We Americans love anniversaries. The news Chaffee (Cavalry), Devers (Artillery), and Gillem media help by producing anniversary stories on (Infantry) highlights the combined arms roots of movies, court cases, natural disasters, famous Armor. murders, battles, the start of wars, the end of wars, and commercial products, to name a few. The gala celebration falls on July 10 with a day- (The only anniversaries we have trouble remem- long revue that includes parades, displays, and bering are wedding anniversaries, which can cost demonstrations of historic and modern vehicles dearly.) and equipment; firepower demonstration; band concert; tours of Fort Knox; and the dedication We have already marked a few milestones in of Memorial Park adjacent to the Patton the last five years, of which you are likely un- Museum. This will be quite a day, one we are not aware. In 1985, the United States Armor Associa- likely to see again. So, plan to come, and bring tion marked its 100th year, and ARMOR hit the your camera. centennial mark in 1988. This year's Armor Con- ference (May 8-10) will include the 100th meeting The nearly decade-long effort to erect a of the U.S. Armor Association. We observed memorial to the Armored Forces in Washington these points in time with little fanfare. We made will culminate on 11 November with the dedica- mention, we produced a little artwork, and wrote tion of that memorial on the approach to Ar- an article. lington Cemetery. But July hosts two significant an- While we work to shape, or- niversary dates for our branch. ganize, and equip the Armor .The War Department formed the Force of the future, it is impor- Armored Force on July 10, 1940; tant and valuable to look to the and the Defense Reorganization past, to study, reflect, and say Act of 1950 formally organized thanks to those who cranked 'em Armor Branch as a continuation and rolled 'em before us. That is of Cavalry on July 20, 1950. what anniversaries are for. Thus begins a celebration that This is one anniversary none of will last through 1993, when the us should allow to pass with a 16th Armored Division, the last to whimper. Don't just observe, join be activated during World War II, in, go to the reunions, sing marks its 50th. along, and celebrate! The Fort Knox observance will To all the WWll divisions, kick off with the unveiling of the monument to the separate tank battalions, tank destroyer bat- first three Chiefs of the Armored Force during the talions, amphibious tractor battalions, and Armor Armor Conference on 8 May. This monument to as a whole - Happy 50th Birthday! - PJC By Order of the Secretary of the Army: Official: CARL E. WON0 WILLIAM J. MEEHAN 11 General, United States Army Brigadier General, United States Army Chief of Staff The Adjutant General I The Professional Development Bulletin of the Armor Branch PB-77-90-3 ~~ Features Editor-in-Chief MAJOR PATRICK J. COONEY a The Light Armored Force: An Urgent Need, A Ready Solution by Captain David L Nobles Managing Editor JON T. CLEMENS 14 The Raising of the Iron Curtain by Captain James M. Milano and Captain Timothy J. Quinn Commandant 17 Here Be Dragons... Mapping a Post-Perestroika MG THOMAS C. FOLEY Role for the U.S. Army Brigadier General Grail L. Brookshire, USA, Ret. ARMOR (ISSN 0004-2420) is published bimonthly by the U.S. Army Armor Center, 4401 20 Waking Up From the Dream: Vine Grove Road, Fort Knox, KY 40121. The Crisis of Cavalry in the 1930s Disclaimer: The information contained in by Jon Clemens ARMOR represents the professional opinions of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the 24 U.S. Army Tank Development - 1925-1940 official Army or TRADOC position, nor does it by Konrad F. Schreier, Jr. change or supersede any information presented in other official Army publications. 30 1940 Louisiana Maneuvers Lead to Birth of Armored Force Official distribution is limited to one copy for each heavy brigade headquarters, armored by John Cranston cavalry regiment headquarters, armor battalion 33 Are We Ready? Combat Service Support Integration headquarters, armored cavalry squadron head- quarters, reconnaissance squadron head- Captain Calvin R. Sayles quarters, armored cavalry troop, armor com- 37 The Future of Armor pany, and motorized brigade headquarters of the United States Army. in addition, Army by Captain Stephen L Melton libraries, Army and DOD schools, HQ DA and MACOM staff agencies with responsibility for ar- 41 The BPC - A System For Battle Staff Training Enhancement mored, direct fire, ground combat systems, or- by Major General Guilford J. Wilson, Jr., USAR ganizations, and the training of personnel for such organizations may request two copies by 43 Decentralization of the Battalion LOGPAC sending a military letter to the editor-inchief. by Captain Jerome J. Malczewski Authorized Content: ARMOR will print only