Re-structuring the BCT

[SethB]

What would help would be providing every division with a fires BDE, so that there is a COL commander that can supervise/coordinate this training for the division.

FiBs have their own issues. The ones at Sill are pretty squared away, but the ones at Lewis and especially Hood are manpower pools for taskings. Training is an afterthought under those conditions.

Not to mention that most FiBs don't have cannon units which means that there is no opportunity to rotate personnel through them to maintain competency on rocket and tube systems, let alone other artillery skills.

For that matter, should the FiBs have cannons? I can only think of two that do.

[82redleg]

FiBs have their own issues. The ones at Sill are pretty squared away, but the ones at Lewis and especially Hood are manpower pools for taskings. Training is an afterthought under those conditions.

Not to mention that most FiBs don't have cannon units which means that there is no opportunity to rotate personnel through them to maintain competency on rocket and tube systems, let alone other artillery skills.

For that matter, should the FiBs have cannons? I can only think of two that do.

I can't speak for the (mis)-use of FiBs as tasking pools, but the COL-level CDR and staff allows the planning/execution of BTRY EXEVALs and BN level training, which is impossible in the BCTs. We've always had support cycles, and as the BCT deployments slow down, so will that kind of distractor.

The lack of cannon expertise is a problem, although the FiB HQ should have the requisite expertise, with or without assigned cannon units. Lewis and Bragg do, Hood was supposed to get a cannon BN, don't know about Sill. I think that every FiB should have a cannon BN.