Transformation and Change: Maintaining the Azimuth

Main Main Post Harmony Church The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decision realigns Fort Knox, Kentucky, by relocating the U. S. Army Armor Center and School (USAARMC/S) to Fort Benning, Georgia. This relocation improves training, better utilizes resources, and creates significant efficiencies and cost savings. It also supports the consolidation of the U. S. Army Armor Center (USAARMC) and U. S. Army Infantry Center (USAIC) at Fort Benning, and creates the Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCOE) for ground forces training and doctrine development. Concurrent with the USAARMC/S relocation to Fort Benning is the enduring requirement to train armor and cavalry soldiers, noncommissioned officers (NCOs), and officers without interrupting or degrading either the quality or quantity of trained soldiers for the operating force.

The relocation of the USAARMC/S to Fort Benning is entirely capability based. Construction at Fort Benning to develop capabilities to support the reception of the U. S. Army Armor School (USAARMS) and establish the MCOE is nearly a $4B capital investment for the Army. The availability of funding to support USAARMC/S construction requirements was the primary cause for establishing projects by fiscal year. The availability of annual funding also determined the sequence in which required capability would become available to support USAARMS and MCOE requirements. Priority of funding was focused on operationally critical facilities such as barracks, headquarters, administrative facilities, ranges, instruction, and maintenance facilities. All quality of life facilities, such as churches, fitness centers, and recreation centers, were identified as noncritical projects and moved in the construction timeline (FY12 and FY13) to accommodate funding required for operationally critical projects. Figures 1 and 2 provide a graphic representation of the major areas at Fort Benning that will experience major construction in support of BRAC and the establishment of the MCOE. The BRAC funding approach also determined the current facility construction timeline for the entire MCOE. The facility construction timeline was established according to the availability of funds, by project, and the associated project construction timelines were developed by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). As a result of pre-established construction timelines, numerous capability assessments were conducted to identify when capability would become available for each USAARMS Figure 1 — 5 Transformation and Change: Maintaining the Azimuth by Mike Gillette and Dan Bowen course, and MCOE predecessor unit or activity from USAARMC relocating to Fort Benning. These capability assessments focused on facilities, ranges, maneuver training areas, infrastructure, and logistics. The resultant USAARMC/S relocation timeline is the product of scheduling the movement of the USAARMC/S based on construction project timelines.

An added requirement that transcends all planning activities is the condition for both the U. S. Army Infantry Center and School (USAIC/S) and the USAARMC/S to consolidate to create the MCOE. The organizational transformation of the Armor and Infantry Centers to establish the MCOE is the primary element in establishing the relocation plans for individual directorates, staff elements, and organizations within the Armor Center. The relocation plans for the center-level organizations are linked to transformation timelines vice capability timelines for the Armor School. MCOE Establishment In June 2006, U. S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) developed the centers of excellence (COE) concept and the COE standard organization model as apart of the TRADOC Campaign Plan (TCP), Major Objective 4.0. A COE is, in simplest terms, a common TRADOC training center organization. Based on the TRADOC COE model, the organizational construct of the MCOE was approved by the USAIC, USAARMC, and TRADOC commanding generals in January 2007. The MCOE table of distribution and allowances (TDA) concept plan received final approval at Department of the Army (DA) by the Vice Chief of Staff, Army, on 28 April 2007.

The MCOE brings several benefits to the force: it is a major capital investment in the infrastructure of the U. S. Army that will see us through the next half century; it provides a measure to achieve “operate and train as you fight” at every level (within and without the generating force, and not just by soldiers in training); it synchronizes maneuver arms training; it enterprises maneuver arms doctrine development, combat development, and training development; and it centralizes proponency for all three maneuver brigade combat team-type units and the battlefield surveillance brigade. Once established, the MCOE will have more Company Operations HQ Permanent Party Barracks Permanent Party Dining Facility Readiness Module Maintenance Facility Harmony Church Northwest Simulation Facility Battalion Headquarters Maintenance Instruction Facility Dining Facility Initial Entry Training Barracks Figure 2 Key and Essential Construction Areas

MCOE Approved Organization Design MCOE HQ

Chief of Staff Garrison HQ MCOE

Protocol Branch Services Branch Executive Services Coord Stf G2 Coord Stf G1 Coord Stf G3 Know Mgt Coord Stf G4 Coord Stf G6 Coord Stf G8 Garr Stf DHR

Garr Stf DPTMS

Garr Stf DOL

Garr Stf DOIM

Garr Stf DRM

Personal Staff Special Staff Public Affairs Staff Judge Advocate Retention Quality Assurance Office Museum Magazine Division Public Affairs Office Inspector General Office Combat Readiness Office Equal Opportunity Office Division MCOE

