Armored Cav: A Guided Tour of an Armored Cavalry Regiment Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Foreword

  Introduction

  Armor 101: An Armored Warfare Science Primer

  There and Back Again: An Interview with General Fred Franks

  U.S. Army Vehicule Systems

  U.S. Army Artillery Systems

  U.S. Army Aviation Systems

  U.S. Army Personal/ Man-Portable Systems

  A Guided Tour of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment

  Honing the Razor’s Edge

  A Cavalry Officer’s Life

  Roles and Missions: The ACR in the Real World

  Tommorrow’s Troopers

  Glossary

  End Notes

  Bibliography

  Novels by Tom Clancy

  THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER

  RED STORM RISING

  PATRIOT GAMES

  THE CARDINAL OF THE KREMLIN

  CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER

  THE SUM OF ALL FEARS

  WITHOUT REMORSE

  DEBT OF HONOR

  EXECUTIVE ORDERS

  RAINBOW SIX

  THE BEAR AND THE DRAGON

  RED RABBIT

  THE TEETH OF THE TIGER

  SSN: STRATEGIES OF SUBMARINE WARFARE

  Nonfiction

  SUBMARINE: A GUIDED TOUR INSIDE A NUCLEAR WARSHIP

  ARMORED CAV: A GUIDED TOUR OF AN ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT

  FIGHTER WING: A GUIDED TOUR OF AN AIR FORCE COMBAT WING

  MARINE: A GUIDED TOUR OF A MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT

  AIRBORNE: A GUIDED TOUR OF AN AIRBORNE TASK FORCE

  CARRIER: A GUIDED TOUR OF AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER

  SPECIAL FORCES: A GUIDED TOUR OF U.S. ARMY SPECIAL FORCES

  INTO THE STORM: A STUDY IN COMMAND

  (written with General Fred Franks, Jr., Ret.)

  EVERY MAN A TIGER

  (written with General Charles Horner, Ret.)

  SHADOW WARRIORS: INSIDE THE SPECIAL FORCES

  (written with General Carl Stiner, Ret., and Tony Koltz)

  Created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik

  TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER

  TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: MIRROR IMAGE

  TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: GAMES OF STATE

  TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: ACTS OF WAR

  TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: BALANCE OF POWER

  TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: STATE OF SIEGE

  TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: DIVIDE AND CONQUER

  TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: LINE OF CONTROL

  TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: MISSION OF HONOR

  TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: SEA OF FIRE

  TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: CALL TO TREASON

  TOM CLANCY’S NET FORCE

  TOM CLANCY’S NET FORCE: HIDDEN AGENDAS

  TOM CLANCY’S NET FORCE: NIGHT MOVES

  TOM CLANCY’S NET FORCE: BREAKING POINT

  TOM CLANCY’S NET FORCE: POINT OF IMPACT

  TOM CLANCY’S NET FORCE: CYBERNATION

  TOM CLANCYʹS NET FORCE: STATE OF WAR

  TOM CLANCYʹS NET FORCE: CHANGING OF THE GUARD

  Created by Tom Clancy and Martin Greenberg

  TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS: POLITIKA

  TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS: RUTHLESS.COM

  TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS: SHADOW WATCH

  TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS: BIO-STRIKE

  TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS: COLD WAR

  TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS: CUTTING EDGE

  TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS: ZERO HOUR

  The views and opinions expressed in this book are entirely those of the author and do not necessarily correspond with those of any corporation, navy, or government organization of any country.

  ARMORED CAV

  A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with

  Jack Ryan Limited Partnership

  PRINTING HISTORY

  Berkley trade paperback edition / November 1994

  All rights reserved.

  This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by mimeograph

  or any other means, without permission. For information address:

  The Berkley Publishing Group, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc.,

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  eISBN : 978-1-101-00226-1

  BERKLEY®

  Berkley Books are published by

  The Berkley Publishing Group, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc.,

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  BERKLEY and the “B” design are trademarks of

  Berkley Publishing Corporation.

  http://us.penguingroup.com

  This book is dedicated to the troopers of the 11th and 14th Armored Cavalry Regiments. As the last of them stand down from their almost five-decade vigil over the Fulda Gap in Germany, they can take pride that they won their war without a shot having to be fired in anger. May they find, in life and beyond, the peace that they spent their lives forging and protecting for the rest of us. God bless, guys.

