United States Army Europe (USAREUR)
7th US Army
United States Army Europe [USAREUR] maintains a forward-deployed combat force, trained and ready; prepared for immediate power projection in order to conduct and support the full spectrum of joint and multinational operations; conducts engagement activities, protects U.S. forces & resources, conducts sustaining base operations & ensures the readiness & well being of its personnel, in the theater, or elsewhere as directed.
USAREUR consists of an Army Major Command, an Army Service Component Command, a corps headquarters with corps base forces, two divisional headquarters with division troops, four heavy brigades, an airborne brigade with two assigned battalion-sized airborne combat teams (ABCT) that have a motorized capability, a theater support command, an Army Training Command, and area support groups (ASG) and base support battalions (BSB) for installation management. USAREUR is also supported by forward-deployed communications and intelligence organizations.
Command and control is focused on the following headquarters: Army Service Component Command - 7th Army, capable of serving as a four-star joint task force (JTF) or Combined JTF headquarters (with appropriate augmentation), a joint forces land component command headquarters, and/or an Army Force (ARFOR) headquarters in any operation; Headquarters U.S. Army, Europe, an Army Major Command, which commands and controls base support, deployment support, and performs other Title X support operations; Headquarters V Corps, which serves as a joint forces land component command headquarters (with appropriate augmentation) or an ARFOR headquarters depending on the operation; Headquarters 173d Brigade (Abn), which is structured to serve as a JTF or Combined JTF headquarters (with appropriate augmentation), or an ARFOR headquarters depending on the operation; 21st Theater Support Command, which commands and controls logistics and reception, staging, onward movement operations.
Brigades are clustered around the headquarters locations of Baumholder, Friedberg, Schweinfurt, and Vilseck. The ABN Brigade is clustered around Vicenza. The combat support/combat service support structure consists of a logistics base in Kaiserslautern, a communications and transportation hub around Mannheim, and an intelligence node in Darmstadt. All headquarters are organized and trained to rely on reachback strategy and technology.
USAREUR is the Army's forward deployed Strategic Force Projection Platform and forward deployed Intermediate Staging Base. USAREUR forces operate in region of the world that is frequently unstable, where states can disintegrate into smaller, ethnically based entities. Migration resulting from war, economic hardship, or environmental depletion can further destabilize or fragment existing states. These security challenges will continue well into the 21st century.
USAREUR's location provides national political and military leaders with an Intermediate Staging Base, or an Intermediate Support Base that is much closer than those in the U.S. to the potential conflicts or operational areas mentioned above. The USAFE bases, combined with the robust Central European transportation network and large seaports it possible to rapidly move European based forces to contingency areas. USAREUR is in the most engaged and deployed theater of operations in the world. Representing only about 13% of the Total Army, USAREUR provides or provides command, control and Title X support for over two-thirds of the Army's deployed forces. A typical day finds around 20% of USAREUR's soldiers deployed to over 20 countries in and out of the AOR. They are supported in their missions by DA and contract civilians who also have deployment readiness requirements.
USAREUR forces are task organized into formations based on a rotating ready force posture. These tailored packages will permit the rapid formation of trained and capable forces matched to the mission. Ready-forces are certified prior to mission assumption to ensure they are prepared to meet the required time standards. The targets for having combat-ready USAREUR forces ready to deploy from home station will be:
- 48 hours for the immediate ready company.
- 96 hours for the designated ready force, usually a battalion task force.
- 7 days for the designated ready brigade.
- 45 days for the required objective area and forward enabling forces.
USAREUR has programmed for construction or renovation all required facilities for three strategic deployment hubs. Two support Central Region-one located at Rhine Ordnance Barracks adjacent to Ramstein Airbase, one at a location adjacent to another airport of embarkation in the eastern division's sector. Both facilities can hold up to a battalion's worth of soldiers and equipment (personal and organizational) at any time and can fully deploy a complete brigade within 96 hours. The third, in Northern Italy, supports the Southern Region. It has the capability to stage the Light Immediate Ready Company at all times, rig and hold a battalion's worth of soldiers and equipment (personal and organizational) at any time and can push the Airborne Brigade out within 48 hours. Additionally, a stationing plan has been implemented that ensures each deployable unit is supported by a local railhead, appropriate road network and a regional APOD/APOE.
