Fort Bliss Monitor

Troop Talk

I know there is a lot of interest from Soldiers and families about the upcoming deployment of the 35th ADA Brigade and I want to share with all of Team Bliss the plan that is in progress. The brigade continues their on-going preparations for deployment to the Republic of Korea this year.

The brigade, along with the 32nd AAMDC and Team Bliss have assisted in the cross-leveling of personnel and equipment, ensuring all shortages are filled prior to movement overseas. Upon return from leave, the brigade will focus on training and validating crews in July, culminating with a mission readiness exercise in August. A deployment ceremony is scheduled for September 2004. The initial 12 month deployment will begin in December with the first rotation in May 2005. Battery rotations will be staggered to ensure readiness on the peninsula, as well as in CONUS, is not compromised as rotations occur. Typically a battery would not deploy again to the ROK for approximately three years.

This rotation plan supports the Army's on-going transformation as it restructures to a more modular Army and provides stabilization for Soldiers and families IAW the Army Campaign Plan. Families remaining here at Fort Bliss will continue to be provided Family Readiness Support through the newly established FRG Coordinator/Site Manager and the 32nd AAMDC, as well as Team Bliss support agencies.

I also want to share with all of Team Bliss the road ahead for air defense in the transformation process. Even while our Army is fighting a war, it has embarked on a historic transformation. Air and Missile Defense is rapidly changing with the rest of the Army. Over the last several months the Air Defense Artillery Branch has developed a transformation plan outlined in TRADOC Pamphlet 525-3-01.94 O&O, U.S. Army AMD Concept and Operational and Organizational Plan for the Future Force. July 15, the branch will bring forward the proposed Force Design Update to the Army Task Force Modularity panel that will set us upon a path to achieving our endstate.

Analysis of OIF lessons learned and the Air Defense Battle Lab's work with Army transformation concepts has led us to the conclusion that our current stove-piped Patriot and Maneuver Air and Missile Defense – formally SHORAD – systems-centric organizations need to become capabilities-based composite AMD battalions which can integrate a variety of Joint and Army sensors and shooters under a common AMD battle command system with integrated fire control, moving us from point defensive systems to wide area defenses.

This proposed change targets many of our OIF lessons learned as well as providing the Joint Force modular and scalable organizations with increased synergistic capabilities that can be tailored to meet specific needs. Though we would like to transform all our current active duty and ARNG AMD organizations into composite battalions, that is not realistic in the near term given our resource, constrained environment.

This transformation process will continue for the next 10 to 15 years. In the next couple of years we are going to begin establishing the first four composite AMD battalions. Each will consist of four Patriot batteries, one Avenger battery and eight sentinels. We will also have nine pure four-battery Patriot battalions and 11 pure Avenger battalions in the National Guard. This initial step includes transforming 5-5 ADA to a pure Avenger battalion. As other changes throughout the Department of Defense take shape, other near-term moves could occur.

There are a lot of details of this transformation that are still evolving and I intend to keep you posted as details become solidified. Our desire is to have composite AMD battalions co-located at installations where the Army establishes its foundation forces. Many of those decisions have yet to be made but we are posturing ourselves to ensure we continue to be an integral part of the maneuver force.

Maj. Gen. Michael A. Vane
Fort Bliss Commanding General



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	July 1, 2004

	Troop Talk I know there is a lot of interest from Soldiers and families about the upcoming deployment of the 35th ADA Brigade and I want to share with all of Team Bliss the plan that is in progress. The brigade continues their on-going preparations for deployment to the Republic of Korea this year. The brigade, along with the 32nd AAMDC and Team Bliss have assisted in the cross-leveling of personnel and equipment, ensuring all shortages are filled prior to movement overseas. Upon return from leave, the brigade will focus on training and validating crews in July, culminating with a mission readiness exercise in August. A deployment ceremony is scheduled for September 2004. The initial 12 month deployment will begin in December with the first rotation in May 2005. Battery rotations will be staggered to ensure readiness on the peninsula, as well as in CONUS, is not compromised as rotations occur. Typically a battery would not deploy again to the ROK for approximately three years. This rotation plan supports the Army's on-going transformation as it restructures to a more modular Army and provides stabilization for Soldiers and families IAW the Army Campaign Plan. Families remaining here at Fort Bliss will continue to be provided Family Readiness Support through the newly established FRG Coordinator/Site Manager and the 32nd AAMDC, as well as Team Bliss support agencies. I also want to share with all of Team Bliss the road ahead for air defense in the transformation process. Even while our Army is fighting a war, it has embarked on a historic transformation. Air and Missile Defense is rapidly changing with the rest of the Army. Over the last several months the Air Defense Artillery Branch has developed a transformation plan outlined in TRADOC Pamphlet 525-3-01.94 O&O, U.S. Army AMD Concept and Operational and Organizational Plan for the Future Force. July 15, the branch will bring forward the proposed Force Design Update to the Army Task Force Modularity panel that will set us upon a path to achieving our endstate. Analysis of OIF lessons learned and the Air Defense Battle Lab's work with Army transformation concepts has led us to the conclusion that our current stove-piped Patriot and Maneuver Air and Missile Defense – formally SHORAD – systems-centric organizations need to become capabilities-based composite AMD battalions which can integrate a variety of Joint and Army sensors and shooters under a common AMD battle command system with integrated fire control, moving us from point defensive systems to wide area defenses. This proposed change targets many of our OIF lessons learned as well as providing the Joint Force modular and scalable organizations with increased synergistic capabilities that can be tailored to meet specific needs. Though we would like to transform all our current active duty and ARNG AMD organizations into composite battalions, that is not realistic in the near term given our resource, constrained environment. This transformation process will continue for the next 10 to 15 years. In the next couple of years we are going to begin establishing the first four composite AMD battalions. Each will consist of four Patriot batteries, one Avenger battery and eight sentinels. We will also have nine pure four-battery Patriot battalions and 11 pure Avenger battalions in the National Guard. This initial step includes transforming 5-5 ADA to a pure Avenger battalion. As other changes throughout the Department of Defense take shape, other near-term moves could occur. There are a lot of details of this transformation that are still evolving and I intend to keep you posted as details become solidified. Our desire is to have composite AMD battalions co-located at installations where the Army establishes its foundation forces. Many of those decisions have yet to be made but we are posturing ourselves to ensure we continue to be an integral part of the maneuver force. Maj. Gen. Michael A. Vane Fort Bliss Commanding General