Fighting a US Army Division

Tactical employment of the US Army division is essential to success in large-scale combat operations, the greatest challenge for Army forces. Over the last seventeen years the US Army has mainly executed stability operations and transitioned to a modular structure based on the brigade as the primary tactical level headquarters. These factors have led division staffs to struggle with understanding the divisions role in large-scale combat. This historical study seeks to equip division staffs by answering the question how can division staffs more efficiently produce effective mission-orders that synchronize organic and joint capabilities while maximizing disciplined initiative by subordinate commands To effectively fight a division, a proper understanding of its organization, capabilities, and operational employment is critical. The synthesis of current and World War II era doctrine and professional writings led to the conclusion that the division echelons flexible task-organization and robust capability provide the required reconnaissance, fires, and cyber electromagnetic activities to establish the proper conditions and the mission-command necessary for successful synchronization of close combat by the subordinate brigade combat teams. Divisions can succeed in large-scale combat operations through timely mission-orders that define and articulate the operational framework, weigh main and supporting efforts, and allocate resources through a priority of support.