Turkey and an Army Forward (2003)

We are at this moment fighting the first wars of the 21st century. [W]e learned on September 11, 2001, that our Nation is vulnerable to enemies who hide in the caves and shadows and strike in unexpected ways. -Donald H. Rumsfeld1 AS PART OF A joint force positioned in central Europe, forward-deployed U.S. Army forces are needed to provide a responsive, flexible deterrent. In Toward a Future Army, former U.S. Army Brigadier General Huba Wass de Czege explains that a substantial joint and combined force must be able to respond to crises.2 The strategic environment demands a forward-deployed, versatile, joint land force. U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) meets that criteria with its forward staging bases, sophisticated training areas, comprehensive logistics infrastructure, efficient deployment operations, and versatile units. The Strategic Environment While a world dominated by two world powers allowed a measure of certainty and security, a multipolar environment causes uncertainty and complexity. In Peace and Stability Eessons from Bosnia, Max G. Manwaring says, Contemporary conflict is not only political but multinational, multiorganizational, multidimensional, and multicultural.3 Threats to the United States and its allies have proliferated rather than diminished. Terrorist groups, transnational organizations, and regional powers pursue actions that threaten Western culture and interests. Religious, cultural, and ethnic differences continue to fester. In the past decade, as globalization has spread, international pressure and economic necessity have been the cause of numerous U.S. interventions around the world. The 17 September 2002 National security Strategy of the United States outlines the challenges that were emerging from rogue states and terrorists at that time. Such threats will continue to seek ways to attack where the United States is weakest.4 An asymmetric construct is difficult to prepare for and even tougher to predict, so U.S. Armed Forces must be responsive, flexible, and versatile. President George W. Bush has clearly demonstrated that the United States will not withdraw behind its borders. As the strategic environment changes, USAREUR forces that are forward deployed in central Europe are adapting to meet the challenges. The 1st ID in USAREUR Since August 1952, USAREUR forces have been on point for the Nation. Recent operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom clearly reveal the value of forward-deployed U.S. forces. Operations in Iraq, Israel, Turkey, the Balkans, and elsewhere, as well as ongoing force-protection missions in the central region, have been resounding successes. The 1st Infantry Division (ID) is composed of seven brigades and four battalions forward-deployed in Germany as part of USAREUR. The 1st Brigade is stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. Because the 1st Brigade is committed to other war plans, it has not been available to support recent USAREUR contingencies, such as operations in Kosovo. Established in June 1999, the Kosovo Force (KFOR) is a NATO-led international force. KFOR is responsible for enforcing UN security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1244, On the Situation Relating to Kosovo, by establishing and maintaining security in Kosovo.5 In May 2002, the 1st ID's 2d Brigade Combat Team (BCT) began a 6-month tour of duty in Kosovo. Simultaneously, the 3d BCT prepared to replace the 2d BCT with transfer of authority (TOA) set for November 2002. (See figure 1.) Although KFOR 4B was a smaller force because of ongoing restructuring, the 1st ID still had over 2,000 soldiers who would deploy in support of Operation Joint Guard. Although KFOR 4B comprised less than 20 percent of the division, it included key division staff personnel needed to round out the Multinational Brigade-East headquarters. The TOA was a deliberate operation and the 1st ID's main effort. By November, one brigade was deployed, and the other was just beginning reintegration training that would include personnel and equipment recovery, gunnery, and a combat maneuver training center rotation, all designed to reestablish the 2d BCT's combat readiness. …