United States Army Forces Command

United States Army Forces Command
FORSCOM shoulder sleeve insignia
Active	1973–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Army Command
Role	Provide combat-ready army forces to unified combatant commands
Garrison/HQ	Fort Liberty
Motto(s)	Freedom's Guardian
Website	Army Forces Command
Commanders
Commanding General	General Andrew P. Poppas
Notable commanders	Bernard W. Rogers Richard E. Cavazos Colin L. Powell
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

The United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) is the largest United States Army command. It provides land forces to the Department of Defense's (DOD) unified combatant commands. Headquartered at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, FORSCOM consists of more than 750,000 active Army, U.S. Army Reserve, and Army National Guard soldiers. It was created on 1 July 1973 from the former Continental Army Command, which in turn supplanted Army Field Forces and Army Ground Forces.

The command has formations and units located at 15 installations, including the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California and the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, Louisiana (the former Fort Polk).

History

In 1942 the Army was divided between Army Ground Forces; Army Service Forces; and the Services of Supply.

On 30 August 1945, Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall created a board headed by Lieutenant General Alexander M. Patch to review the organization of the War Department. The board submitted its recommendations to the Chief of Staff on 18 October. These were that the technical services be continued, with the Transportation Corps made permanent, and that the Finance Department becoming an eighth technical service. The service commands would be abolished, and their functions transferred to the Armies. The ASF would also be abolished, and its staff sections transferred to the War Department General Staff.

In accordance with these recommendations, on 11 June 1946, Army Service Forces and the nine service commands areas were abolished. The service commands were replaced by six field armies. These six army areas, though similar in name, operated on a functional rather than geographic basis but roughly followed along the old corps area boundaries. Army Ground Forces moved from Washington, D.C. to Fort Monroe.

• First Army, headquartered at Fort Jay in New York, New York included ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NJ, NY and DE.
• Second Army, headquartered at Baltimore, Maryland included PA, MD, VA, WV, OH, IN and KY.
• Third Army, headquartered variously in rented office space in downtown Atlanta and in 1946 at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia included NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, TN and MS
• Fourth Army, headquartered at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas included TX, AR, LA, OK, and NM.
• Fifth Army, headquartered at Fort Sheridan near Chicago, Illinois included IL, MI, WI, MN, IA, MO, KS, NE, ND, SD, WY and CO.
• Sixth Army, headquartered at Presidio of San Francisco, California included WA, OR, ID, MT, UT, NV and CA.

In March 1948, a thorough reorganization of the Department of the Army created the Office of the Chief of Army Field Forces (OCAFF) at Fort Monroe and placed the armies and installations in the continental United States directly under departmental control. Seven years later, the recommendations of the Davis Committee were implemented, establishing Continental Army Command (CONARC) to carry out both training and operations.

Forces in the United States were split between two new commands, Forces Command and Training and Doctrine Command, in 1973. Forces Command administered deployable units and formations and supervised their collective training. To do this it had the help of various regional numbered army headquarters, First Army, Fourth Army, Fifth Army, and Sixth Army, at various times. In 1987 FORSCOM was also given the status of a "specified command", almost equal to a unified combatant command, with a broad and continuing mission, but composed solely of Army forces. Like the unified commands, the specified commands reported directly to the JCS instead of their respective service chiefs. Fourth Army cased its colors and was inactivated for the last time in 1991. FORSCOM lost its specified status in 1993.

Sixth Army was headquartered at the Presidio of San Francisco. It was eventually inactivated in June 1995.

In 2004, Fifth Army transferred its Reserve Component preparation obligations to First Army, and became responsible for homeland defense and Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) as United States Army North, the Army Service Component Command of United States Northern Command.

Following the recommendations of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission, FORSCOM Headquarters moved from Fort McPherson, Georgia to a building at what was then Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in June 2011. The Command hosted a "Casing of the Colors" ceremony on 24 June 2011 at Fort McPherson, and an "Uncasing of Colors" on 1 Aug. 2011 at Fort Bragg.

