Transforming the Army at war requires a careful balance between sustaining and enhancing today's force to win, while investing in the future force to win the United States' wars tomorrow.
The Army Campaign Plan manages this transformation and provides guidance for the functions required to restore balance to the Army.
The ACP also establishes campaign objectives and supporting major objectives to accomplish each of the four Army imperatives:
0 Sustain the Army's Soldiers, families, and civilians
0 Prepare Soldiers for success in the current conflict
0 Reset forces expeditiously
0 Transform the Army to meet the demands of the 21st century
Additionally, the ACP requires several Rehearsal of Concept drills to take place at installations this fiscal year. These ROC drills are typically chaired by a contingent of lieutenant generals and other senior Army officers, noncommissioned officers, and civilians.
The first Army ROC drill in fiscal 2009 was held Oct. 31 at Fort Carson, Colo.
Forces Command (FORSCOM) and the assistant chief of staff for Installation Management co-chaired this drill. The purpose of it was to identify current capabilities, logistics shortfalls, and installation requirements at Fort Carson as it transforms to accommodate Soldier/family population growth.
The 4th Infantry Division is scheduled to leave Fort Hood, Texas and relocate to Fort Carson in 2009.
Army Materiel Command shares a huge role in the four imperatives and is actively participating in ROC drills. To effectively manage and achieve the aforementioned balance, AMC's chain of command activated a battle staff to synchronize and coordinate its requirements with subordinate commands.
This staff was activated at all levels from AMC to the Army Sustainment Command, which is responsible for leading the data collection effort, and on to the 407th Army Field Support Brigade, and subsequently to Fort Carson's 1st Battalion, 407th AFSB.
The battalion's mission is to enhance the readiness of all units at Fort Carson, including Army Reserve and National Guard units, through the integration of AMC logistics power projection of technical capabilities and coordination of required resources. Additionally, the battalion serves as the single manager for the integration and synchronization of all force modernization, left behind equipment, reset, readiness and sustainment actions, while providing command and control of logistics support elements, and synchronizing and integrating AMC and acquisition, logistics and technology capabilities within assigned area of responsibility.
The drill process began in September with initial meetings and data sharing that identified AMC's challenges at Fort Carson as the post begins its transformation. Numerous video teleconferences were conducted throughout the planning process to ensure all critical data pertaining to the ROC drill was available for required discussion.
This data varied from the anticipated number of vehicles traveling on and off-post daily to the number of underground bunkers that would be required to store training ammunition.
Many senior Army officers, NCOs, and civilians attended Fort Carson's drill that took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Colorado Springs, adjacent to Fort Carson. Notable attendees were the Army's G3 (Operations), Lt. Gen. James Thurman; FORSCOM Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Joseph Peterson; the Army's G4 (Logistics), Lt. Gen. Mitchell Stevenson; Fort Carson's Commanding General Maj. Gen. Mark Graham, who is also commanding general of Division West (First Army); Lt. Gen. Robert Wilson, assistant chief of staff for Installation Management and commanding general for Installation Management Command, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston, as well as several other flag and field-grade officers.
Major topics covered were training facility requirements, medical facilities, infrastructure growth, and motorpool expansion. The focus on the requirements to reset Army equipment during the next five years was also discussed.
Additionally, Fort Carson's housing expansion was actively discussed. The increase in Soldiers will be nearly 10,000 by 2013, bringing the total Soldier population there to an estimated 28,000.
At conference completion, the Army's uniformed leadership attendees thanked the coordinators and stakeholders for their participation in the event. "The importance of these ROC drills cannot be underestimated as they are vital to the successful growth of the Army," Peterson said in closing remarks.
Future ROC Drills are planned at installations Fort Bragg, N.C., Fort Campbell and Fort Knox, both in Kentucky.
(Editor's note: Lt. Col. Horatio Taveau is the commander of the 1st Battalion, 407th Army Field Support Brigade at Fort Carson, Colo.)
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