*Appendix H
Division Support Command, Air Assault Division
Contents
ROLE AND ORGANIZATION OF THE AIR ASSAULT DIVISION
SUSTAINING SOLDIERS AND THEIR SYSTEMS
ROLE AND ORGANIZATION OF THE AIR ASSAULT DIVISION
The role of the air assault division is to plan, coordinate, and execute highly maneuverable aviation and combined arms operations employed alone or as part of a joint task force across the depth and width of the battlefield. The air assault division is unique in its ability to move rapidly over long distances to achieve objectives.
The air assault division may be employed as an infantry division and conducts operations like other infantry divisions with a division rear and maneuver brigade area. However, this is not the normal mode of operations and is likely only a temporary condition until air assault conditions are set.
For air assault operations deep into enemy territory, the division uses brigade task forces. The air assault task force is a tailored combination of combat, combat support, and combat service support designed to accomplish a specific mission. Air assaults occur when the situation offers opportunities to go deep to defeat the enemy. Air assaults involve holding terrain, either for its intrinsic value in view of the overall campaign or to bring about the defeat of an enemy formation. The task force establishes and operates from a brigade assault base.
The division commander may also establish operating bases to support the main attack. The operating base is established by a brigade task force, but the logistics element located in the base is a division-level element. The operating base may be the jump element for a DSA move. The division may establish several configurations of operating bases simultaneously depending upon the situation.
ORGANIZATION OF DISCOM
The basic organization of the air assault DISCOM is the same as the DISCOM organization discussed in Chapter 2 except that the air assault DISCOM has a light and a heavy maintenance company in the MSB versus a single maintenance company. An air ambulance company is a separate company located in the DISCOM, and the AVIM unit is a battalion rather than a company. The organization is shown at Figure H-1. The aviation maintenance battalion is a separate battalion under the DISCOM. The battalion is located in the DSA and maintains aircraft, aircraft armament, avionics equipment, and issues Class IX (air) repair parts.
When the air assault division is temporarily employed as an infantry division, the DISCOM employs its elements much the same as described in the text -- in the BSAs and a DSA. Also, although requirements differ, the support flows are similar. However, when the division is conducting air assault operations, DISCOM employment adjusts to meet the needs of the division. DISCOM elements may operate from four different types of bases within the air assault division area:
- DSA, which is the base for the DISCOM, AVIM battalion, and MSB, described in Chapters 2, 3 and 4.
- Operating base with forward elements of the DISCOM, AVIM battalion, MSB, and possibly some FSB elements.
- BSA, which is the base for the FSB, described in Chapters 2 and 3.
- Assault base with forward elements of the FSB.
FSB elements are located and operate from the assault base. They have two critical missions: refueling and rearming aviation assets and sustaining ground forces with all classes of supply. They also provide critical maintenance and HSS. Ground maneuver elements establish a ground resupply route (if available) and provide follow-on forces while the FSB elements establish control of logistics operations. The infantry brigade task force provides security for the brigade assault base and for transit of follow-on air assault forces.
The DISCOM can establish two operating bases simultaneously using assets from the MSB and FSBs. The operating base is mobile, easily tailorable, and maintains Class I, III, V, limited II and IV, water, maintenance, limited Class VIII, and medical treatment and evacuation capabilities. Figure H-2 shows one possible employment of DISCOM elements. In this case, one brigade task force is conducting an air assault operation from an assault base, and the division commander has elected to establish one operating base in support of the main effort. Here he has decided to build the operating base on a previously existing assault base established by one of the brigade task forces. This is only one possibility. Each brigade task force may establish an assault base, and the division may use up to two operating bases.
ARMING
CLASS V
Arming follows the same procedure as discussed in Chapter 8, when the division operates as an infantry division. During air assault operations, critical ammunition assets from the FSB ATP are in the assault and operating bases.
CLASS IV
Units carry a limited amount of Class IV into the objective area. Careful choice of assault landing zones reduces the amount of Class IV necessary to support the operation by minimizing the requirement for construction equipment and material. The division commander determines the Class IV stockage in the division and the DMMC manages Class IV stockage. There is no specified division-level reserve for Class IV supplies. Class IV stockage capabilities are extremely limited, and DSA supply points stock them only when required to support specific operations. Units use local resources for Class IV whenever possible.
FIXING
Maintenance units in the air assault division are organized, equipped, and trained for responsive support of divisional units. Maximum use is made of contact teams to perform on-site maintenance to fix as far forward as possible. The contact teams from the FSB or MSB are dispatched to the site to repair, depending upon the condition of the equipment.
GROUND MAINTENANCE
In the operating base and DSA, the light maintenance and the heavy maintenance companies of the MSB provide direct support maintenance. The heavy maintenance company provides the support because the air assault division has more equipment than the LID. Limited evacuation services for forward maintenance companies and for maintenance collection points are located in the BSA/DSA. In the brigade assault base and the BSA, the maintenance company of the FSB provides direct support maintenance for any ground equipment.
AVIATION MAINTENANCE
The aviation maintenance battalion, based in the DSA, maintains aircraft, aircraft armament, and avionics equipment, and it issues Class IX (air) repair parts. In the forward areas, contact teams from the aviation maintenance battalion make on-site repairs or, if required, evacuate the aircraft and equipment to the DSA for repair.
MISSILE MAINTENANCE
The light maintenance company of the MSB provides missile maintenance support in the DSA operating base. The light maintenance company provides support for short range air defense and land combat systems. The missile maintenance section of the FSB maintenance company provides missile maintenance support in the assault base/BSA by repairing or replacing components.
