Re: "Tanks, for the Memories"

On Mon, 7 Feb 2000, Los wrote:

> Third Brigade, Second Infantry Division is the first with a second
brigade at Ft
> Lewis to follow. BTW there is no preconceived requirement that it be a
wheeled
> vehicle I think My statement was misleading. But it has to fit on a
C130. There has
> been some trepidation in the armor community about this, some feel it
is a move to
> take away the tank. (Must be an infantry general in charge<grin>).

Hmm, in the wake of the loss of AGS, I can see a medium brigade being 
better off than a light with a few Hummers with heavy weapons. 

> 
> The intent of the new unit is to be able to put a full brigade into
combat anywhere
> in the world within 96 hours of initial call-up,  a division within 5
days and 5
> divisions within 30 days. The Initial Brigade  is to be operational by
October using
> a mixture of loaner and surrogate equipment until the final decision
is made on how
> to kit out the brigades. The whole thing is on a fast track.
> 
Yeah, I read through the site. They had two prototypes there based on 
two different light chassis. One was a new turret and armour on a 
Sheridan Chassis, the other was a turreted tank on a M113 chassis. 

> For comparison, it takes the 82d Airborne Division ready force (a
battalion) 18
> hours from the first knock on the door until wheels up and on the way
anywhere in
> the world. The first battalion (IRB) is on 2 hour callup at all times
with the
> second battalion on 6 hour and then the third and brigade slice on 8
hour. Which
> means once those units are called in they go into the 18 hour cyc

Certainly would give the 82 a bit more of a role than as a speed bump 
next time they depoly in a hurry to a major conflict. 

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- Ryan Montieth Gill	  NRA / DoD# 0780 (Smug #1) / AMA / SOHC -
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