army's fundamental doctrine for combat operations is termed "AirLand Battle" in recognition of the inherently joint nature of modern warfare. It prescribes the principles and methods that Army units would use in concert with other services and allies to conduct combat operations.

AirLand Battle (ALB) doctrine considers enemy strengths and vulnerabilities in light of timeless military principles and establishes a comprehensive methodology for Army operations in conjunction with sister services and allies. This approach is reflected in Army doctrinal publications, organization designs, materiel development activities, and training and education programs. The tenets of ALB doctrine are initiative, agility, depth, and synchronization.

Units at every level must seek and retain the initiative, setting the terms of battle and causing the enemy to react.

The mental and physical agility of the command enables the commander to capitalize rapidly on favorable situations and mitigates the effect of unexpected enemy operations.

The force fights throughout the full depth of the battlefield, engaging the enemy at the time and place where it is most likely to cause his defeat. The commander closely synchronizes all aspects of the operation to make the best use of all available combat power.

Modern combat places a premium on the quality of soldiers and their units. The battlefield will be chaotic, intense, and highly destructive, extending across a wide area of land, air, and sea. It will require nonlinear operations, highly lethal systems, heavy reliance on sensors, and advanced communications to control highly mobile forces in fluid situations. Professional leaders and well trained and equipped soldiers will be the key to victory.

By providing a sound comprehensive rationale for the Army's programs to fight and win on the battlefield, ALB doctrine focuses the Army's efforts and assures the most effective and efficient use of available capabilities and resources.

2. LOW-INTENSITY CONFLICT

Low-intensity conflict (LIC) is a political-military confrontation between contending states or groups below the level of conventional war and above the routine, peaceful competition among states. It involves protracted struggles between competing principles and ideologies. LIC ranges from subversion to the use of armed force. It is waged by a combination of means employing political, economic, informational, and military forces. Such conflicts are often localized, generally in the Third World, but contain regional and global security implications.

Low intensity conflict is of concern to the United States when it is used to attack its national interests, values, political foundations, or those of its friends, or allies. Our Nation counters the threat of LIC through its counter-terrorism policy, political and economic support for developing nations, assistance to governments combating low intensity aggression, support for resistance movements, suppression of illegal drug trafficking, and peacekeeping operations.

3. TERRORISM COUNTERACTION AND ANTITERRORISM (TC/A)

The Army TC/A doctrine provides for defensive measures called Antiterrorism (AT) and offensive measures called Counterterrorism (CT).

The Army has implemented a wide range of measures to defend its personnel and equipment from terrorists. It is also ready to take offensive action against terrorists when appropriate. Physical security, the most expensive aspect of AT, employs technology and construction projects to make potential targets less vulnerable. Army Force Protection funding supplements other physical security funding.

Recent TC/A Program initiatives include:

Expanded threat and protective measures awareness and training for soldiers and family members worldwide;

Improved intragovernmental agency sharing of intelligence and operational information;

Special surveys of vulnerability in

threatened areas;

Corps of Engineers AT security design review of all Military Construction, Army planned construction projects;

Establishment of a DA level AT Operations and Intelligence cell for continuous collection of terrorist intelligence, rapid analysis, and immediate dissemination of threat warnings to commands worldwide; and

Worldwide publication of a daily force protection message with threat and operational

information to assist commanders and security officers with planning and training.

Excellent host nation support, active countermeasures, an effective awareness program, and the demonstrated capability to strike back have severely limited recent terrorist success against the Army.

4. SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES (SOF)

Special Forces, Rangers, Special Operations Aviation, Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations (PSYOP) units comprise the Army's SOF.

Special Forces are trained and equipped for prolonged operations in hostile areas, and are easily tailored for rapid response throughout the world. These units are area oriented, with unique language skills, and can operate independently or in support of other forces, services, or agencies. Special Forces missions include unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, strategic reconnaissance/target acquisition, and direct action.

The UH-60 Black Hawk has increased both the speed and the range of helicopter borne troop movement.

time-sensitive targets of high military significance. These missions can be conducted throughout the depth of the battlefield in support of conventional operations, or deep within an unfriendly area in support of national objectives.

Army special operations aviation units provide rotary wing aviation support requiring special skills and equipment.

Civil affairs forces assist commanders in coordinating host nation support and population control, training foreign internal defense forces during peacetime, and providing technical civil assistance to local governments. Civil affairs forces are complemented by PSYOP units which provide warfighting CINCS with propaganda and deception support.

The Army's budget for SOF has continued to expand even with the overall directed budget reductions for FY 89. The SOF budget includes increased funding for AC and RC forces and sustains SOF modernization in the areas of aviation, communications, PSYOP material, and equipment research and development. The Army's SOF budget supports the new Unified Command for Special Operations in its mission of providing combat ready, interoperable, and modernized SOF supporting national objectives.

5. THE ARMY ROLE IN DRUG INTERDICTION

Because of the scope and nature of the threat posed by illegal drug trafficking, the Army has the mission of providing military suppon to civilian authorities by assisting them with drug interdiction in several specific ways. In response to the 1981 Amendment to the Posse Comitatus Act, the Army cooperates with law enforcement agencies to the maximum extent possible consistent with military readiness and current law.