CLASS IX
The MSB light maintenance company receives and distributes common and missile repair parts required by its maintenance activities. It receives, stores, maintains, and manages reparable. It also issues Class IX items to supported units. The FSB maintenance company maintains a stock of repair parts and maintenance related supplies to support its own maintenance activities and carries a stock of demand supported and combat critical Class IX items for issue to supported units.
FUELING
CLASS III (BULK)
Early in the operation, fuel and bulk lubricant resupply arrive as packaged products. As the operation matures, fuel is usually delivered in bulk. The use of throughput, supply point, and unit distribution are performed as described in Chapter 7. Upon delivery, personnel transfer the fuel from the EAD tank semi-trailers into the HSC collapsible tanks. Supply personnel from the FSB supply company use organic collapsible fabric tanks to distribute supplies. Supported units in the division rear pickup fuel in their organic refueling vehicles from the MSB HSC.
CLASS III (PACKAGED)
To maintain mobility, supply points in the DSA and BSA maintain limited stockage of high-demand Class III packaged products. Fog oil or other large quantities of packaged POL products are throughput from EAD as the situation dictates. Fuel operations are conducted by supply point distribution.
MOVING
Normal means of transportation within the division are motor transport and aircraft. Motor transportation assets within the division are limited. Therefore, considerable reliance is placed on throughput of supplies from corps to the FSB in the BSA and to the brigade assault base. The DISCOM delivers supplies to the lowest possible support element in the division, using land or air lines of communications.
MOTOR TRANSPORT
The transportation motor transport company of the main support battalion provides truck transportation for distribution of Class I, II, III, IV, VII, and IX supplies, The company transports troops in support of division operations and furnishes vehicles to assist division elements with a requirement for supplemental transportation. Emergency distribution of water and Class V supplies are provided by the TMT company. Priorities for use of motor transport resources are established at division staff level and are provided to the DISCOM movement control office by the DTO. Capabilities are then balanced against the requirements and division priorities in order to commit available motor transport.
AIRCRAFT
The division has an organic aviation brigade that finds, frees, and destroys the enemy. In addition, it can provide CS and CSS airlift. The aviation brigade has one helicopter battalion (CH47 series) with three medium lift companies. Air is the primary means of transport for all classes of supply, except when nondivisional ground transportation is provided. Divisional aircraft distribute supplies from the point of receipt to brigade or lower echelons. Organic medium helicopters deliver large items or heavy loads to the requesting unit, Utility helicopters deliver smaller loads of supplies forward of the brigade support areas. In emergencies, supplies are delivered directly to using units. Supplemental air transport may be provided by corps upon the request of the division commander. Corps aviation units assigned a combat service support mission for a division are normally under the operational control of the DISCOM commander. Aerial resupply is a method of delivering supplies and equipment to ground elements. Corps airdrop support units are used for airdrop resupply missions. When Air Force aircraft are used, supplies and equipment to be airdropped ground transportation to move them, parachutes and air items used, rigging of loads, and ground personnel supporting the operations are Army responsibilities. In addition, when Air Force aircraft are used in an aerial resupply mission, aerial resupply becomes a joint operation involving Army and Air Force units. All requests are validated by a joint force commander's agent and as signed a priority. They are forwarded to the airlift control center for execution.
SUSTAINING SOLDIERS AND THEIR SYSTEMS
HEALTH SERVICE SUPPORT
Health service support conserves the fighting strength (trained manpower) of the air assault force allowing the commander to maintain maximum combat power. HSS planners in the division medical operations center make an assessment of the medical support required prior to any insertion of the division into an area of operation. Anticipated casualty rates and disease threats dictate the extent of initial and subsequent HSS required by the division. During the planning process, HSS planners also give consideration to the limited number of aircraft, the limited duration of the operation and the special nature of the mission.
AIR AMBULANCE
While the air ambulance company can operate within the entire spectrum of the battlefield, the air ambulance company headquarters is normally collocated with the main support medical company in the DSA. Air ambulance teams are deployed forward with each FSB in accordance with METT-T. The DMOC will provide daily technical and operational control, while the DISCOM commander retains overall command and control of the air ambulance company.
CLASS VIII
The division medical supply office, MSB, arranges for the provision of Class VIII and for unit maintenance on biomedical equipment. The DMSO develops and maintains prescribed loads of contingency medical supplies, manages the medical quality control program, and supervises unit biomedical equipment maintenance support. Careful coordination must be made between the DMSO/medical unit and the air/ground evacuation assets to provide timely Class VIII resupply.
HSS personnel rely upon palletized/sling loaded delivery of supplies and equipment, both for initial deployment and subsequent resupply. The division and unit medical treatment elements stock a limited amount of Class VIII, with the DMSO maintaining a larger amount of Class VIII. Following deployment, resupply is made by push packages until the corps logistics system is established. HSS personnel may use medical evacuation aircraft returning from corps to provide urgently required Class VIII.
FOOD
Air assault units carry a basic load of MREs when entering the objective area. Request and supply flows are like those for the LID (Chapter 7). However, emergency rations may be pushed to the combat trains via sling loads from the FSB or MSB.
WATER
Air assault forces carry filled canteens and water purification tablets. Normally, they carry enough full organic water containers for travel to the airhead. CSS planners determine the location of possible water points. Water purification and storage assets are in the MSB HSC.
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