As the Army shifts focus from its longstanding engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan to a range of conflicts around the globe, so too are the organizations charged with rapidly assisting troops in defeating varying threats.
The Army’s Rapid Equipping Force (REF), previously in an operational control status, moved under Army Training and Doctrine Command as of October 1. The transition reflects bigger changes across the Army amid competing priorities and missions, including shifts in regional alignments of soldiers and how they are equipped.
“We’ve taken on new missions in the U.S. Army [and] we’ve had some new challenges in some new areas. We have forces in Iraq; we’ve had challenges” in the Multinational Force of Observers, a Sinai Peninsula-based peacekeeping force, COL Steven Sliwa, director of REF, told C4ISR & Networks Oct. 13 at the Association of the U.S. Army annual meeting in Washington, D.C. “Going global, supporting other regions — for the REF it’s really in our DNA.”
Requirements may be changing, but they aren’t any less intense, according to LTC Stephen Lee, squadron commander of Asymmetric Warfare Group (AWG). As a result, reorganizations have been put into effect to better meet changing demands.
The shift away from Iraq and Afghanistan “has changed how we do business…before, we had operational squadrons solely focused on the CENTCOM AOR,” or U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Lee said. “We were rotating in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan with the units there, but as that’s drawn down, the Army has sent soldiers out on theater security-type missions” in the areas under Pacific Command (PACOM), Africa and European Command.
Now AWG has three regionally aligned operational squadrons: the Able squadron regionally aligned to Africa and Europe; the Baker squadron aligned to the Western hemisphere including Northern Command, Southern Command; and Charlie squadron, which is CENTCOM AOR-focused, Lee said.
“We’ve reorganized to meet that demand because although the wars have drawn down, the demand signal for support from AWG has only increased,” he said.
Amid the shifting forces, REF is working to pick up where troops deployed elsewhere left off, Sliwa noted.
“Sometimes when you draw down forces, it doesn’t necessarily mean the requirements go away. So a lot of our REF solutions are for force protection and we fill the gaps where those soldiers were previously,” Sliwa said, using the example of containerized weapons systems that can be remotely operated. “If you’re going to attempt to do the same thing with fewer people, you may have some technological options that allow you to do that better than just not having individuals at all. It’s not a panacea, but it’s certainly a tool for the commander.”
And according to Sliwa, the transition to TRADOC only strengthens the missions of REF and AWG.
“With the move to TRADOC has anything been lost? No — as far as I’m concerned, all we’ve done is gained,” he said. “We’ve gained a lot of connectivity; we’re so much more connected with where the Army is going, and we’re working with better ties.”