  The author gratefully acknowledges permission for use of the following photos and other materials:

  The United States Army; H. R. McMaster; Toby Martinez; AM General Corporation; BEI Defense Systems Company; Bell Helicopter-Textron, Inc.; Beretta USA Company; BMY; Boeing-Sikorsky; Colt’s Manufacturing Company; FMC Corporation; General Dynamics Land Systems; Loral Vought Systems; McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company; Oshkosh Truck Corporation; Sikorsky Aircraft; Trimble Navigation Ltd.; Hughes Missile Systems Company; John D. Gresham; all rights reserved.

  Acknowledgments

  Once again it is time to say thanks to all the people who really made this book a work to be proud of. At the start is my partner and researcher, John D. Gresham. Once again, he has literally traveled from coast to coast to assemble the wealth of material and experiences that are being presented for your enjoyment and enlightenment. His is a huge job with some deeply difficult tasks associated with it, and my best thanks go to him for his continued dedication and friendship. Also, the entire team has again benefited from the wise counsel and advice of series editor Professor Martin H. Greenberg. Laura Alpher is to be complimented again for her marvelous drawings which have added so much to the quality of the final book. This young lady is a major talent, so keep your eyes out for her work in the future. Tony Koltz, Mike Markowitz, and Chris Carlson also need to be recognized for their research and editorial support that was both critical and timely. A special note of appreciation goes to Greg Stewart for his fine photographic advice.Thanks also to Cindi Woodrum, Diana Patin, and Roselind Greenberg for their patience and support in backing the rest of us up as we went along digging out the bits and pieces of our little story.

  One thing that makes a book both fun and exciting to work on is support from on high, and this book was blessed with Army support that was, in a word, unbelievable. It is difficult to say thanks enough to the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, General Gordon Sullivan, U.S.A. This gentleman soldier, who looks like a kindly pet shop owner, is the driving force behind the technical revolutions that are currently being implemented in the Army. The Army and the country are blessed to have his leadership at this critical time in the history of our army. Also deserving special thanks is General Fred Franks, U.S.A., for his time and patience, as well as his friendship to all the members of our team. Thanks also to General Barry McCaffrey, U.S.A., and his wife, Jill, for sharing a special evening at their home with us. Down at Fort Hood, Texas, our appreciation goes out to my old friend, Lieutenant General Pete Taylor, U.S.A., and his replacement
, Lieutenant General “Butch” Funk, U.S.A. Out at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, there was Brigadier General Bob Coffey, U.S.A., who took time out of his busy schedule to show us the world’s finest ground warfare training center. Thanks also to Brigadier General Harold Wilson, U.S.A., Ph.D., the chief historian for the U.S. Army. Finally, there were three extraordinary young officers: Captains H. R. McMaster and Joseph Sartiano, and 1st Lieutenant Dan Miller, who shared their own Gulf War experiences with us. I think you will be as amazed as we were when you read them.

  Another group that was vital to our efforts, less well known but equally important, were the members of the various U.S. Army public affairs offices (PAOs) and protocol organizations that handled our numerous requests for visits and information. Tops on our list was Major Rick Thomas of the Pentagon PAO. Rick and his team helped grant virtually every wish for information and access that we had, and made the whole security review process a pleasure. Over in General Sullivan’s office, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Coffey, U.S.A., helped lay out the Army’s modernization plans. Out at Fort Irwin, California, Captains Franklin Childress and Len Tokar made our visit both memorable and livable in the incredible heat of September, 1993. Down at Fort Polk, Louisiana, Lieutenant Colonel Mike Trahan, U.S.A., as well as Dan Nance and Dave Bingham helped get the light cavalry story across to us. Down at TRADOC Headquarters, Colonel George Stinnett and Ray Harper worked miracles to support our efforts.

