October 2013 � ARMY 67

As we approach what promises to be a pivotal2014, U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM)remains focused on its overarching responsibilityto build readiness in active, Army NationalGuard (ARNG) and U.S. Army Reserve (USAR)

units while executing its role as the Army’s forceprovider of conventional landpower capabilities to thecombatant commands. Partnered with the other Armycommands, the National Guard Bureau, U.S. Army Re-serve Command, Army service component commands

(ASCC) and direct report-ing units, FORSCOM usedthe power of a dedicated,high-performing team toaccomplish every 2013mission in an environmentmarked by extraordinarycomplexity and fiscal un-certainty. These strong

Building Readiness And Providing

Responsive LandpowerBy GEN Daniel B. Allyn

Commanding General,U.S. Army Forces Command

partnerships connect the operational Army to the institu-tional and industrial Army in order to improve readinessand increase fiscal stewardship. This is essential to drivereadiness systems to support the Army’s core operatingprocess: force generation.

For four decades, FORSCOM has delivered formationsfor employment by theater commanders or combatantcommanders in lean and healthy resource climates, andwe will lead this effort into the next decade. Throughoutthis cyclical process, our enduring priority is to fully re-

source every deploying formation and those with missionsrequiring prepare-to-deploy orders. Our uncompromisingreadiness standard is to resource and train to the level neces-sary for the mission. Consistent with that immutable stan-dard, during the past year FORSCOM prepared and de-ployed a corps headquarters, three division headquartersand a division tactical command post; 45 brigade-size active,ARNG and USAR formations; and almost 2,000 active,ARNG and USAR functional and multifunctional capabili-

ties organized at the battalion level andbelow. The Army continues to providethe capabilities required by combatantcommanders to meet the full range oflandpower missions with our globallyresponsive, regionally engaged force. Our success in deploying combat-

ready units is a function of the rigor-ous, realistic and innovative trainingconducted both at home station/an-nual training sites and during postmo-bilization training. All brigade combatteams (BCT)—active and ARNG—de-ploying to Afghanistan, and selectBCTs deploying for critical missions inthe U.S. Central Command (CENT-COM) area of operations, conduct mis-sion rehearsals at the National TrainingCenter at Fort Irwin, Calif., or the JointReadiness Training Center at Fort Polk,La. Our combat training centers offer

an optimally resourced training environment that is tai-lorable and scalable to commanders’ training objectives,with robust integration of combined arms and joint, intera-gency, intergovernmental and multinational enablers. Sev-eral of our exercises this year exemplified the precision ef-fects achieved through interoperable special operations andconventional forces, replicating our historic combat suc-cesses of the past decade. BCTs and supporting active com-ponent and reserve component capabilities undergoing thistraining face a highly capable opposing force—a near-peercompetitor executing major combat operations across the fullrange of problem sets: anti-access capabilities, offensive cy-ber electromagnetic activities and weapons of mass destruc-tion. This approach to collective training, coupled with thecombat training centers’ fully integrated capabilities, pre-pares our units to deploy and dominate across the globe indynamic, complex and unpredictable environments. FORSCOM commanders set conditions for success by us-

ing Mission Command to master combat fundamentals athome station and by adhering to doctrinal training andleader development principles. Effective unit training andleader development flourish where command climate isbuilt on trust and discipline, efficient maintenance of vehi-cles and weapons, smart risk management, and living ourArmy values. This integrated approach delivers disci-plined, trained and ready forces capable of skillfully execut-ing unified land operations anywhere in the world. This year proved formative in our preparation of decisive

action-capable, regionally aligned units with an expedi-tionary mind-set, mission-tailored and responsive to combat-ant commander needs. These qualities proved effective inhundreds of security cooperation activities when allocated orregionally aligned to combatant commanders. Regionallyaligned forces (RAF) complement the DoD global force man-agement and allocation process and provide responsive, mis-sion-ready Army units and capabilities to the geographic

68 ARMY � October 2013

GEN Daniel B. Allyn assumed commandof U.S. Army Forces Command in May.Previously, he was commanding general,XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, N.C.He was also chief of staff, MultinationalCorps-Iraq, and commanding general ofCombined Joint Task Force-1 and RegionalCommand East, Afghanistan. In addition,GEN Allyn has served in Korea, Grenada,

the Sinai Peninsula, Panama and Saudi Arabia. He is a graduate ofthe U.S. Military Academy; the Infantry Officer Basic and Ad-vanced Courses, Fort Benning, Ga.; the U.S. Army Command andGeneral Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; and the U.S. NavalWar College, Newport, R.I., where he earned a master’s degree innational security and strategic studies.