those materials for which the U.S. Army Armor 46 The Soldier Performance Research Project: Center has proponency. That proponency in- A Valuable Training Exercise cludes: all armored, direct-fire ground combat by Captain Mark D. Troutman systems that do not serve primarily as infantry carriers; all weapons used exclusively In these systems or by CMF 19-series enlisted soldiers; Departments any miscellaneous items of equipment which armor and armored cavalry organizations use 2 Letters 50 Bustle Rack exclusively; training for ail SC 12A, 128, and 2 Contacts 51 Books 12C officers and for all CMF-19-series enlisted 5 Commander’s Hatch 53 50th Anniversary of Armored soldiers; and information concerning the train- ing, logistics, history, and leadership of armor 7 Driver’s Seat Force Celebration and armored cavalry units at the brigadelregi- ment level and below, to include Threat units at those levels. Material may be reprlnted, provided credit Is hndclassofflclal mall postage patd at Fort Knox. KV. Secondclass otRclal mall postage pald at given to ARMOR and to the author, except Fort Knox and sddltlonal mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changas to EdHor. ARMOR, ATW where copyright is indicated. ATSB-AM, Fort Knox. W 40121-5210. ~ ~~~~~___Mstributlon Mrktlon: Approved for publlc release; dMdbuth Is unllmlted. May-June 1990, Vol XCIX No. 3 USPS 467-970 Deactivate the 1st Cav Div.: with one brigade in Germany, will be inac- in the history of the Mounted Combat Arm Keep the 2d AD tivated when the 1st Armored Division of Decision. departs Germany for CONUS. If the Dear Sir: Army's four armored divisions must be The 1st Cavalry Division has little histori- reduced to three, I believe the unit that cal connection to the Armor Branch. While should be eliminated is the 1st Cavalry the 1st Cavalry served as horse cavalry It's time to give the 1st Cavalry Division Division. from its organization in 1921 until 1943, back to the Infantry. this division was converted to an infantry At the outset, let me state that I have no unit prior to its deployment to the Pacific The recent changes in East-West rela- personal axe to grind in this matter. I have Theater in World War II. The 1st Cav tions, coupled with the federal budget never served with either division, and I served as an Infantry Branch unit from deficit, make reductions in Active Duty have no doubt that both formations are 1943 until 1971 when it returned from Viet- strength inevitable. Equally inevitable is highly capable units. As an amateur nam. During this 28-year-period, it fought that heavy forces will bear much of the armor historian, however, I feel that retain- in three wars: World War It, Korea, and burden of this reduction. The Army recent- ing the 1st Cavalry Division in lieu of the Vietnam. The division was organized as ly announced that the 2nd Armored 2nd Armored Division would ignore the an experimental "TriCap" division when it Division, currently stationed at Fort Hood critical role the 2nd Armored has played returned from Vietnam. Finally, in 1975, it (Note: Fort Knox AUTOVON prefix is 464. DIRECTORY - Points Of Contact Commercial prefix is Area Code 502-624-x)(Xx). ARMOR Editorial Offices U.S. ARMY ARMOR SCHOOL Editor-in-Chief Commandant (ATZK-CG) Ma,jor Patrick J. Cooney 2249 MG Thomas C. Foley 2121 Managing Editor Assistant Commandant (ATSB-AC) Jon T. Clemens 2249 BG J. B. Taylor 7555 Editorial Assistant Deputy Assistant Commandant (ATSB-DAC) Vivian Thompson 2610 COL Claude L. Clark 1050 Production Assistant Command Sergeant Major Mary Hager 2610 CSM John M. Stephens 4952 Contributing Artist Maintenance Dept. (ATSB-MA) SPC Jody Harmon 2610 COL James R. Joy 8346 Command and Staff Dept. (ATSB-CS) MAILING ADDRESS: ARMOR, ATTN: ATSB- COL A. W. Kremer 5855 AM, Fort box, KY 40121-5210. Weapons Dept. (ATSB-WP) COL George R. Wallace 111 1055 ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS: To improve speed and Directorate of Training & Doctrine (ATSB-TD) accuracy in editing, manuscripts should be originals or COL Donald E. Appler 7250 clear copies, either typed or printed out in near-letter- Directorate of Combat Developments (ATSB-CD) quality printer mode. Stories can also be accepted on COL Edward A. Bryla 5050 5-1/4" floppy disks in Microsoft WORD, MultiMate, Training Group (ATZK-TG) Wordperfect, Wordstar, or Xerox Writer (please in- LTC William C. Malkemes 3955 clude a printout). Please tape captions to any illustra- NCO Academy/Drill Sergeant School (ATZK-NC) tions submitted. CSM Donald L. Baker 5150 Director, Reserve Component Spt (ATZK-RC) PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS: Report delivery problems COL Charles W. Davis 1351 or changes of address to Ms. Connie Bright, circula- Directorate of Total Armor Force tion manager, (502)942-8624. Readiness (ATZK-TF) COL Dennis H.