  Down at Fort Bliss, Texas, we had the honor of meeting as fine a group of warriors as you can imagine in the troopers of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Our first thanks go to the regimental commander, Colonel Robert Young, U.S.A. This lifelong cavalry trooper, who doubles as a peacekeeper and relief worker, is a man of amazing contrasts. Our thanks for sharing time out of the regiment’s training schedule to school us on the ways of the 3rd’s troopers. In addition, the regimental staff deserves some mention here. Command Sergeant Major Dennis E. Webster and the regimental executive officer, Lieutenant Colonel Luke Barnett, U.S.A., did a fine job of coordinating our visits to the regiment. And the regimental PAOs Captain Andy Vliet and 2nd Lieutenant Nichole Whitehead were fantastic in their tolerance and patience. We also want to recognize the assistance of the regiment’s various squadron commanders: Lieutenant Colonels Norman Greczyn, Karl J. Gunzelman, Gratton Sealock, and Thomas M. Hill. And of course, there were the extraordinary efforts of Lieutenant Colonel Toby W. Martinez, the commander of the regiment’s 1st (Tiger) Squadron. Toby is one of the best cavalry officers in the Army today. He tolerated having us there to watch his victories, his defeats, and his learning experiences. God bless, Toby.

  Many thanks are due to our various industrial partners, without whom all the information on the various weapons and systems would never have happened. At the armor manufacturers there was Carl Oskoian of General Dynamics, Ken Julian and Judy McIlvanie of BMY, as well as Bill Highlander and Madeleine Orr-Geiser of FMC. Among those at the helicopter builders were Russ Rumney at Bell, Jim Kagdis at Boeing-Sikorsky, Ken Jensen at McDonnell Douglas, and finally, Bill Tuttle and Foster Morgan of Sikorsky. The folks at the truck contractors were a wealth of data, with Walt Garlow and Lynn Jones at Oshkosh Truck, as well as the incomparable Craig MacNab at AM General, as standouts. We made many friends at the various missile, armament, and system manufacturers including: Natalie Riley at BEI, Russ Logan at Beretta USA, Cynthia Pulham at Boeing, Art Dalton and Brian Berger at Colt, Clementine Cacciacarro and Cheryl Wiencek at Hughes, Robert Clower at IDA, Tommy Wilson at Loral, Jody Wilson-Eudy at Motorola, Ed Alber at Olin, Jim Walker at Rockwell, Peter Jones of Tenebrex, and last, but certainly not least, Ed Rodemsky and Barbara Thomas of Trimble, who spent so much time and capital to educate us on the subtleties of the GPS system. Thanks to you all.

  Once again, our thanks for all of our help up in New York. To Robert Gottlieb at William Morris, thanks again for a great opportunity. And at Berkley Books, our appreciation goes out to our editor, John Talbot, as well as to Jacky Sach, Patty Benford, and David Shanks. To our friends like Ed Burba and Donn Starry, thanks again for your contributions and wisdom. To all the guys who took us for rides, thanks for teaching the heathens how things really work. For our families and friends, we once again thank you for having endured late dinners, broken promises, and missed holidays; please know that we love you always. And lastly, to the diminutive tank sergeant known as “Big Daddy,” we say “...Thanks for going armor!”

  Foreword

  “IF YOU AIN’T CAV, YOU AIN’T...” Frequently displayed in conspicuous places, that trenchant soldier slogan reflects the cavalry trooper’s perception of himself and his outfit. This splendid book is about those soldiers. Specifically it is about armored cavalry and about one armored cavalry regiment, the 3rd (known as the “Brave Rifles”), soon to be the last such organization on the active rolls of the U.S. Army—an army which in the not-too-distant past boasted five such active regiments, and among whose most effective unit performances in the Vietnam War were those of an armored cavalry regiment, the 11th (known as “The Blackhorse”). An army whose deployed armored cavalry regiments, the 2nd (“Toujours Prêt”) and the 3rd, were among the most effective in the Gulf War, and in which there is a rich tradition of outstanding cavalry units and famous senior leaders who served as younger officers in those units. In this book Tom Clancy describes better than anyone yet why cavalry is what it is—why it is different—and why the nation is likely to need more, not fewer, cavalry regiments as we probe tentatively toward the 21st century.