SGT Amanda Olmeda with the 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 101st AirborneDivision, provides security from an observation tower on Forward Operating BaseFenty, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. U.S. Army Forces Command is responsi-ble for building Army readiness and provides forces to the combatant commands.

combatant commanders. RAF provide the means for FORS-COM, as the Secretary of the Army’s service force providerfor conventional forces, to align corps and division head-quarters and brigade-size formations to geographic combat-ant commands’ ASCC for planning, coordination and em-ployment. Organizations aligned in this manner are trainedand validated for unified land operations. They also conductregion-focused training and assume their regional alignmentmission in support of their specific combatant commands.Units aligned to a specific combatant command are consid-ered first to source requests for forces from the combatantcommand with whom they are aligned. This strategy enablesFORSCOM units to be regionally focused and responsive tothe combatant commanders, while retaining the agility ourNational Command Authority requires to respond to emerg-ing operational requirements around the world. This past year’s experience with the 2nd Armored Brigade

Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan., alignedto U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), exemplified thestrength of regionally aligned forces in support of combat-ant commanders. This BCT will execute close to 100 secu-rity cooperation tasks and activities in 34 African nationsin support of the commander of AFRICOM. These mis-sions range from battalion-level support to Combined JointTask Force-Horn of Africa in the Republic of Djibouti; par-ticipation in major joint, combined and multilateral exer-cises such as Western Accord 2013 in Ghana; and platoon-level training with Ugandan military police. Other AFRICOMrequirements called for capabilities organized below theplatoon level in locations throughout the African conti-nent. Our leaders and units exemplified the Army’s re-sponsiveness to these vital national security missions andthe agility to deliver precision effects across a broad rangeof missions.

Another example of how RAF enhance FORSCOM’ssupport to the combatant commanders involved 1stArmored Division deploying its tactical commandpost to Jordan this year in support of CENTCOM’sExercise Eager Lion. This joint multinational exercise

is designed to strengthen military-to-military relationshipsand enhance regional security and stability. The 1st Ar-mored Division headquarters and other FORSCOM unitsand capabilities participating in Eager Lion focused oncoalition Mission Command, integrated air and missile de-fense, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief. Thistraining demonstrates many of our Army’s strengths andcapabilities, while highlighting challenges associated withcombined operations. One of the most significant challengesis information sharing between allies. To facilitate information sharing, the 1st Armored Divi-

sion HQ established a viable coalition network, employedsystems for reach-back to Fort Bliss, Texas, and other conti-nental U.S.-based capabilities for warfighting function sup-port, and demonstrated the power of the regionally alignedforce initiative. Alignment with CENTCOM enabled the di-vision headquarters to prepare effectively for exercises andcontingency operations through focused training on sub-jects such as language, culture, geography, and regionalgovernments and militaries.As our Army matures our RAF concept, FORSCOM will

sustain responsive support to our combatant commanders.This year, the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cav-

October 2013 � ARMY 69

SPC Eric Palm, Squad Automatic Weapon gunner with the 2nd BCT,1st Armored Division, defends his position after a cordon and searchof Palmiyah Village, part of the training area at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Returning from a deployment in Afghanistan, a soldierfrom 3rd BCT (“Rakkasans”), 101st Airborne Division(Air Assault), embraces his daughter during a welcomehome ceremony at Fort Campbell Army Airfield, Ky.

alry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, assumes the European Re-sponse Force/NATO Response Force (ERF/NRF) mission.While responsive to operational contingencies, a battaliontask force and a brigade command-and-control elementwill participate in two 60-day joint and combined exercises.These BCT elements will deploy to Europe and draw theirmajor combat systems from the European activity set,specifically established to support the ERF/NRF, includingM-1 tanks and M-2 infantry fighting vehicles.FORSCOM units will remain responsive to requirements

across U.S. European Command’s area of responsibility,providing a brigade-size, multicomponent force to theKosovo Force mission in the Balkans.

In response to the nation’s strategic rebalance to the Pa-cific, FORSCOM organizations and units provide land-power capabilities in support of U.S. Pacific Command’s(PACOM) theater security cooperation activities. I Corps,assigned to PACOM and headquartered at Joint Base

Lewis-McChord, Wash., provides a combined/joint taskforce-capable headquarters. Following redeployment fromAfghanistan, the corps participated in Talisman Saber 2013, abiennial combined Australian and U.S. training exercise fo-cused on combined task force operations to improve combatreadiness and interoperability with a Pacific ally. TalismanSaber provided the training venue to certify I Corps as acombined force land component command supporting thePACOM commander. Throughout this past year, 90FORSCOM, ARNG and USAR units participated in 16 PA-COM-sponsored joint, bilateral and combined exercises. In U.S. Southern Command, we support the combatant

commander’s joint and combined exercise program and pro-vide military police and other capabilities to the Guan-tanamo Bay detention camp. FORSCOM continues to deploycapabilities to Joint Task Force Bravo at Soto Cano Air Base,

