Quote Originally Posted by jkm_101_fso View Post
I don't want to insinuate that I am not a supporter of the Cav's mission, in regards to the light BDE, however, I think a recon troop attached at BDE or adding the RSTA to a BDE in addition to the 3 INF BNs would have been wiser. Another option would be to have a RSTA troop attached to each BN. Maybe we don't have the personnel to do that.
Just as RTK highlighted, the RSTA Sqn aren't exclusively conducting the "R" (recon), "S" (surveillance) or "TA" (target acquisition). They are just another maneuver unit...except with less Soldiers, thus handicapped in comparison to the INF units, who also own battlespace in Iraq or Afghanistan, but have more capabilities because they have more companies, with more Soldiers.
Transformation also greatly affected the Field Artillery, as well. Now instead of 3 firing batteries of six guns, we have two firing batteries of eight. There are more platoons, but less commands. The Headquarters Battery was also greatly reduced in size, because the FIST moved to the INF or RSTA and all of the support is now in the Combat Support Companies. HHB now basically consists of the staff, survey, met, radar, medics and ammo. This has hindered the FA because many times, they will own battlespace in Iraq or Afghanistan, in addition to their indirect fire/counter-fire mission, they have to conduct an INF mission as well. Now, we only have three batteries to own battlespace, as opposed to four and HHB is severely hampered by having so few Soldiers, they can basically only function as a platoon.

Concur most with you and RTK, esp. regarding the RSTA limitations. It's a crippled div cav squadron without avn. Recent comment from JRTC was that only 1 of 10 RSTA units coming through did a recon mission, the rest were essentially used the same as infantry, with all the inherent limitations of a cav org doing that task.

Right now the FCS (FBCT) concept returns each BCT to 3 maneuver BN's (CAB's) plus a RSTA. The briefer I went to said the modular design was basically a way to create more BCT's quickly. However, the RSTA under the current design has NO ground cavalry, only UAV and AVN. Each BN gets a scout platoon, however, and the briefer suggested that if the BCT CDR wants ground recon he can pull his scout PLT's and form a BRT like organization. The groans from the assembeld audience at Knox were audible. However, the FBCT MTOE is in constant flux, so be prepared for a number of changes by 2017.

Eliminating a 3rd maneuver BN was a mistake, and violates a number of tactical principles. While the CAB task org was long overdue, most Modular BCT's are still doing cross-attachment of at least a mech company to the RSTA to give it enough boots on the ground capability, from my observations.

There was also no small motive in "adding" BCT's by creating smaller BCT's - a shell game from the 90's where we maintained the same number of BN's while cutting the D Company from each.