Non-Commissioned Officer Academy (NCOA)

US Army Armor School (USAARMS)

Directorate of Training Sustainment (DOTS)

US Army Infantry School (USAIS)

Directorate of Training & Doctrine (DOTD)

Capabilities Dev & Integration Directorate (CDID)

Directorate of Training (DOT)

Int & Synch Office 316 CAV BDE

AR Functional Inter Student Ofc DSTE

HQs ADMIN

IN Functional HQs ADMIN

Ranger Support Operations Office Tactics Instr Division MCCC

Combined Arms Integration Division Training Development Division Publication Support Division D t i & Concepts Development Division Soldier Requirements Division Mounted Maneuver Battle Lab TRADOC

Capability Mgr HBCT

Maneuver ANCOC

IN Functional DSTE

BOLC I-III, Airborne Fleet Maintenance Division Supply & Services Division Doctrine & Collective Tng Division Lessons Learned Requirements Division IBCT/CCMS

Soldier Combat ID AR-BNCOC

Warrior Leader Course than 6,800 permanently assigned soldiers and DA civilians on staff with the mission to provide the Nation with the world’s best trained, armor, cavalry, and infantry soldiers and adaptive leaders imbued with the Warrior Ethos. Creating the MCOE relies on relocating the USAARMC/S to Fort Benning and its merger with USAIC. At endstate, the MCOE will consist of a center with two branch schools — infantry and armor and a noncommissioned officers academy (see Figure 3). The USAARMS is currently known as the 194th Armored Brigade and 16th Cavalry Brigade; the USAIS is currently known as the 192d Infantry Brigade, 197th Infantry Brigade, 198th Infantry Brigade, 199th Infantry Brigade, and the Ranger Training Brigade (RTB). All other activities found in USAIC and USAARMC are considered center activities and will merge to form similar successor MCOE activities. The infantry and armor center will each have a branch headquarters; general staffs (coordinating, special, and personal); noncommissioned officer academies; sustainment activities (arm, fuel, fix, and move); training development, doctrine, and collective training activities; captain and above professional military education activities; and combat developments and experimentation activities. The entire relocation and merger will gradually occur over an 18-month period, culminating with full operational capability (FOC) no later than 15 September 2011. See Figure 3 for the approved MCOE organizational construct.

The establishment of the MCOE requires the transition and transformation of organizations that currently exist within both USAIC and USAARMC. The guiding philosophy for establishing the MCOE is for both the USAARMC and USAIC to transform (change) and then transition (move). This approach allows both organizations to leverage existing resources and processes at Fort Knox and Fort Benning to conduct a deliberate merger while reducing risk. The transformation timeline integrates and aligns the USAARMC/S relocation timeline with the DA civilian human resource volunteer process and the effective dates for the MCOE TDA. The transformation approach is supported by the definition of terms that identifies three degrees of operating capability.

The first transformational phase is the virtual operating capability (VOC) where an activity or organization lead has been appointed and organizations are conducting and executing MCOE distributive operations prior to physical realignment. This transformational phase is the critical first step to establishing the MCOE. VOC expands the boundaries of planning and execution by including USAARMC and USAIC personnel in key leader positions. VOC expands ownership and empowerment by leveraging the experience and knowledge of a broader range of key personnel to assist in developing the MCOE. The MCOE represents significant change, in both scope and magnitude and VOC Figure 3 Maneuver Center of Excellence Approved Organization Design is intended to ensure an orderly and smooth transition. Figure 4 provides a graphical representation of the approved MCOE transformation timeline.

The purpose of VOC for staff elements is to facilitate the establishment of policies and procedures to support the overall operation of the MCOE. VOC results in MCOE-level policies and procedures that integrate the best practices that currently exist within USAARMC and USAIC. The purpose of VOC for directorates is operationally focused on accounting for functional requirements that must be merged between USAARMC and USAIC. VOC ensures that procedures are in place for the transition to initial operating capability (IOC). VOC charters, identifying VOC leads, were developed and formally presented at an MCOE chartering ceremony on 26 August 2008 at Fort Benning. Harmony Church — New Home of the Armor School Once relocated to Fort Benning, the USAARMS will be physically located at the Harmony Church cantonment area. Once facility construction at Harmony Church is complete, the area will stretch over more than 1,118 acres and support the majority of USAARMS training requirements and activities. Harmony Church is a historic training area within Fort Benning that dates to World War II.

