The following is written as of December 15, 1994, and may or may not be valid by the time that it sees the light of day. The results of the late election will impact it in some way, though I think it will be in terms of hardware and not bodies. (Hardware means jobs back at home.)
The US Army will be down-sizing to 10 active divisions for the remainder of the 1990s, but a question remains as to who will survive and where they will be located. The roundout idea of pairing National Guard brigades as the third hrigade of active divisions has been dropped.
Thus, while the number of total divisions will drop from 16 to 10, all 10 divisions are to have three brigades.
Fifteen National Guard brigade formations are to be placed in a heightened state of readiness. Most of these "enhanced" brigades are to be assigned to existing active divisions as "fourth" brigades to assist their parent formations as needed. These enhanced brigades are to be ready for action within 90 days. The eight remaining National Guard divisions will be placed in a lower state of readiness as a result.
The actual units to be kept in service is still up in the air, with the only division-sized units that will survive being the 1st Infantry, and the 82nd and 101st Airborne. The interesting fight will be to see if the 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions keep their numbers or are renumbered as the 3rd and 4th Infantry Divisions. The existence of the 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions today is due to the fact that they were recreated from the old "Hawaiian Division" during World War II. As such they served in the Pacific and took part in the occupation of Japan. From there both divisions served in Korea from 1950s. Their presence is a reminder of the US Army's activities in the Pacific.
The following information is based on a number of sources, including For Your Eyes Only.
The 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) is at Fort Riley, Kansas, with two brigades. These two brigades will become the third (roundout) brigades for two of the divisions currently in Europe. The colors of the 1st Infantry Division will be transferred to Europe, with one of the Infantry Divisions there (the 3rd) being retitled. One of the current brigades at Fort Riley may still end up as part of the 1st Infantry Division.
The 2nd Infantry Division will remain in Korea.
The 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) currently stationed in Europe, nay be renamed. One brigade, currently at Fort Riley Kansas, will become he 3rd Brigade of the 3rd Division.
The 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) will be stood down. One brigade k ill be transferred to the 2nd Armored Division, but will remain at Fort Carson instead of transferring to Fort Hood.
The 10th Mountain Division (Light), currently stationed atFort Drum, will have as its third brigade the 9th Regimental Combat Team, the last remaining element of the 7th Infantry Division (Light). The 9th RCT will remain at its current post at Fort Lewis, Washington.
The 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) will remain at Fort Stewart Georgia with two brigades present. The third brigade of the 24th will be the former school brigade from Fort Benning.
The 25th Infantry Division (Light) will disband its 3rd Brigade and gain in its place the 6th Separate Infantry Brigade, currently stationed at Fort Richardson, Alaska. The 6th is the remaining unit of the 6th Infantry Division Light) and will remain in Alaska.
The 82nd Airborne Division will remain at Fort Bragg, North Carolina vaith all three brigades.
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) will remain at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, with all three brigades.
The 1st Cavalry Division is to remain stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, with three brigades present.
The 1st Armored Division is to remain stationed at Bad Kreuznach, with its third active brigade stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas.
The 2nd Armored Division is to remain at Fort Hood. The EXFOR Brigade is to be operating under the commander of the 2nd Armored Division. One brigade of the 2nd Armored Division will be stationed at Fort Carson.
The 75th Ranger Regiment will remain at Ft. Lewis, Washington.
National Guard Formations
The 28th Infantry Division will convert to 28th Infantry Division (Mechanized), will be based at Harrisburg, and be made up of elements from Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The 29th Infantry Division (Light) will remain at Fort Belvoir, Maryland, and be made up of elements from Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
The 34th Infantry Division will be based at St. Paul, and be made up of elements from Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.
The 35th Infantry Division (Mechanized) will be based at Fort Leavenworth, and be made up of elements from Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Kentucky, Colorado and Missouri.
The 38th Infantry Division, will be based at Indianapolis, and be made up of elements from Ohio, Indiana and Michigan.
The 40th Infantry Division (Mechanized) will be based at Los Alamitos, CA, and be made up of elements from California, Arizona and Montana. The 42nd Infantry Division (Mechanized) will be based at Troy, New York, and be made up of elements from New York, New Jersey, Vermont and Massachusetts.
The 49th Armored Division will be based at Austin, Texas, and be made up of elements from Texas.
The enhanced National Guard Brigades are as follows: Seven brigades will be structured as light infantry brigades, seven as heavy (mech or armor) brigades, and one as a Cavalry Regiment.
The 27th Infantry Brigade, (Light), will be from New York, and attached to the 10th Mountain Division (Light).
The 29th Infantry Brigade, (Light), will be from Hawaii, and attached to the 25th Infantry Division (Light).
The 30th Infantry Brigade, (Mechanized), will be from North Carolina. The 39th Infantry Brigade will be from Arkansas.
The 41st Infantry Brigade will be from Oregon. The 45th Infantry Brigade will be from Oklahoma.
The 48th Infantry Brigade, (Mechanized), will be from Georgia, and be paired with the 24th Infantry Division.
The 53rd Infantry Brigade will be from Florida. The 76th Infantry Brigade will be from Indiana.
The 81st Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) will be from Washington, and be paired with the 2nd Infantry Division.
The 116th Cavalry Brigade will be from Idaho and Montana. The 155th Armored Brigade will be from Mississippi.
The 218th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) will be from South Carolina. The 256th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) will be from Louisiana. The 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment will be from Tennessee.
The following National Guard formations will be maintained at a lower level than the enhanced formations.
The 31st Armored Brigade (Separate) will be from Alabama.
The 92nd Infantry Brigade (Separate) will be from Puerto Rico.
The 207th Infantry Scout Group will be from Alaska.
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© Copyright 1995 by Greg Novak.
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