Armor and Cavalry Requires Ranger-Qualified Leaders

Nove vember-December r 20 2 10 53

HBCT x 17

42 28 25

506 640 IBCT x 20

1 1 5

15 4 76

123 1111 SBCT x 8

32 13 81

506 640 All COL BCT Commanders coded 02C (AR/IN/FA/EN) All LTC Maneuver Commands coded 02B (AR/IN) except IBCT IN Battalion There are 408 total CMF 19-coded Ranger positions for Armor NCOs Infantry and Armor Authorizations FY15-17 Infantry and Armo d A Authorizations r A FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY15 7 17 17 17 17 1 5-1 Armor leaders, the time has come to seize the initiative! For far too long, Armor leaders have not been encouraged nor enabled to take advantage of the Army’s premier leader development training opportunities. With the advent of the transition to modular brigade combat teams (BCTs) and the movement of the Armor School to Fort Benning, we are poised to take advantage of these training opportunities at the Maneuver Center of Excellence. By FY17, more than 60 percent of our 19-series positions will be in Infantry BCT (IBCT) and Stryker BCT (SBCT) formations. This significantly increases our requirements for airborne, air assault, jumpmaster, pathfinder, and Ranger training. Not too long ago, it would be an anomaly to find an Armor officer serving in the 101st Air Assault Division; today, with four fully modernized and modularized IBCTs, Armor soldiers are everywhere! To help prepare up-and-coming leaders to lead and serve in these formations, which require specialty training, we must do a better job of getting them into air assault, pathfinder, and Ranger school. Of special importance to our officers and noncommissioned (NCOs) is the expanded requirement, and desire, by BCT commanders to have Ranger-qualified leaders. Like it or not, agree or disagree, the customers (BCT commanders) have spoken! We must equip our 19-series officers and NCOs with the essential combat skills (air assault, airborne, pathfinder, and Ranger) required to lead effectively in heavy, Stryker, infantry, and battlefield surveillance brigade (BfSB) formations. Cavalry and Armor commanders should:

• encourage soldiers to seek these training opportunities.

• allocate time for soldiers to attend these schools.

• establish training plans to help prepare them for the rigors of these schools.

• recognize and reward soldiers who successfully complete these demanding schools. Through this process, we will develop versatile and adaptive Cavalry and Armor leaders who have mastered the small unit leader skills necessary to lead soldiers effectively in today’s complex and ambiguous operating environment. In its January-February 2011 edition, ARMOR will feature an article that expands on the importance of Ranger training in developing our Cavalry and Armor small-unit leaders. It will also describe each of the phases of training and outline a training plan that commanders can use to assist soldiers in preparing for the demands of the Army’s premier small unit leadership school. Additional, detailed course information is available on the Ranger Training Brigade website: https://www.benning.army.mil/rtb. Colonel Ted Martin Commandant U. S. Army Armor School