Reconsidering Rear Area Security | RealClearDefense

What is old becomes new again. I used to teach a rear battle seminar for Forward Support Battalions circa 2000.

I cringe every time I hear a Commander tell their units that the bypass criteria is Platoon and smaller in a mech/armor fight. Ummmm, who the hell do you think is going to take down a Platoon of tanks or BMPs in the BSA? Maybe you attrit one or two in a UMCP by slaving off (or APU) vehicles to fire weapon systems. Maybe your TOW missile shop can use their bench set to do an anti armor ambush with the one missile that might be left in the AHTP.

Somehow, the BDE and DIV rear in a linear combined arms fight are a lonely place for combat power. The CSSBs are not plentiful nor very lethal. The BSB is a shadow of its former self. Since all the current capabilities for tracked vehicle maintenance is non-existent beyond the BSB, no tanks, IFV/CFV, and APCs end up there for maintenance. The Sust BDE is going to default to be the Rear Area Security Command Post by coopting people from the SPO and STB non-BDE staff, which used to be a RAOC that would plug into a CSG(R) or a COSCOM HQ to perform that mission.

Controlling routes and coordination points at boundaries present new challenges, since for the last 16 years it has been banana time in the monkey house. DTOs and CTOs had to control Corps and division routes. The first destination reporting point, was a graphic control measure that may see a MCT or some divisional transporters checking movements, cargo, and dynamically retasking Corps pushes across BDEs or BNs. So through ABCS, we don't have to stand there, who and when can we dynamically retask log traffic passing through? Controlling friendly movements is part of rear area security. Getting route Recon and other info through passive collection to feed the reconnaissance and surveillance (R&S) plan is important component as well. Is the maneuver Commander going to chop ISR assets to the Sust BDE? Will their NAIs see the light of day? I yield the remainder of my rant to LTC (Join to see) .