3AD HISTORY OF OPERATION DESERT STORM AND SPEAR

File: 081996_jul96_decls1_0023.txt
Page: 0023
Total Pages: 269

Subject: 3AD HISTORY OF OPERATION DESERT STORM AND SPEAR                 

Box  ID: BX001301

Document Number:          3

Folder Title: OPORDS AND  COMMAND AND CONTROL                                                                 

Folder Seq #:          4

Unit: 3D AD       

Parent Organzation: VII  CORPS  






                the problems and flaws which had to be corrected to give us the
                capability we required to accomplish our mission.

                    Another important command and control tool emerged from ths
                exercise - a standard division template. (See diagram       Th:t
                template depicted the division wedge formation, and the =pa.:al
                relationships for all units within the formation.   Given ths
                template, it was simple to reorient the division on the move.    A!: we
                had to do was identify the 1.2 o'clocl@, siz,.-digit grid coordinates anc!
                the center point grid coordinates, specify a time to execute, then
                without further orders, units moved and tool, their positions as shown
                by the template once placed an the map.   By the way, we used
                1.250,000 scale maps to train and fight the battle at division,
                brigade, and battalion level.   (This is not recommended.   T@e Army
                probably needs 1:10;,OOO maps for operations of this scale.   The
                Iraqis had good ones as we found out later.)


                               - MOVEMENT FROM TAA HENRY TO FAA BUTTS
                                          14 - 16 February 91

                   Our movement from the tactical assembly area to our forward
                assembly area, just south of the Iraqi border, gave us the
                opportunity to exercise our C2 plan once again before the battle.
                We considered it our dress rehearsal. We moved the division over a
                period of 3 days, from 14 - 16 Feb, over a distance of 160km.    Our
                MSE system performed well, however, we had gaps in our RAU coverage,
                which prevented commanders from using MSRT to communicate with one
                another. Consequently, MG Funk and BB Blackwell, ADC-M, commanded
 with FM radio, Division Command
                Net. And that wasn't good. Without MSRT capability through RAUs
                into the MSE systems and without proper placement of our FM
                retransmission teams, MG Funk and BB Blackwell could not communicate
                with the division staff nor the Division Rear CP for about 18 hours.
                rn short, we overextended our MSE capability trying to sustain a
                linkage across the entire distance between the TAA and FAA.
                Moreover, we didn't place our FM retransmission teams at the right
                place to give our command posts the ability to hear the orders and
                directives given by the CB or ADC-M.  These were hard lessons to
                learn, so close to combat, but the experience forged some changes
                which paid off a few days later when we crossed the LD.

                                      CONSTRAINED BY A DINOSAUR

                   One of the factors that influenced where and when we moved the
                Jump MAIN and DMAIN was the "old" PCM multichannel communications
                system which provided our link to vrr Corps headquarters.   It was
                through this system we obtained our hard copy intelligence
                information via a USC-144, and the Corps Bulletin Board System (BBS),
                a computer-modem link, which VII Corps used to transmit orders,
                plans, and staff information. We had to sustain this link.   In other
                words, we couldn't move the DMAIN until the Jump MAIN had established
                a PCM link to VII Corps via the one, multichannel TACSAT system


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Document 269 f:/Week-28/BX001301/OPORDS AND COMMAND AND CONTROL/3ad history of operation desert storm and spear:0816961333481
Control Fields 17
File Room = jul96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-28
Box ID = BX001301
Unit = 3D AD
Parent Organization = VII CORPS
Folder Title = OPORDS AND COMMAND AND CONTROL
Folder Seq # = 4
Subject = 3AD HISTORY OF OPERATION DESERT STORM AND SPEAR
Document Seq # = 1
Document Date =
Scan Date = 18-JUL-1996
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 16-AUG-1996