FORT McPHERSON, Ga. Aca,!" Another milestone in the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) law-directed relocation of the headquarters of U.S. Army Forces Command and U.S. Army Reserve Command to Fort Bragg, N.C. was reached June 7 when a memorandum of agreement between the two organizations was signed.
Prepared by BRAC planners from both commands, the agreement puts an end to potential future uncertainty or confusion over Aca,!A"who does whatAca,!A? by establishing a Special Troops Battalion that will support two headquarters at Fort Bragg.
Both FORSCOM and USARC must complete the relocation of their headquarters from the current, separate locations at Fort McPherson, Ga., to a single, shared facility at Fort Bragg, while each command continues to operate independent of the other. Both commands must complete the move during the next 15 months in order to comply with the law that was enacted in 2005.
Army Field Manual 6-0, Mission Command: Command and Control of Army Forces, defines Command and Control as Aca,!A"the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of a mission.Aca,!A? When the mission calls for a single battalion commander to support two large commands, each led by senior generals, the execution of the battalionAca,!a,,cs command and control - or the Aca,!A"C2Aca,!A? relationship Aca,!" can sometimes result in confusion and uncertainty if not properly defined. ThatAca,!a,,cs why FORSCOM and USARC addressed the issue now.
Grant Steffan, chief of FORSCOMAca,!a,,cs BRAC Planning Office, said the FORSCOM/USARC Special Troops Battalion will have responsibility for administrative support and disciplinary authority for military personnel, and the physical security of the new headquarters complex and its associated building management functions.
Aca,!A"The creation of a special troops battalion (STB) to provide administration support and other services to Soldiers of the two commandsAca,!a,,c headquarters was vital,Aca,!A? said Steffan. Aca,!A"Here at Fort McPherson, this function, along with security and building management are performed for us by the garrison; at Fort Bragg, these tasks are above the common levels of support provided by the installation.Aca,!A?
SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES
According to the MOA, FORSCOM will provide the battalion commander Aca,!" a lieutenant colonel, the battalion operations officer Aca,!" a Department of the Army Civilian, and individuals (Soldiers and Department of the Army Civilians) to fill other select positions. USARC will provide the battalionAca,!a,,cs command sergeant major, the battalion executive officer Aca,!" a major, and individuals (Soldiers and Department of the Army Civilians) to fill remaining select positions.
Building management and security functions will be also be split between the two commands, with the security manager hailing from FORSCOM, and the building manager to be provided by USARC.
SUBORDINATE ORGANIZATIONS
In addition to a Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) for FORSCOM and USARC, the STB will also exercise C2 over several subordinate elements:
Aca,!Ac the 214th Ground Forces Band (also known as the Army Ground Forces Band),
Aca,!Ac the 44th History Detachment,
Aca,!Ac the 10th Press Camp Headquarters
Aca,!Ac the 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Aca,!Ac the 27th Public Affairs Detachment
Aca,!Ac the 40th Public Affairs Detachment
Aca,!Ac the 49th Public Affairs Detachment
Aca,!Ac the 50th Public Affairs Detachment
The band, history detachment and public affairs units will, as in the past, take their day-to-day operational mission guidance from the FORSCOM staff element they have traditionally reported to. The STB will provide them with necessary administrative support and exercise disciplinary authority over their assigned Soldiers.
BUILT-IN FLEXIBILITY
The MOA is a living document, subject to modification when issues arise. It will also be reviewed every two years, when the commands will either make changes or reaffirm the guidance.
Aca,!A"We think the MOA provides an excellent framework for Forces Command and U.S. Army Reserve Command to work together in the new headquarters at Fort Bragg,Aca,!A? said Steffan. Aca,!A"Some of the issues covered in the document were tough to nail down, but, thanks to the hard work and insight of both commands, we have charted a workable way forward.Aca,!A?
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