SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 1 ⎯ Purpose and NeedSubsequently, the Army revisited its selection of Fort Polk as a stationing locating of an interim BCT.Fort Polk’s maneuver area is committed to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), one of threelocations where brigades complete their final training before combat deployment. When there areJRTC unit evaluation rotations, the majority of training areas and ranges are dedicated to those units.This commitment was determined to reduce the amount of training area available for an SBCT to theextent that it would not be sufficient. In addition, the Army has decided to station one of the interimBCTs in U.S. Army Europe following the 2002 Transformation ROD to provide for greater geographicdispersion.Some of the reasons for the selection of the 2/25 th are also outlined in the 2004 2/25 th TransformationFEIS. They include the fact that the 2/25 th was located in an area critical to the interests of the UnitedStates. Hawaii was also a good site because it replicates the terrain and conditions found in manyparts of the Pacific Rim, an area of critical concern. The Army also considered the proximity of the2/25 th to suitable air and sea transportation facilities. Finally, the choice of the 2/25 th “provide[d] optionsthat shape the global environment to further the interests of the United States and its allies.”(U.S. Army Garrison, Hawaii [USAG-HI] 2004).Following the initial phase of Army transformation where the Army validated the capabilities of theSBCT to meet the nation’s near-term security and defense objectives, the Army proceeded with theinterim phase of transformation. This interim phase was defined in the 2002 EIS as the fielding of upto eight SBCTs with the incorporation of more advanced digital command and control systems andtechnological upgrades. The end of the interim phase was defined as the time when all SBCTs weremanned, equipped, and trained to support operational mission requirements. The Army currently remainsin the interim phase of transformation as it continues to conduct SBCT stationing and fieldingwhile completing the conversion of its units to standardized modular structure and simultaneouslysupporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently the Army is in the process of fielding itsseventh SBCT. Transformation of the 2/25 th , its permanent home stationing, and its training toachieve operational readiness are all vital components of Army transformation and National Security.The final phase of Army transformation, the Objective Capability Phase, begins with the completionof the fielding of SBCT units and the fielding of units with the next generation of vehicles and futuristicsystems known as FCS. These systems may include robotics, advanced weaponry, and communicationssystems designed to provide increased technological advantages over conventional and nonconventionalforces. The phase will end when the Army has fully converted its forces and equippedand trained BCTs with the next-generation vehicles, systems, and equipment.The SBCT, optimized with enhanced digital capability and designed for speed, transportability, agility,is the Army’s interim answer to providing transformed ground-force military capabilities as directedby the QDR in 2001 and reaffirmed in 2006. It is designed for small-scale, non-contiguouscontingencies and is ideally suited for urban conflict with unconventional enemies. Experience in Iraqhas demonstrated that the SBCT has been exceptionally effective in Iraq in providing security to morepeople over a greater area, and providing better protection to U.S. Soldiers than is afforded by conventionalheavy and infantry units (LTG Lovelace, Headquarters, Department of the Army [HQDA]G–3 Army Declaration, 2006). Put simply, because of its increased maneuverability, firepower, andarmored protection, more Army Soldiers within SBCT units who have deployed abroad in combatoperations have returned, and they have been able to be more effective in providing security and respondingto conflict than conventional infantry and heavy BCTs.The ACP and the Army’s strategy for implementing transformation directives of the QDR also providecontext for understanding why the Army is transforming and what the role of the SBCT is in nationaldefense policy. The Proposed Action and alternatives assessed in this EIS do not include op-February 2008 1-7 2/25th SBCT Final EIS