Increasing USAREUR's strategic projection capabilities requires units that are quickly deployable, along with right sized support packages and HQ units capable of split based operations. Under the FY 2005 End state, USAREUR will maintain the capability to deploy heavy forces to a MTW, while having an improved ability to quickly respond to lower threat environments or SASO operations. Still built around a Corps Headquarters and two division flags, USAREUR will have transitioned to a Heavy / Medium / Light force mix. TDAs will be civilianized to free up military spaces for MTOE units, and greater AC /RC integration will help fully man the divisions, headquarters and theater training base. The result will be a USAREUR with the speed, agility and power to meet the challenges of the XXI century.
Key force structure objectives by 2005 include reconfiguring HQUSAREUR/7A to an Army Service Component Command (ASCC) design. The goal is to standardize all AC Army HQs. This is a high payoff initiative for USAREUR, providing the opportunity to reconfigure HQ, USAREUR/7A to a design better suited to accomplishing the present and projected slate of missions and capable of acting as an ARFOR HQ. USAREUR HQ will contain a deployable Operational Headquarters capable of acting as an ARFOR, and a non-deploying MACOM staff that will execute the continuing administrative theater tasks. These new split based and tactical capabilities will strengthen USAREUR's ability to accomplish all 5 fundamental imperatives.
USAREUR is designing and implementing a more capable Corps HQ and Corps base. V Corps HQ design will be adjusted to improve its ability to function as a deployable HQ. Enhancements include strengthening the plans, logistics plans, and movement control cells, as well as deep operations capabilities and information operations functions. The result will be a Corps HQ that can quickly deploy as an organic, trained unit and accomplish all assigned tasks as a JFLCC HQ.
In concert with the Corps HQ enhancements the Corps base will be made more capable with the addition of needed deployment enhancers and support units. This will likely entail a realignment of AC/RC and CONUS/OCONUS force mix to ensure immediate deployers/enablers are in theater and fully manned, while other units are habitually associated with V Corps and available in an acceptable amount of time.
USAREUR is transitioning to a Heavy/Medium/Light force mix. The cornerstone of USAREUR's organizational change by 2005 is modification of some combat units to a design that allows rapid deployment of significant light or medium weight combat forces, while retaining a heavy MTW capability. Intent is to retain two divisional flags in theater and SETAF's light capability, but adjust the type of combat forces organic to some or all of those HQs. Specific combat force objectives are at least one I-BCT Brigade and an additional Light Infantry Battalion in Theater.
USAREUR is improving theater logistic capability. This action is closely aligned with the redesign of USAREUR/7A HQ and the strengthening of the Corps base. 21st TSC(P) will separate theater and deployment logistics, enhancing USAREUR's deployment posture and ARFOR capabilities, while retaining the ability to continue uninterrupted theater support operations. COSCOM will be strengthened through focused ALO upgrades, and an assessment of the right mix of AC/RC and CONUS/OCONUS capabilities.
USAREUR is strengthening the theater training base. 7th ATC is responsible for conducting the tough, realistic training that prepares USAREUR soldiers and units for deployment. This mission is absolutely vital to USAREUR's success, and will be resourced at a higher level to ensure the theater training capability remains high quality and capable of meeting the ever increasing unit training requirements. Personnel will be added to the NCO academy, and CMTC capabilities will be made more robust by an increase in observer controllers and OPFOR infantry.
The glide slope to 2010 begins in 2005- a USAREUR with a full spectrum Heavy/Medium/Light force mix, controlled by modular theater and Corps headquarters capable of split based and joint operations, supported by a robust theater and Corps base. As a full player in the Army transformation USAREUR in 2010 will have received mature and proven digitization equipment, and theater forces will be fully compatible with other army units world wide. A modern front line force, USAREUR in 2010 will retain the ability to rapidly adjust force structure to meet emerging threats and missions while accomplishing always the five USAREUR fundamental imperatives. Specific force structure objectives are a full, 2 Brigade I-BCT Division and a more capable SETAF with increased lethality and staying power.
