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Army announces modularization schedule through FY07

Army News Service

Joe Burlas

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, June 24, 2004) -- Now that the 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Ga., has reset into the first modular combat force -- growing from three brigade combat teams to four -- the Army is readying to modularize other divisions that will be reconstituting after operations in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

Speaking on background to members of the Pentagon press corps June 22, a senior Army official announced the schedule to convert the nine other divisions to modular brigade-plus sized units of action through fiscal year 2007.

The 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Ky., will convert this fiscal year. In FY05, the 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, and the 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y., will reset into a modular force. In FY06, the 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, the 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C., will convert.

Pending funding and approval by the Department of Defense, the Army plans to modularize the remaining three divisions -- the 2nd Infantry Division, South Korea; First Infantry Division, Wurzburg, Germany; and the First Armored Division, Wiesbaden, Germany -- in FY07.

Funding has already been secured for the first seven division conversions, including the 3rd Infantry Division, through the Army's operations account and emergency supplemental bill passed by Congress.

The Army National Guard will also modularize its brigade combat teams into more robust units of action, starting with three brigades next year, the senior Army official said. An addition six National Guard brigade conversions are planned each year FY06-10. The FY07-10 National Guard modularization schedule is also pending DoD approval and appropriate funding.

The modularization will rely heavily on the Training and Doctrine Command as modularization will impact some 100,000 positions, many requiring Soldiers in less needed Cold War formations like field artillery and air defense brigades to retrain for positions in more demand today. That demand is for more infantrymen, military police, civil affairs specialists and truck drivers, the official said.

The official called the Army's resetting and restructuring efforts the most massive change the Army has seen in 50 years, but will ultimately create an Army with a deeper pool of units to deploy for the global war on terror. That deeper pool could eventually mean shorter unit deployments -- six or nine months rotations, he said.

This is about resetting the Army for continuous operations, not contingency operations, the official said.

In addition to moving artillery, military intelligence and other combat support/combat service support assets normally found at division or above level down to units of action, modularization also beefs up the number of combat troops compared to most Cold War structured brigades.

"We have a plan and we're moving out," the official said, referring to the Army Campaign Plan that has established strategic guidance, priorities and goals for transforming the Army into a more effective and efficient force in the global war on terrorism.