Reserve Component

New USAR MI Unit Structure

This is the fourth in a series of articles on the MI Proponent-sponsored MI Reserve Component (RC) Force Design Update (FDU). The focus of this piece will be the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) MI unit force that is currently in carrier status, scheduled to formally activate in fiscal year 98. The new USAR structure is built to answer the Active Component's (AC) requirement for wartime intelligence augmentation at the corps and theater level. Elements formerly aligned with the Army National Guard's combat divisions and brigades have been deactivated in the USAR. In the future, the Guard will "own" the MI structure that supports its tactical combat forces.
The new USAR units will be of a cellular or modular construct, designed to mobilize down to the team level via derivative unit identification code (UIC). The USAR MI force will afford the AC the capability to go to a higher operating tempo with a more robust capability; literally providing the second and third shifts critical to sustained operations.
The whole structure will move to a nearly pure MI military occupational specialty structure. Personnel will be assigned to MI functional teams. Training will focus to the team level. Equipment will be downplayed. If required for peacetime training, the reservists will, in main part, be assigned with existing AC intelligence and electronic warfare equipment. This was one primary factor in the stationing plan. In short, the USAR's contribution will be agile, available on short notice, adaptable and flexible. Mobilizing to the team level puts the RC contribution into theater early in the fight. The redesigned USAR force falls into two major regional contingency (MRC)-focused groups aligned against the requirements of the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) Force Projection Brigades (FPBs), the AC Corps and the theater. Each MI FPB has a supporting RC MI Group.
The 505th MI Group (East), Fort Gillem, Georgia, mobilizes to the 513th MI Brigade (FPB-E). The 513th supports four geographic commanders in chief (CINCs); U.S. Central Command, U.S. Atlantic Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Southern Command. MRC-East theater and corps requirements are answered by a single USAR corps support battalion (East Windsor, Connecticut) and two theater support battalions (Fort Meade, MD and Fort Gordon, Georgia). The language requirements for MRC-E are answered, in part, by three USAR linguist battalions located in Chicago Illinois, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Allison Park, Pennsylvania. The 505th is also has two technical intelligence (TECHINT) companies stationed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, an imagery analysis battalion on Staten Island, New York, and an aerial exploitation company in Orlando, Florida. See Figure 1. The 259th MI Group (West) in Phoenix, Arizona, has a mobilization responsibility to the 501st MI Brigade (FPB-W). Particulars regarding the 501st's responsibilities in the Pacific region are still evolving. MRC-W theater and corps requirements are captured in a single theater support battalion (Oakland, California) and a single corps support battalion (Pasadena, Texas). The MRC-W language shortfalls are provided, in part, by two USAR linguist battalions in Bell, California, and Austin, Texas. The 259th also has a small imagery analysis company. See Figure 2.
The peacetime command and control (C2) of these units currently runs through the Regional Support Command (RSC) in which the unit resides. The next level of C2 is the U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC).
The close RC to AC relationship inherent in this structure derives from the original concept in which each individual element of the new structure exists because of a specific AC requirement for wartime RC augmentation. The AC's corps and theater requirement literally defines the size and composition of the new USAR MI force. This requirement trace will answer most of the RC corps and theater support battalion's questions regarding Mission Essential Task Lists, annual training sites, contributory support missions, training focus, and mobilization coordination contacts. The success of this structural initiative hangs, in large part, on the ability of the AC and RC to marry a specific AC requirement to an identified RC MI augmentation element.

Knowlton Award

The first presentation of the coveted Knowlton award to a commissioned USAR officer was made to Colonel Michael Capitman. Colonel Capitman most recently served in the senior Army Guard and Reserve MI position as Reserve Components' Advisor to the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence. His career spans almost 30 years of active, reserve and AGR MI service beginning in Vietnam with the 1st Infantry Division. He has commanded at the USAR unit level and served in varied staff positions at U.S. Forces Command, INSCOM, and the Pentagon. Colonel Capitman is largely responsible for the USAR's assumption of the contributory support mission which will have reservists working real intelligence missions in support of the CINCs.
Colonel John Craig is the USAR POC and Chief of the Reserve Forces Office. Readers can contact him at (520) 533-1176, DSN 821-1176, and via E-mail at craigj@huachuca-emh1.army. mil. @SECONDBIO = Major Steve Ponder is the ARNG POC; his telephone number is DSN 821-1177 and his E-mail addresses are ponders@aol.com and ponders@huachuca-emh1.army.mil. Their fax number is 821-1762 and the mailing address is Commander, USAIC&FH, ATTN: ATZS-RA, Fort Huachuca, AZ 85613-6000.