Honduras. The joint task force’s mis-sion includes multilateral exercises,counter-narco-terrorism, humanitarianassistance/disaster relief, and buildingpartner nation capacities to promote re-gional cooperation and security in theCaribbean, Central America and SouthAmerica. The 48th BCT, Georgia ARNG, is

our first reserve component unitaligned under the RAF concept. The48th BCT, along with capabilities fromother Georgia ARNG units, is support-ing U.S. Southern Command’s theaterengagement plan while obtaining ex-perience operating in the region. Thelessons learned from this first ARNGRAF alignment will provide the base-line from which we can improve exe-cution across the total force. During the past year within the con-

tinental United States, FORSCOM pro-vided vital capabilities in support of U.S. Northern Com-mand’s homeland defense and Defense Support of CivilAuthorities mission. An example is 4th Infantry Division’ssupport of firefighting efforts in the West. Headquartered atFort Carson, Colo., the division provided aviation and othercapabilities during the destructive Black Forest wildfire. Thisfiscal year, FORSCOM is enhancing the responsiveness ofour support to U.S. Northern Command with a quick reac-tion force of three battalions and a brigade-size headquarters. In recognition of the escalating cyber threat, FORSCOM

completed substantive actions to facilitate Mission Com-mand in units. At FORSCOM headquarters, we establisheda G-39 division, published guidance on the commander’sprogram to manage cyber risk and resourced cybersecurityassistance teams to address technical challenges our unitsface from the rising cyber threat. Our combat training cen-ters use 1st Information Operations Command’s WorldClass Cyber Opposing Force to assess unit readinessagainst cyber attacks. Our combat training center experi-ences demonstrate the essential role of enhanced home sta-tion training, including a train-the-trainer cyber opposingforce capability. Increased focus on well-resourced cyberand electromagnetic training activities at home station willcontinue to enhance Mission Command. In fiscal year 2014, FORSCOM will enhance the Army’s

responsive warfighting capabilities. Our Mission Commandalignment from corps to brigade level will increase com-mander-to-commander interface for training and readiness,mentoring, coaching, and leader development. It will en-hance staff-to-staff effectiveness by enabling sustained func-tional focus and expertise sharing. Corps commanders willserve a central role in leader development, administrativeoversight, staffing, equipping, command supply discipline,and training integration and synchronization in preparingunits for mission alignments. Concurrently, we will work

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An M1151 enhanced armament carrier from the 9th Cavalry Regi-ment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, moves out during a train-ing exercise at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif. BCTs de-ploying to Afghanistan conduct mission rehearsals at the NationalTraining Center or the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La.

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across FORSCOM and supportingcommands to achieve total force inte-grated training. We will gain efficien-cies through centralized coordinationof training facilities and enablers, andwe will match component capabilitiesto unit training requirements. In doingso, we will focus on delivering im-proved combat readiness and leaderdevelopment across all components. In a constrained re-source environment, we will achieve integrated synergy andreadiness within our resource capacity.

We will implement the Secretary of the Army’s totalforce policy throughout the command, includingsupport to the ARNG and USAR during prede-ployment collective training of tactical-level orga-nizations. FORSCOM principally executes this

training support through First Army, headquartered atRock Island Arsenal, Ill. The officers, NCOs and soldiers of First Army’s two ma-

jor subordinate commands—Division East, headquarteredat Fort Meade, Md., and Division West, headquartered atFort Hood, Texas—are on the ground with the ARNG andUSAR during premobilization and support realistic and

mission-focused postmobilization training. Last year,47,000 ARNG and USAR soldiers mobilized, completed theirunit training at one of five mobilization training centers, anddeployed to support operations around the world. For fiscalyear 2014, First Army is prepared to mobilize and train upto 38,000 soldiers, although the number could be lower de-pending on the combatant commanders’ demand for land-power capabilities. With 71 percent of multifunctional sup-port brigades and 74 percent of functional support brigadesin the ARNG and USAR, we will continue to train and fightas America’s Army. This year, we will implement the Army force structure ad-

justments the Chief of Staff of the Army announced in June.Though slated for completion by 2017, we will posture ourforce to support an accelerated pace as directed. Accord-ingly, we will adjust our readiness processes and amend our

training and resource strategy. The addi-tion of a third maneuver battalion, in-creased engineer and cannon artillery,and changes to support and sustain-ment capabilities in BCTs, along withchanges to echelons above BCT supportand sustainment capabilities or struc-ture, will affect how we train and thetraining facilities and enablers required. Not since World War II has active,

ARNG and USAR training achievedthe level of integration we enjoy today.Nevertheless, we continue to improve.We are faced with recurring challengesthat require us to adapt to changingfiscal, force structure and global envi-ronments while providing optimalreadiness for our nation. FORSCOM’scivilians and active, ARNG and USARsoldiers remain a formidable team thatwill meet every mission the nation re-quires with dominant capabilities anddecisive leadership. �

SGT Nichole D. Sharp, a military police officer with the 3rd Infantry Division, and Hatos, amilitary working dog, conduct a security assessment in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.

Soldiers from the 2nd BCT, 101st AirborneDivision (Air Assault), rappel at Fort Camp-bell’s Sabalauski Air Assault School. The

school offers a 10-day course that qualifiessoldiers for several missions, including air-assault helicopter operations, sling-loadmissions, and fast roping and rappelling.