6. SUMMARY

The key to Army doctrine is flexibility. ALB doctrine provides for mobile and versatile forces to respond with discrimination to a wide variety of threats. It seeks to maximize the effects of current assets by integrating all available resources, whether they are combat elements in a major conflict, or medical teams and PSYOP units in a remote area. It also provides direction for identifying and developing the programs and priorities of the future. The Army's readiness to execute its own doctrine indicates its ability to accomplish joint and combined operations in support of the national military strategy. Today's Army is trained and ready to do just that.

"The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave."

Patrick Henry, 1775

Momentum

The Army has steadily improved as a deterrent force during the past eight years. Improvements in readiness, sustainment, modernization, and force structure have produced significant positive

momentum.

Today's challenge is maintaining that momentum.

A. Improvements in
Combat Power

The Army's capability to execute its doctrine and fulfill its strategic role is the best in several decades. The Army's readiness and modernization programs have increased the capability of its major combat units significantly since 1980.

The Measuring Improved Capability of Army Forces Study quantifies the effects of improved speed, accuracy, protection, firepower, command and control, and logistical support. Results show that the combat potential of the Army's basic fighting force, the combat division, increased by 63 percent between 1980 and 1987 when measured against a constant Soviet threat. The potential of all of the Army's major Active Component (AC) units-divisions, separate brigades, and armored cavalry regiments-increased by 69 percent.

Most importantly, the quality of soldiers the Army attracted and retained is, by every measure, the highest in our Nation's history. Well educated, highly motivated, fully trained, and superbly equipped, this quality force is the key to the Army's combat power today.

In short, the momentum resulting from wise investment of our Nation's resources is evident precisely where a potential enemy must fear it most-in the improved capabilities of our combat elements.

However, we have much left to do. In FY 89 the AC will be the smallest in a decade. Its quality and warfighting potential must continue to improve if we are to accomplish our national security objectives. Particularly challenging is the demonstrated ability of the Soviet Union to field new capabilities of unprecedented technological quality. At present budget levels we will not be able to continue improving our readiness and modernization efforts. The Army's FY 89 budget is carefully framed to make the best use of available resources for developing and fielding the warfighting capabilities which our CINCs deem essential to assure deterrence or win in combat.

B. Readiness

"The best form of 'welfare' for the troops is first class training." Erwin Rommel

1. TRAINING

Quality training has a direct effect on warfighting skills and combat capability. To emphasize this fact, we have selected "Training" as the Army Theme for 1988. This year's emphasis on training will do much to focus the Total Army - Active, Guard, Reserve, and civilian-on training as our top priority and the cornerstone of combat readiness. Our programs are designed to train leaders, units, and individuals.

LEADER DEVELOPMENT

The wellspring of our Army is its core of trained leaders; the standards of the future Army will be set by the leaders we train today. Appropriately, one of the Army's most important goals is to develop leaders and enhance leadership at all levels.

THE OFFICER EDUCATION SYSTEM: The purpose of the Army's officer education system is to produce AC and Reserve Component (RC) officers who are tactically and technically proficient, and prepared to lead their units in combat. Course content is structured to match the increasing levels of responsibility assumed by officers as they progress through their careers, with emphasis on unified action and strategic study increasing with seniority. The Army believes that well-rounded in-service expertise forms the essential basis for an officer's contribution to joint and combined operations.

The Military Qualification Standards Program standardizes some pre-commissioning and company-grade officer training to ensure junior officers are proficient at the common tasks they must know to accomplish assigned missions.

Functional Officer Advance Courses provide captain-level training for command and future staff assignments with 20 weeks of branch specific common instruction, followed by up to six weeks of specialty training focused on the officer's next assignment.

The 9-week Combined Arms and Services Staff School (CAS3) provides intensive staff training for officers in their sixth through ninth year of service. This course has resulted in a dramatic improvement in the quality of unit staffs throughout the AC. A pilot CAS3 is underway to extend this valuable instruction to RC officers during weekend and annual training. The Command and General Staff Officer Course (CGSOC) is the flagship course of the officer education system. As the last formal schooling for most Army officers, CGSOC is dedicated to the development of leaders who will serve as General Staff officers and field grade commanders. Nearly 1,000 attend the resident course and 15,000 participate in the correspondence program and RC schools annually.

The Advanced Military Studies Program (AMSP) consists of a follow-on year of study after the CGSOC, followed by an internship as an operational planner on a division or corps staff. Each year AMSP seeds the force with operational experts of exceptional competence.

The Army War College prepares selected lieutenant colonels and colonels for service at the highest levels of the military. Increasing emphasis is being placed on joint professional military education. Pre-Command Courses are conducted at branch schools and the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) for battalion and brigade level commanders.

Several training initiatives focus on the general officer corps. They include: Pre-Command Training for commanders and assistant commanders of Army divisions; the Capstone course in joint and combined operations taught at the National Defense University; and the 2-week Flag Officer Warfighting Course at Maxwell Air Force Base, a joint Army-Air Force course covering the full spectrum of joint and combined combat operations.