Battlefield Surveillance Brigade - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Throughout the history of warfare, soldiers have needed to know who and where the enemy is. In order to address that need in the context of the 21st century threat, the army has planned for the creation and transformation of nine units, in 2007 to the Battlefield Surveillance Brigade format. The first Battlefield Surveillance Brigade (BfSB) was deployed the same year conducting Intelligence

Intelligence

Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....

, Surveillance

Special reconnaissance

Special reconnaissance is conducted by small units of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units or military intelligence organisations, who operate behind enemy lines, avoiding direct combat and detection by the enemy. As a role, SR is distinct from commando operations,...

, and Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....

operations.

However, gathering information is only half the challenge it faces. Along with the transformation of its structure and intelligence capabilities, the sustainment capabilities of the brigade also changed. The United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

is currently reorganizing its intelligence formations into Battlefield Surveillance Brigades (BfSB). The brigades are self-sufficient Army Modular Forces.

Mission

The Brigades are meant to improve situational awareness for commanders at division or higher so they can focus joint combat power in current operations while simultaneously preparing for future operations. The units have the tools to respond to the commanders needs from unmanned aerial vehicles to signals gathering equipment and human intelligence collectors

FM 34-52 Intelligence Interrogation

The US Army Field Manual on Interrogation, sometimes known by the military nomenclature FM 34-52, is a 177-page manual describing to military interrogators how to conduct effective interrogations while conforming with US and international law...

.
One of the major initiatives of the modernization plan involves migrating the Army from a division

Division (military)

A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...

-centric force designed to fight one or two potential major-theater

Theater (warfare)

In warfare, a theater, is defined as an area or place within which important military events occur or are progressing. The entirety of the air, land, and sea area that is or that may potentially become involved in war operations....

wars toward a modular, brigade

Brigade

A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...

-centric force that is expeditionary in nature and deployed continuously in different parts of the world.

Structure

The BfSB improves situational awareness for commanders at division or higher so they can focus joint combat power in current operations while simultaneously preparing for future operations. The units have the tools to respond to the commanders need from unmanned aerial vehicles to signals gathering equipment and human intelligence collectors

FM 34-52 Intelligence Interrogation

.

Each BfSB consists of a Headquarters and Headquarters Company

Headquarters and Headquarters Company

In United States Army units, a headquarters and headquarters company is a company sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher. In identifying a specific headquarters unit, it is usually referred to by its abbreviation as an HHC...

. Active units have two military intelligence

Military intelligence

Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....

battalions, while the Army National Guard

Army National Guard

Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...

BfSB's have one. Each brigade has a Reconnaissance & Surveillance Squadron

Reconnaissance & Surveillance Squadron

The Reconnaissance & Surveillance Squadron is a specialized unit within the US Army's new Battlefield Surveillance Brigade that blends ground Cavalry troops with an Elite Long Range Surveillance Airborne Infantry Company continuing the [US Army]'s march toward a modular force.The Reconnaissance &...

consisting of a headquarters troop, two ground troops (Troops A and B) and a Long Range Surveillance

Long Range Surveillance

Long Range Surveillance units are specially trained elite Surveillance units of the United States Army that are employed by Military Intelligence Units for gathering information from deep within hostile territories....

(LRS)

Long Range Surveillance

unit (Troop C); a signals company (Network Support Company, or NSC); a Forward Support Company (FSC) and, depending on the component, at least one military intelligence

Military intelligence

company (MI).

Transformation

Former units consisted of one active component and two inactive detachments, there are now both Active-duty and National Guard Surveillance Brigades, each having a specific Table of Organization and Equipment

Table of Organization and Equipment

A table of organization and equipment is a document published by the U.S. Department of Defense which prescribes the organization, staffing, and equippage of units. Also used in acronyms as 'T/O' and 'T/E'....

.

The changes made were all part of an Army-wide transition to the Army Modular Force, future-concept ("Grow The Army Plan" of modernization) proposed by US Army Chief of Staff General Peter Schoomaker

Peter Schoomaker

Peter Jan Schoomaker is a retired four-star general of the United States Army and served as the 35th Chief of Staff of the United States Army from August 1, 2003 to April 10, 2007. Schoomaker's appointment as Chief of Staff was unique in that he was recalled and came out from retirement to assume...

in 2007. The plan calls for ten Surveillance Brigades, three of which are active units: the 504th BfSB

504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade

The 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade is located at Fort Hood, Texas. The 504th BfSB was transformed from the 504th Military Intelligence Brigade in November 2008 becoming one of three active duty Surveillance Brigade of the United States Army...

at Fort Hood, Texas; the 525th BfSB at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and the 201st BfSB

201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade

The 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade is located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. The 201st BfSB was transformed from the 201st Military Intelligence Brigade on 3 July 2008, becoming the Army's third active duty Surveillance Brigade...

at Fort Lewis, Washington. The planned fourth active BfSB to have been stationed at Ft. Polk, Louisiana, had its activation cancelled. The remaining seven BfSB's are designated to the Army National Guard: the 58th BfSB from Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

, the 67th BFSB

67th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade

The 67th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade is a battlefield surveillance brigade of the Nebraska Army National Guard. It derives its lineage from the 67th Infantry Brigade , previously a component of the 35th Infantry Division...

from Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

, the 71st BfSB from Texas, the 142nd BfSB from Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

, the 219th BfSB

219th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade

The 219th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade is a Battlefield Surveillance Brigade in the US Army National Guard. It is part of the Indiana Army National Guard...

from Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, the 297th BfSB from Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

, and the 560th BfSB from Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, all of which are moving to the objective designs by the scheduled completion of the Grow The Army Plan by fiscal year 2013.

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