Posted on Apr 16, 2018
Am I correct that the commander of the 1st Infantry Division is often (usually? always?) an armor officer? If so, why?
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Chain of Command
Armor
11A: Infantry Officer
19A: Armor Officer
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 12
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General officers don't have a "branch" like infantry or armor once they pin on their first star. In fact, they stop wearing their branch insignia and wear the US insignia instead. That is because they are now at a level that requires them to incorporate all the various branches and functions into an overall strategy and plan. Armor and infantry officers grow up in a similar background since armor and infantry fight together. So from their earliest days, they have worked with both infantry and armor units integrated into teams or task forces. So in reality, at that level there is little difference in professional experience between an infantry and armor officer as it relates to the expertise needed to command a division.
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SGT Tony Clifford
True, but there is one exception. Medical officers remain specialized after they make BG. The reason is self-evident. It's usually a good policy to have doctors being lead by other doctors. As great as an infantry commander an officer might be, he probably knows jack shit about administering a hospital.
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LTC (Join to see)
SGT Tony Clifford - actually, medical general officers do the same thing. They no longer wear their medical branch insignia ( medical corps, nurses corps, dental corps, etc) and just wear the US. And they then are eligible for various assignments at the GO level that do not depend on their previous branch directly. For example, the previous MEDCOM Commander was a General who had served in the nurses corps rather than the medical corps, whereas before all MEDCOM commanders had been physicians. There are several medical related GO level assignments that are open to GOs from the different medical branches.
Of course, experience counts in any senior assignment which is why while an infantry or armor GO could equally compete for a division command, they aren't likely to command a high level transportation or logistical organization. Those jobs go to GOs from logistic branches. So my comment wasn't meant to convey that any GO from any branch can fill any GO job; they still must have the experience that is needed for the particular GO job. But most GO jobs are at a level where they are expected to be able to lead organizations that have broader and more diverse missions and capabilities than their individual branch assignments did.
Of course, experience counts in any senior assignment which is why while an infantry or armor GO could equally compete for a division command, they aren't likely to command a high level transportation or logistical organization. Those jobs go to GOs from logistic branches. So my comment wasn't meant to convey that any GO from any branch can fill any GO job; they still must have the experience that is needed for the particular GO job. But most GO jobs are at a level where they are expected to be able to lead organizations that have broader and more diverse missions and capabilities than their individual branch assignments did.
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Usually. The 1st is a mech unit/ combined arms division. Having an experienced tanker as commander gives the unit an overall better perspective of using a mech unit in battle.
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