The new brigade-level formations – armour, infantry, airborne, air assault and Stryker - are more capable.

Active Army and Army Reserve

FORSCOM currently commands U.S. Army Reserve Command, and First Army, and three Active Army corps.

The United States Army Reserve Command (USARC) is a major subordinate command of FORSCOM. It is headquartered in the same building as FORSCOM at Fort Liberty, N.C. It commands all United States Army Reserve units in the continental United States, except those assigned to Special Operations Command.

First United States Army at Rock Island Army Arsenal, Ill., is responsible for training, mobilization and deployment support to Army Reserve and National Guard units in FORSCOM. It executes missions within the continental United States and Puerto Rico.

FORSCOM also commands three Army corps: I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord; III Corps at Fort Cavazos, Texas; and XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. Together the three corps include nine divisions, one cavalry regiment, 37 support brigades of various types, and a range of other corps combat, combat support and combat service support units.

Army National Guard

The Army National Guard provides Forces Command eight National Guard combat divisions, 15 brigades, and extensive combat support and combat service support units.

The current FORSCOM Army National Guard strength is approximately 351,000 soldiers. Mobilizing the Army National Guard into active federal service would bring the total strength of FORSCOM to nearly two-thirds of the Army's combat ground forces.

Subordinate units

• United States Army Reserve Command, Fort Liberty, NC
• First United States Army, Rock Island Arsenal, IL
  • First Army Division East, Fort Knox, KY
    • 4th Cavalry Brigade, Fort Knox, KY
    • 72nd Field Artillery Brigade, Fort Dix, NJ
    • 87th Army Reserve Support Command, Horace B. Hanson United States Army Reserve Center, AL
    • 157th Infantry Brigade, Camp Atterbury, IN
    • 158th Infantry Brigade, Camp Shelby, MS
    • 174th Infantry Brigade, Fort Drum, NY
    • 177th Armored Brigade, Camp Shelby, MS
    • 188th Infantry Brigade, Fort Stewart, GA
  • First Army Division West, Fort Cavazos, TX
    • 5th Armored Brigade, Fort Bliss, TX
    • 85th Army Reserve Support Command, COL Paul G. Schulstad United States Army Reserve Center, IL
    • 120th Infantry Brigade, Fort Cavazos, TX
    • 166th Aviation Brigade, Fort Cavazos, TX
    • 181st Infantry Brigade, Fort McCoy, WI
    • 189th Infantry Brigade, Fort Lewis, WA
    • 402nd Field Artillery Brigade, Fort Bliss, TX
• III Armored Corps, Fort Cavazos, TX
  • 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, KS
    • 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team
    • 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team
    • 1st Infantry Division Artillery
    • Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division
    • 1st Sustainment Brigade
  • 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Cavazos, TX
    • 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team
    • 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team
    • 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team
    • 1st Cavalry Division Artillery
    • Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division
    • 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade
  • 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, TX
    • 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team
    • 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team
    • 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team
    • 1st Armored Division Artillery
    • Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division
    • 15th Sustainment Brigade
  • 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, CO
    • 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team
    • 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team
    • 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team
    • 4th Infantry Division Artillery
    • Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division
    • 43rd Sustainment Brigade
  • 11th Signal Brigade, Fort Cavazos, TX
  • 75th Field Artillery Brigade, Fort Sill, OK
  • 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Cavazos, TX
  • 3rd Cavalry Regiment, Fort Cavazos, TX
  • 504th Military Intelligence Brigade, Fort Cavazos, TX
  • 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Cavazos, TX
  • 1st Medical Brigade, Fort Cavazos, TX
  • 13th Sustainment Command, Fort Cavazos, TX
• V Corps (United States), Fort Knox, KY
• XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Liberty, NC
  • 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA
    • 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team
    • 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team
    • 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Georgia Army National Guard)