  Like all military units, modern armored cavalry is a unique combination of soldiers and equipment—but most of all, it’s the soldiers who are important. A persistent lesson of battle is that, however good the equipment, what wins an engagement is the combination of the courage of the soldiers, the excellence of the leadership, and the effectiveness of the training—individual and small-unit training in employment of the equipment according to well-thought-out and frequently practiced tactics and operational schemes. So it all goes together—tactics, equipment, training, and organization. All that is what this book is about: a special organization, its equipment, its soldiers, its leaders, and how it fights. It’s not just in cavalry units that all that goes together, for it does so in many units. But several characteristics of cavalry make that organization perhaps more “different” than other organizations. What are those characteristics?

  First are the traditional cavalry missions—reconnaissance and security. In other words you have to find an enemy force in order to inform a higher command; then you may have to take action to prevent that enemy force from interfering with friendly force battle plans. These historic cavalry missions demand great operational mobility, tactical agility, superb command and control, and a special ability to operate effectively over vast distances. Additionally, they require the ability to concentrate quickly to meet a threat or to take advantage of an opportunity. In sum, they require an ever-present need to seize the initiative. The history of battle teaches the importance of seizing the initiative. For whoever takes the initiative usually wins—regardless of who may outnumber or be outnumbered, or who attacks or defends. Cavalry missions require units organized and trained to take the initiative, all the time, from the very beginning, every time out.

  Second, cavalry organization is quite different. The need for mobility and agility, and for economy of force over vast distances, has caused modern cavalry to be organized around combined-arms teams at the lowest levels of command. Postwar armored cavalry units from the platoon level up consisted of a built-in mixture of scouts, infantry, tanks, and mortars for indirect fire support. Thus, an armored cavalry second lieutenant commands a full spectrum of combined-arms capabilities in his own little piece of the Army. With several such platoons, the cavalry troop commander can use the platoons as is, or he can group tanks, infantry, mortars, and scouts from all platoons in a combined-arms team at the troop level. In squadrons of armored cavalry regiments, a tank company
and a self-propelled artillery battery give squadron commanders yet a stronger combined-arms team. With three cavalry squadrons, an air cavalry squadron of scout and attack helicopters, combat engineer and chemical companies, and a combat support squadron providing organic logistics support, the regimental commander has a truly imposing independent combined-arms force. An armored division several times the size of such a regiment would be required to provide an equal capability. As we shall see in Tom Clancy’s account, with the advent of more complex weapons systems, levels at which combined arms are grouped have moved up from platoon to troop. But the result is the same—from their first day of duty cavalry leaders think combined-arms warfare. And that is a major reason why they are different, for battle experience teaches that the most difficult task to learn is the art—and it is an art—of knowing instinctively how to employ combined arms. Cavalry leaders are forced to do just that every day of their lives.

  In Tom Clancy’s book we meet two Persian Gulf War cavalry leaders who are masters of that art—one an armored corps commander, the other a cavalry troop commander. We learn that the corps commander, General Fred Franks, was once himself a cavalry platoon leader, later a squadron commander, and still later commander of a regiment, the 11th. The cavalry troop commander, Captain H. R. McMaster, Jr., began his own career as a second lieutenant in a cavalry unit. Each, at his own level, is a master of the art of combined-arms warfare.

  The outstanding battle record of armored cavalry in the Gulf War is an important part of Tom Clancy’s account, especially in the interviews with General Franks and Captain McMaster. It is well to remember the equally outstanding battle performance of armored cavalry in the Vietnam War, for there it was originally perceived that the nature of the war, the enemy, terrain, and climate would make it impossible to employ any armored units. Consequently, infantry divisions initially deployed to Vietnam without organic tank battalions and armored cavalry squadrons. But after some experience, the infantry commanders already in-country sent home for those units. With some misgivings, a regiment of cavalry, the 11th, was deployed to Southeast Asia. The misgivings proved unfounded. The 11th did very well. Other units were sent, and they also performed well. Later, a special task force sent to evaluate the performance of armored units in Vietnam concluded they were the most effective, certainly the most cost-effective, of the war. And when the war ended, cavalry units were among the last to redeploy home; they simply represented more combat power for the least investment in manpower that could be had.