Currently, the Harmony Church area supports a diverse population of low-density training and facilities. These facilities support the Sniper School, Ranger School, and the 197th Infantry Brigade’s functional training. The actual area of Harmony Church, where the Armor School will be located, is essentially undeveloped green space. To facilitate the relocation of USAARMS, 61 facility construction projects are being built, or waiting to be built, within the Harmony Church footprint. The total cost of these projects is in excess of $1.2B. This includes an extensive infrastructure project that will provide water, sewer, electricity, roads, bridge upgrades, and information technology connectivity.

The facility construction footprint of Harmony Church is characterized by five types of areas: ¾ Area 1: Headquarters and instruction, primarily for the 16th Cavalry. ¾ Area 2: Industrial (maintenance and sustainment). ¾ Area 3: Maintenance instruction. ¾ Area 4: Cantonment/barracks/simulation for the 194th Armored Brigade’s initial military training mission. ¾ Area 5: Simulation for the MCOE. Highway 27 is a major northwest to southeast running thoroughfare that creates a natural division of facilities within Harmony Church.

USAARMC/S Relocation Physically relocating the USAARMS to Fort Benning will occur on a by-course, by-class basis. This move will require multiple task organized and equipped “course/class packages” to be developed to support the training requirements at Fort Knox and Fort Benning. The move will be managed using a “D-sequence” timeline of events with “D” defined as, “the start date for a class within a course at Fort Benning.” Therefore, Dis not a Maneuver Center: C2 Transformational Timeline OCT

CY09 CY10 CY11 CY 12 FY12 FY11 CY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 CY08 ArmorSchoolRelocation Armor School Band2 Band3 Band4 Band1 GͲStaff,DOTS,DOT,DOTD,CDID, NCOA,QAO,Museum, Magazine,Library VOC

C/S,GͲStaff,DOTS,DOT,DOTD, CDID,NCOA,QAO,Museum, Magazine,Library IG,PAO,SGS,SJA,Protocol, EO,CR,SACG,IMSO,Retention FOC

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Magazine,Library,EO,CR,SACG,IMSO,Retention,I. G., PAO,SGS,SJA,Protocol,USAIS,USAARMS MCOE CMD Group MCOETDAEͲDate(6,782Positions) RemainderoftheMCOETDA nnel tation Museum MCOECMDGroup MCOETDAEͲDate(43Positions) CoordinatingStaff,CDID,DOTS,C/S,CommandGroup MCOEPerson andDocumen VOCCharters HRVolunteerProcess MCOEWorkforceFillProcess Figure 4 static one-time event for relocation; a D-date is established for each discreet move.

The relocation of training is directly tied to the availability of capabilities at Fort Benning, and the requirement to simultaneously train and execute the Army Program for Individual Training (ARPRINT) loads in the fiscal year of relocation. The existing course relocation timeline provides for the maximum amount of time between completing a class at Fort Knox and the required start date of a class at Fort Benning. The projected course/class start/stop and movement schedules for FY10 and FY11 have leveraged class sizes and historical class scheduling trends to ensure that training loads are met, there are no degradations in training standards, and a 90-day relocation window is created for each movement serial. Relocation is planned to begin in January 2010 and conclude in September 2011. 90-Day Relocation Window Tasks Relocating Armor Center (vice school) specific non-training organizations, such as Director, Armor School; Director, Training, Doctrine, and Combat Development; G2; G4/G8; G6; public affairs office; general staff (SGS); headquarters and headquarters company; and quality assurance office, to Fort Benning are directly linked to transformational plans for establishing MCOE directorates and general staff, as well as the availability of capabilities to support the requirements of these organizations. The Armor Center’s non-training organizations will integrate with similar organizations at Fort Benning to establish the MCOE directorates and general staff. The relocation timeline for these current organizations is linked to the human resources volunteer process timeline, transformational plans developed by designated VOC leads, and by the availability of physical space at Fort Benning to support relocation of identified personnel. To achieve the move, a 90-day relocation window chart is outlined below:

• D-90 to D-61: Pack equipment.

• D-60 to D-31: Ship equipment/relocate personnel. ¾ D-60 TO D-56: Out-process. ¾ D-55 to D-42: Relocation leaves. ¾ D-42 to D-33: Permissive TDY. ¾ D-32 to D-31: In-process.

• D-30 to D: Class preparation at Fort Benning.

• D: Start training operations.

The USAARMC/S move will be coordinated between Fort Knox Directorate of Logistics (DOL), the military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC), and Fort Benning DOL. Coordination is currently ongoing with all three organizations to determine the most effective and efficient method of packing, conveyance, management, and unpacking equipment and material. USAARMC/S Management Model The USAARMC Strategic Plans Cell (SPC) is the central planning organization for the USAARMC/S relocation to Fort “VOC charters, identifying VOC leads, were developed and formally presented at an MCOE chartering ceremony on 26 August 2008 at Fort Benning.”

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