Army chief
Shinseki envisions
‘lighter’ force for
quick response

Adjusting to new global demands,
lighter armored vehicles and fully
staffed combat units would be
ready for any emergency

By Gregg K. Kakesako
Star-Bulletin

Hawaii's 25th Infantry Division, which has 2,000 soldiers in the state of Washington, will be in the forefront of change as the Army slims down and adjusts to new global demands with brigades designed for rapid response.

The Army currently isn't lean enough to respond to short-notice crises and smaller-scale conflicts, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki said yesterday in a speech before the Association of the United States Army in Washington, D.C.

Shinseki outlined the first major restructuring of the Army since the Vietnam War when light airborne divisions were created in 1965.

Star-Bulletin file photo
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki was in Hawaii last
month and was honored at a Chamber of Commerce
"Welcome Home to Hawaii's Own" ceremony
at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

He envisions medium-size brigade forces which would be lighter than the current armor units but would be equipped with lighter armored vehicles.

Army officials said the change will begin with two brigades at Fort Lewis in Washington: the 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division and the 1st Lancer Brigade of the 25th Division.

Capt. Richard Spiegle, Schofield Barracks spokesman, said the 25th Division is "excited" about the prospect for change, but at the moment there are no specifics on the number or types of vehicles, or any other aspect.

All of the units at Fort Lewis are designed to fight an Asian war, especially on the Korean peninsula.

Shinseki said Fort Lewis was chosen because of its "maneuver space and gunnery ranges." He also cited the proximity of nearby McChord Air Force Base and its strategic airlift capabilities.

When Shinseki spoke in Hawaii this summer, shortly after taking over as head of today's 480,000 active-duty forces in June, he also talked about the need to make the Army much "lighter" since it takes a lot of time, manpower and aircraft to respond to regional crises like Kosovo.

He noted that divisions like Schofield Barracks' "Tropic Lightning" are too "light," without staying power and lethality. Shinseki made those points again yesterday, in talking about the transformation he expects the Army to undergo over the next few years.

The Army is caught between multiple requirements, the general said.

Its heavy forces are unequaled in the world today but are difficult to insert in distant theaters with no prepared entry points, such as ports or airfields.

Light forces can deploy anywhere almost instantly but lack firepower and on-the-ground mobility. And all forces require a large supply base because of the range of weapons, communications and other gear deemed necessary. At the same time, missions rapidly shift even after deployment.

The 25th Division maintains two 2,000-member brigades at Schofield: the 2nd Warrior Brigade and the 3rd Bronco Brigade. The Hawaii Army National Guard's 29th Infantry Brigade, which draws one battalion of soldiers from the Pacific Army Reserve, rounds out the 25th's fighting force.

It has been split, with two brigades forward at Schofield and one held in the rear at Fort Lewis, since September 1995.

In his speech Shinseki said the Army should be able to move a brigade-size force of about 5,000 soldiers anywhere in the world within four days.

A division with about 15,000 soldiers should be capable of being deployed within five days, and five divisions within 30 days, he said.

Shinseki said the Army's basic mission -- war fighting -- won't change.