Strategic Army Corps The Strategic Army Corps ( STRAC ) was a command of the United States Army , with a mission of high readiness , active in the 1960s . In 1961 it was merged into the United States Strike Command ( STRICOM ) . The word was also used to describe well an organized , well turned - out soldier or unit . Background . STRAC was a designation given to the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg , North Carolina , in 1958 . The designation was , in reality , the assignment of an additional mission rather than a true designation . The additional mission was to provide a flexible strike capability that could deploy worldwide on short notice without declaration of an emergency . The 4th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis , Washington , The [ 1st ARB / Combat Command A ] 6th Infantry Regiment at Fort Hood , Texas , and the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell , Kentucky , were designated as STRAC ' s first - line divisions , while the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley , Kansas , and the 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg were to provide backup in the event of general war . The 5th Logistical Command ( later inactivated ) , also at Fort Bragg , would provide the corps with logistics support , while Fort Bragg ' s XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery would control artillery units . Airlift assets were made available to U . S . forces based on the possible outbreak of a general war in Europe . In his paper , " Not War But Like War : The American Intervention in Lebanon " , prepared for the Army Command and General Staff College ' s Combat Studies Institute , Roger J . Spiller notes : Operations . Training included unidentified semi - annual maneuvers ( Desert Strike , Swift Strike ) with the 82nd and 101st Airborne held under the auspices of the XVIII and STRAC . The 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment returned to the United States from Germany in February 1958 , and was once again stationed at Fort Meade . The Regiment became part of STRAC and , from 1958 – 1961 , it was the recipient of four STRAC streamers , awarded for superior readiness and training . In reaction to the Berlin Crisis , the Regiment redeployed to Germany in October 1961 . Alerted for movement on 10 October , although scattered at different training sites along the Eastern Seaboard , the Regiment arrived at its new duty stations of Baumholder and Kaiserslautern exactly thirty days later . STRAC and the XVIII Airborne Corps provided the Army forces to the Navy ' s CINCLANT as unified commander during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis . Flexible response . September 1961 , Fort Hood again became the home for the III Corps , and in February 1962 , III Corps was assigned as part of the STRAC . In March 1962 the 2nd Infantry Division was designated as a Strategic Army Corps ( STRAC ) unit . Following this the Division became engaged in intensified combat training , tactical training , and field training exercises , in addition to special training designed to improve operational readiness . Limitations . Although the STRAC mission was to provide an easily deployable force for use in a limited war or other emergency , its ability to deploy overseas was limited by airlift constraints . Without the declaration of a national emergency , the required lift assets would not be released to support a STRAC deployment . The Army faced problems with both the Air Force who would provide the expected transportation and from foreign governments for the expected use of their airspace and airports . Other definitions . STRAC is Army slang term for " a well organized , well turned - out soldier , ( pressed uniform , polished brass and shined boots ) " — a proud , competent trooper who can be depended on for good performance in any circumstance . The word was used both as a noun and an adjective for a soldier whose gear was clean and tight ; weapon clean and ready ; mind clear , organized , and ready for action . S : skilled T : tough R : ready A : around the C : clock — STRAC . However , some soldiers joked it stood for " Shit ! The Russians Are Coming ! "