Departing from past practice, the Defense Department decided to reorganize the reserve divisions concurrently with the Regular Army's conversion to ROAD. Immediately the old question arose about the number of divisions needed in the reserves to meet mobilization requirements. Studies after the pentomic reorganization suggested that the Army needed forty-three divisions, including twenty-nine in the reserves. The new numbers gave the Army a surplus of eight reserve divisions, but Army leaders also wanted more separate brigades to add flexibility to the force. Late in 1962 the Defense Department approved reorganizing reserve units under ROAD.[1]
Following the Defense Department's guidance, the Army Staff decided to retain one Army Reserve division in each of the six Army areas and to eliminate four divisions. Army commanders selected the 63d, 77th, 81st, 83d, 90th, and 102d Infantry Divisions for retention and reorganized them under ROAD by the end of April 1963, Each division had two tank and six infantry battalions. With the elimination of the 79th, 94th, 96th, and 103d Infantry Divisions, the Army decided to retain their headquarters as a way to preserve spaces for general and field grade officers. It reorganized the units as operational headquarters (subsequently called command headquarters [division]) and directed them to supervise the training of combat and support units located in the former divisional areas and to provide for their administrative support, If an extensive mobilization were to occur, the staff believed that these units could become the nuclei for new divisions.[2]
In December 1962 Secretary Vance asked the states and territories to accept a new National Guard troop allotment containing 23 divisions (6 armored and 17 infantry). The Army Staff initially planned to mechanize two of the seventeen infantry divisions, but shortages of equipment forced their retention as standard infantry organizations. Somewhat reluctantly, the governors accepted the new troop basis. By 1 May 1963 the states completed the reorganization, a month ahead of schedule, with the infantry divisions having two tank and six infantry battalions and the armored divisions controlling five tank and four mechanized infantry battalions.[3]
Because of equipment shortages each National Guard infantry division lacked its full ROAD base. The states were allowed to omit two company-size units in each division base from the following menu: an airmobile company in the aviation battalion, an air cavalry troop in the reconnaissance squadron, or the Honest John battery in the composite artillery battalion. They chose not to organize a total of 16 air cavalry troops, 13 airmobile companies, and 5 Honest John batteries.[4]
In planning the ROAD reorganization, the Army Staff determined that the Regular Army needed one airborne and five infantry brigades for unique missions not appropriate for a division. The airborne brigade was to replace the battle group on Okinawa, thus significantly increasing the forces there, and the infantry brigades were to serve in Berlin, Alaska, the Canal Zone, and the United States. No fixed combination of maneuver elements was established for the brigades, which were, instead, to be tailored for their special missions.[5]
- ↑ Army News Service, "Reorganization of Army Forces," Release No, 4, 9 Jan 63, Division General file, DAMH-HSO: Memo, OCofS for DCofS and other addresses, 9 Sep 61, sub: Review of Plan to Reorganize and Realign the Reserve Components of the Army, 326 (9 Sep 61), Memo, ACofS for Reserve Components (ACSRC) for CofS, 13 Dec 61, sub: White House Briefing, ACSRC-OT-M&P (Organization and Training-Mobilization and Personnel), Ltr, Under SA to F. Edward Hebert, 20 Jun 62, no subject, all Army Reserve file. DAMH-HSO.
- ↑ Army News Service, "Army Announces Plans for Reorganization of Reserve Components," Release Number 29, 5 Apr 62. and Msg 922374, Chief of Information, DA to, CG, CONARC, and other addresses, 040007Z Dec 62, no subject, both Army Reserve file, DAMH-HSO; Ltr, TAG to CGs, CONARC, and First U.S. Army, 25 Mar 63, sub: Reorganization of the 77th Infantry Division Under ROAD, AGAO-O (M) (18 Mar 63) OCAR, Ltr, TAG to CGs, CONARG, and Second U.S. Army, 27 Mar 63, sub: Reorganization of the 83d Infantry Division Under ROAD, AGAO-O (M) (18 Mar 63) OCAR, Ltr, TAG to CGs, CONARC, and Third U.S. Army, 26 Mar 93, sub: Reorganization of 81st Infantry Division Under ROAD, AGAO-O (M) (18 Mar 63) OCAR, Ltr, TAG to CGs, CONARC, and other addresses, 22 Mar 63, sub: Reorganization of the 90th Infantry Division Under ROAD, AGAO-O (M) (18 Mar 63) OCAR, Ltr, TAG to CGs, CONARC, and Fifth U.S. Army, 26 Mar 63, sub: Reorganization of the 102d Infantry Division Under ROAD, AGAO-O (M) (18 Mar 63) OCAR, Ltr, TAG to CGs, CONARC, and Sixth U.S. Army, 27 Mar 63, sub: Reorganization of 63d Infantry Division Under ROAD, AGAO-O (M) (18 Mar 63) OCAR, all AG Reference files, DAMH-HSO; "DA Publishes Details on Reorganization of the Army Reserve," Army Reservist 9 (Mar 1963): 6–10; TOE 29–701T, Command Headquarters, Divisional, 1963; Wilson. Armies, Corps, Divisions, and Separate Brigades, pp. 436, 523, 534; GO 1, XIV U.S. Army Corps, 1963, 103d Inf Div file, DAMH-HSO; "Cross of Lorraine Division 79th Command HQ (Div)." Army Reserve Magazine 11 (Nov 1965): 4–5.
- ↑ "The Guard Goes ROAD," National Guardsman 17 (Feb 1963): 24; News Release No. 665–63, "Army Reserve Components Complete Reorganization," 10 May 63, Army Reserve file, DAMH-HSO; Annual Report of the Chief, National Guard Bureau, FY 1963, p. 27.
- ↑ "The Guard Goes ROAD," pp, 2–4; see notes based on NG letters, 1963, copies in author files.
- ↑ Memo, CofS for SA, 15 Aug 62, sub: Schedule for Conversion of Army Divisions to ROAD, 15 Aug 62, Army News Service. ROAD Reorganization of Army Forces, 9 Jan 63, Army News Service, Reorganization of Army Divisions Begins this Month at Fort Benning, Release No. 8, 22 Jan 63, all Division General file, DAMH-HSO,
