Strategic Army Corps

Last updated

Strategic Army Corps
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States of America
Branch United States Army
Motto(s)"Skilled, Tough. Ready Around the Clock."
Commanders
Notable
commanders		LTG Robert Frederick Sink
LTG Thomas J. H. Trapnell

The Strategic Army Corps (STRAC) was a command of the United States Army, with a mission of high readiness, active in the 1960s. In 1961 it was merged into the United States Strike Command (STRICOM). The word "STRAC" was also used to describe a well organized, well turned-out soldier or unit.

Contents

Background

STRAC was a designation given to the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 1958. The designation was, in reality, the assignment of an additional mission rather than a true designation. The additional mission was to provide a flexible strike capability that could deploy worldwide on short notice without declaration of an emergency. The 4th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington, Combat Command A of the 1st Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas, and the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, were designated as STRAC's first-line divisions, while the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas, and the 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg were to provide backup in the event of general war. The 5th Logistical Command (later reflagged as 1st Logistical Command), also at Fort Bragg, would provide the corps with logistics support, while Fort Bragg's XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery would control artillery units. [1]

Airlift assets were made available to U.S. forces based on the possible outbreak of a general war in Europe. In his paper, "Not War But Like War: The American Intervention in Lebanon", prepared for the Army Command and General Staff College's Combat Studies Institute, Roger J. Spiller notes: [1]

The Military Air Transport Service could deliver up to 188 million ton-miles of mobility under the general war scenario, and it was calculated that the Army's part would come to 80 million ton-miles of the total. From these figures, the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Major General Earle Wheeler, made the assumption that 'if the general war requirement could be met, it would seem likely that the limited war requirement of the Army could be met in most circumstances.'

Operations

Training included unidentified semi-annual maneuvers (Desert Strike, Swift Strike) with the 82nd and 101st Airborne held under the auspices of the XVIII and STRAC. [2] [3]

The 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment returned to the United States from Germany in February 1958, and was once again stationed at Fort Meade. The regiment became part of STRAC and, from 1958 to 1961, it was the recipient of four STRAC streamers, awarded for superior readiness and training. In reaction to the Berlin Crisis, the regiment redeployed to Germany in October 1961. Alerted for movement on 10 October, although scattered at different training sites along the Eastern Seaboard, the regiment arrived at its new duty stations of Baumholder and Kaiserslautern exactly thirty days later. [4]

STRAC and the XVIII Airborne Corps provided the Army forces to the Navy's CINCLANT as unified commander during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Flexible response

In September 1961, Fort Hood again became the home for the III Corps, and in February 1962, III Corps was assigned as part of the STRAC. [5]

In March 1962 the 2nd Infantry Division was designated as a Strategic Army Corps (STRAC) unit. Following this the Division became engaged in intensified combat training, tactical training, and field training exercises, in addition to special training designed to improve operational readiness.[ citation needed ]

Limitations

Although the STRAC mission was to provide an easily deployable force for use in a limited war or other emergency, its ability to deploy overseas was limited by airlift constraints. Without the declaration of a national emergency, the required lift assets would not be released to support a STRAC deployment. [1]

The Army faced problems with both the Air Force who would provide the expected transportation and from foreign governments for the expected use of their airspace and airports. [6]

Other definitions

STRAC is Army slang term for "a well organized, squared away soldier, (starched uniform, polished brass and spit-shined boots)"—a proud, competent trooper who can be depended on for good performance in any circumstance. The word was used both as a noun and an adjective [7] for a soldier whose gear was clean and tight; weapon clean and ready; mind clear, organized, and ready for action. S: skilled T: tough R: ready A: around the C: clock—STRAC. [8] [9] Another version defined the acronym as "Sharp Trooper, Ready Around the Clock". However, some soldiers joked it stood for "Shit! The Russians Are Coming!" [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">82nd Airborne Division</span> Active duty airborne infantry division of the US Army

The 82nd Airborne Division is an airborne infantry division of the United States Army specializing in parachute assault operations into hostile areas with a U.S. Department of Defense mandate to be "on-call to fight any time, anywhere" at "the knife's edge of technology and readiness." Primarily based at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, the 82nd Airborne Division is part of the XVIII Airborne Corps. The 82nd Airborne Division is the U.S. Army's most strategically mobile division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XVIII Airborne Corps</span> American military formation

The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America's Contingency Corps." Its headquarters are at Fort Liberty, North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">III Armored Corps</span> Major formation of the United States Army Forces Command

III Corps is a corps of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Cavazos, Texas. It is a major formation of the United States Army Forces Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Reserve</span> Reserve force of the United States Army

The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces.

The Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) is an inactive United States Department of Defense Joint Task Force. It was first envisioned as a three-division force in 1979 as the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF), a highly mobile rapid deployment force that could be rapidly moved to locations outside the normal overseas deployments in Europe and Korea. Its charter was expanded and greatly strengthened in 1980 as the RDJTF. It was inactivated in 1983, and re-organized as the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Johnson</span> US Army post near Leesville, LA

Fort Johnson, formerly Fort Polk, is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, about 10 miles (15 km) east of Leesville and 30 miles (50 km) north of DeRidder in Beauregard Parish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">325th Infantry Regiment (United States)</span> US Army unit

The 325th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. The regiment serves as the 82nd Airborne's light infantry parachute insertion fighting force of the United States Army, with a long and distinguished history, having taken part in World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, the invasions of Grenada and Panama, as well as the Gulf and Iraq Wars. The subordinate units of the regiment constitute the bulk of the infantry elements assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Stiner</span> United States Army general (1936–2022)

Carl Wade Stiner was a United States Army four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, United States Special Operations Command (USCINCSOC) from 1990 to 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Forces Command</span> United States Army command

The United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) is the largest United States Army command. It provides expeditionary, regionally engaged, campaign-capable land forces to combatant commanders. Headquartered at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, FORSCOM consists of more than 750,000 active Army, U.S. Army Reserve, and Army National Guard soldiers. FORSCOM was created on 1 July 1973 from the former Continental Army Command (CONARC), who in turn supplanted Army Field Forces and Army Ground Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)</span> Infantry brigade combat team of the United States Army

The 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ("Thunderbird") is a modular infantry brigade combat team of the United States Army headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. It is a part of the Oklahoma Army National Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reorganization plan of United States Army</span> Former United States Army modernization and reorganization plan

The reorganization plan of the United States Army was implemented from 2006 to 2016 under the direction of the Brigade Modernization Command. This effort formally began in 2006 when General Peter Schoomaker was given the support to move the Army from its Cold War divisional orientation to a full-spectrum capability with fully manned, equipped and trained brigades; this effort was completed by the end of 2016. It has been the most comprehensive reorganization since World War II and included modular combat brigades, support brigades, and command headquarters, as well as rebalancing the active and reserve components.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">18th Field Artillery Brigade</span> Military unit

The 18th Field Artillery Brigade is the XVIII Airborne Corps field artillery brigade, based at Fort Liberty, North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Structure of the United States Army</span>

The structure of the United States Army is complex, and can be interpreted in several different ways: active/reserve, operational/administrative, and branches/functional areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Chemical Battalion (United States)</span> Military unit

The 2nd Chemical Battalion is a United States Army chemical unit stationed at Fort Cavazos, Texas, United States, and is part of the 48th Chemical Brigade. The battalion can trace its lineage from the 30th Engineer Regiment and has served in World War I, World War II, Korean War, Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">58th Infantry Regiment (United States)</span> Military unit

The 58th Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army first established in 1917.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">172nd Infantry Regiment (United States, 1982-present)</span> Military unit

The 172nd Infantry Regiment is a Vermont Army National Guard infantry regiment which specializes in mountainous and cold weather operations. It falls under the command of the Vermont Army National Guard's 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain). Before the creation of the Infantry Brigade Combat Team in 2008, the regiment was recognized as the only conventional unit in the United States Army trained and equipped for mountain operations. The regiment draws heritage from the original 10th Mountain Division, which fought during World War II, both in the type of training they conduct and in the specialized equipment the unit maintains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">525th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade</span> Military unit

The 525th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade (Expeditionary) is a unit of the United States Army specializing in the acquisition and analysis of information with potential military value. On 28 October 2014, the unit was reflagged from the "525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade" to an expeditionary military intelligence brigade, the first of its kind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willard Burleson</span> U.S. Army general

Willard McKenzie Burleson III is a United States Army lieutenant general who serves as the Commanding General of the Eighth United States Army and the Chief of Staff of the ROK/US Combined Forces Command.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lieutenant Colonel Mark A. Olinger. "Airlift Operations During the Lebanon Crisis". Archived from the original on 29 July 2005.
  2. ↑ "August 2003 Motopool Messenger" (PDF). The Military Transport Association of North Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "Hard New Attack Is Made in the Carolina War Games". The New York Times. 13 August 1961. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "Old Bill" (PDF). hood.army.mil. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 February 2007.
  5. ↑ http://pao.hood.army.mil/Sub/Hood_History.htm [ permanent dead link ]
  6. ↑ p.240 O'Connell, Aaron B. Underdogs: The Making of the Modern Marine Corps Harvard University Press, 29 October 2012
  7. ↑ Powell, Colin & Persico, Joseph E A Soldier's Way: An Autobiography Random House, 31 July 2011
  8. ↑ p. 324 Taylor, E. Kelly America's Army and the Language of Grunts: Understanding the Army Lingo Legacy AuthorHouse, 12/11/2009
  9. ↑ p.137 McVey, Alton Dancing With the Bear AuthorHouse, 12/09/2009
  10. ↑ p. 52 Langford, Martha & Langford, John A Cold War Tourist and His Camera McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP, 27 January 2011
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.