| From: | JonSzeto@***.com JonSzeto@***.com |
|---|---|
| Subject: | the value of education |
| Date: | Wed, 14 Jul 1999 06:46:10 EDT |
> I was just reading New Seattle last night. Under the Urban Combat simulator
> it mentions that the UCAS army has 5 divisions. I forget how that compares
> to the US now, as my "How to Make War" book is at home.
The US currently has ten active combat divisions in the Army (whoever
said 14 has missed the last 10 or so years of drawdown, but since said
poster admitted to having a jar for a head, that's understandable. <g,d&r>)
These ten (and their stations) currently are:
1ID: 1st Infantry (Mechanized) Division (Fort Reilly, Kansas and
Germany)
2ID: 2nd Infantry Division (Korea)
3ID: 3rd Infantry (Mechanized) Division (Fort Stewart, Georgia)
4ID: 4th Infantry (Mechanized) Division (Fort Hood, Texas)
10ID: 10th Infantry (Mountain) Division (Fort Drum, New York)
25ID: 25th Infantry (Light) Division (Schofield Barracks, Hawaii)
82ID: 82nd Infantry (Airborne) Division (Fort Bragg, North Carolina)
101ID: 101st Infantry (Air Assault) Division (Fort Campbell, Kentucky)
1AD: 1st Armored Division (Fort Reily, Kansas and Germany)
1CAV: 1st Cavalry Division (Fort Hood, Texas)
Here's my 2 cents about what I think the military situation is like in
2060:
* The five divisions that belong to the UCAS are 1ID (assigned to JTF:
Seattle), 2ID (stationed somewhere in what used to be Manitoba or
Ontario), 10ID, 101ID, and 1AD (redeployed to Fort Knox). The CAS has
the other six combat divisions: 3ID, 4ID, 25 ID (stationed at Fort Polk,
Louisiana), 82ID, 2nd Armored Division (reactivated and stationed at
Fort Hood), 1CAV. Both sides also have an as-yet uncounted number (no
more than 6 per side) of separate regiments (UCAS) or brigades (CAS).
* Collectively, the NANs have roughly three divisions' worth of ground
troops. Since virtually all NAN officers used to serve in the US
military, their orders of battle, combat doctrine, and rank structures
are not too different from that of the old US. The largest is in the
Sioux, which actually fields one combat division. Most of the others
field multiple brigade or battalion-sized units.
* The UCAS has approximately six carriers with their associated air
wings and battlegroups. The Confederate surface navy is much smaller and
more localized in scope (brown-water in naval lingo), consisting of
surface action groups centered around heavy (nuclear-powered) cruisers,
with most air support being ground-based (okay, maybe one or two
aircraft carriers). However, the CAS makes up for this combat deficit
with heavy strategic naval assets: nuclear missile submarines (SSBNs).
* Come to think of it, the CAS would probably have more subs (SSNs,
SSBNs, SSGNs (1), and SSVNs(2)) than anyone else in the world, except
Russia and Japan. (The Confederacy is, after all, the first "country" to
deploy a submarine in actual combat.)
(1) SSGN: Missile submarines carrying conventional antishipping or land
attack missiles. One example is the old Soviet Oscar-class sub, which
was armed with Sunburn antiship missiles.
(2) SSVN: Aircraft-carrying submarines, particularly unmanned combat
drones (called UCAVs in RL military lingo). This is a concept I had
tossed around with K and AirWasp. An interesting idea, though I'll admit
it shows limited tactical or strategic potential.
My $0.02.
-- Jon