    • 3rd Infantry Division Artillery
    • Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
    • 3rd Sustainment Brigade
  • 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, NY
    • 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team
    • 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team
    • 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Fort Johnson, LA
    • 10th Mountain Division Artillery
    • Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division
    • 10th Sustainment Brigade
  • 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Liberty, NC
    • 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne)
    • 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne)
    • 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne)
    • 82nd Airborne Division Artillery
    • Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division
    • 82nd Sustainment Brigade
  • 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, KY
    • 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Air Assault)
    • 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Air Assault)
    • 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Air Assault)
    • 101st Airborne Division Artillery
    • Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
    • 101st Sustainment Brigade
  • 18th Field Artillery Brigade, Fort Liberty, NC
  • 20th Engineer Brigade, Fort Liberty, NC
  • 16th Military Police Brigade, Fort Liberty, NC
  • 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Fort Liberty, NC
  • 7th Transportation Brigade, Fort Eustis, VA
  • 525th Military Intelligence Brigade, Fort Liberty, NC
  • 35th Signal Brigade, Fort Eisenhower, GA
  • 44th Medical Brigade, Fort Liberty, NC
  • 83rd Civil Affairs Battalion, Fort Liberty, NC
• Security Force Assistance Command, Fort Liberty, NC
  • 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade, Fort Moore, GA
  • 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade, Fort Liberty, NC
  • 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade, Fort Cavazos, TX
  • 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade, Fort Carson, CO
  • 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA
  • 54th Security Force Assistance Brigade (National Guard)
• 20th Support Command (CBRNE), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
  • 48th Chemical Brigade, Fort Cavazos, TX
  • 52nd Ordnance Group (EOD), Fort Campbell, KY
  • 71st Ordnance Group (EOD), Fort Carson, CO
• 32nd Army Air & Missile Defense Command Fort Bliss, TX
  • 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Fort Bliss, TX
  • 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Fort Sill, OK
  • 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Fort Cavazos, TX
  • 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Fort Liberty, NC
• Air Traffic Services Command Fort Novosel, AL - In October 1994 the United States Army Aviation Centre asked the United States Army Force Integration Support Agency to review the U.S. Army Air Traffic Control Activity. The Army Aviation Centre wanted to make sure that its limited air traffic control (ATC) resources were being properly used. USAFISA concluded that the mid-1980s ATC planning that was part of creating the then-new Aviation Branch had never been properly put in place. ATC skills and services were eroding to the point of endangering aviation safety. As a result, General Eric Shinseki, then the Army Vice Chief of Staff, approved the concept of a separate command for ATS. On August 28, 2003, ATSC was formally activated and relocated from Fort MacPherson to Fort Rucker.
• Fort Irwin National Training Center, CA
• Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Johnson, LA
• 6th Medical Logistics Management Center, Fort Liberty, NC (direct reporting unit)

Commanders

Main article: Commanding General, United States Army Forces Command

The current Commanding General is GEN Andrew P. Poppas, who assumed the role in July 2022. The Deputy Commanding General is LTG Paul T. Calvert (since December 2021) and the Command Sergeant Major CSM Todd Sims.

See also

U.S. Armed Forces operations commands

• United States Fleet Forces Command
• United States Marine Corps Forces Command
• Air Combat Command
• Space Operations Command

References

• "History of the Unified Command Plan, 1946–1977" (PDF). 20 December 1977. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 May 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
• Manoeuvre and Firepower: The Evolution of Divisions and Separate Brigades. Army Lineage Series. United States Army Center of Military History. 1998. 60-14. Archived from the original on 26 December 2012.
• Shalett, Sidney (14 May 1946). "Army is Revamped in Economy Drive". The New York Times.
• James Williams, "A history of Army aviation : from its beginnings to the War on Terror," New York, iUniverse, 2005

External links

• U.S Army Forces Command Homepage