A horse of a different color: the maneuver enhancement brigade

Engineer: The Professional Bulletin for Army Engineers, July-Sept, 2005 by Christopher J. Toomey

As our Army becomes a more modular force, it will no longer be tied to a divisional structure and can assemble a force based on the situation. Indeed, it is clear that the Army is moving rapidly to transform the existing divisional brigade combat teams (BCTs) into the new structures and creating new ones such as the "4th BCT" in several divisions. The current main effort is on developing units of action (UAs)--heavy, infantry, and Stryker BCTs that are stand-alone organizations purportedly tailored to the way they fight--with a nod toward the flexible two- and three-star-level units of employment (UEx) that will serve as the primary warfighting headquarters.

Across the rest of the Army, elements are also transforming to support this more modular approach by creating support brigades that are essential to the success of the force. What was formerly their division or corps predecessors are rapidly becoming sustainment brigades (division support commands/corps support groups), fire brigades (division/corps artillery brigades) or aviation brigades (division/corps aviation brigades). These support brigades--though more flexible and modernized and equipped with more robust command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR)--are in character the same as their ancestor units.

There is one support UA, however, that is truly groundbreaking. It not only has no formal antecedent--it really is a horse of a different color--but it looks to bring to the forefront the application of freedom of action and force protection as disciplines that not only have a unique jurisdiction demanding a unique expertise but clearly recognize the evolving nature of warfare as we move from an Army based on a linear model to one adept at working in a nonlinear, noncontiguous environment that also includes the simultaneous conduct of decisive, stability, and support operations. The maneuver enhancement brigade (MEB)--currently being developed in concept by the United States Army Maneuver Support Center, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and on the ground at Fort Lewis, Washington with the provisional 555th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (formerly the 555th Combat Engineer Group)--will provide the UEx, joint force, or mulinational commander with a tailored, flexible, versatile force that is adept at fusing the elements of freedom of action and force protection, thus minimizing seams arising through stove pipe approaches and providing a linkage to the emerging Protection Joint Functional Concept. Additionally, it can fill a role as a force provider for nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC); air defense; military police; and engineer assets, as well as a rear area command when properly augmented.

Characteristics

The MEB is a tailored, combined arms force. Aside from its headquarters element and the organic communications and logistics elements that form the basis for commanding, controlling, and supporting the brigade, the MEB is a mission, enemy, terrain and weather, troops and support available, time available, and civil considerations (METT-TC)--dependent organization. It leverages emerging modular principles and the "plug-and-play" nature of developing forces to apply the right force for the mission. Typically, but not exclusively, the MEB is composed of engineer, military police, chemical, air defense, civil affairs, and other units that routinely function together during protection, stability, and support operations. As necessary, the situation may dictate the assignment of maneuver or other types of units to the MEB. These forces may or may not be part of the MEB at home station, but will be assigned as necessary. For example, at Fort Lewis, the 555th includes a chemical decontamination battalion, a corps wheeled combat engineer battalion, and a combat heavy engineer battalion, as well as potentially some other units, to include an air defense artillery battalion. This presents some challenges since the cohesiveness found in the more fixed BCT organizations is not currently inherent in the MEB; the MEB will need to develop the procedures to rapidly and effectively integrate units from across all Army components.

The MEB is a networked force. Expected to operate over long distances and throughout an expanded battle-space, the MEB will have robust C4ISR in order to ensure seamless horizontal and vertical integration and full situational understanding.

The MEB is joint in nature. The MEB fills a void that is not unique to Army forces and represents an exclusive joint capability that is not found among the other services that are oriented along more functional lines. Clearly, the MEB can operate within a joint task force and is ideal in the event of stability and support operations.

Forming the Provisional MEB

The 555th and Fort Lewis were a logical choice for the initial MEB. Clearly, Fort Lewis is an installation that is developing a culture of transformation. With two Stryker BCTs already formed and the Stryker-based 2d Cavalry Regiment in transition, the community at Fort Lewis is emerging as a place with well-defined business practices to manage change. This includes exigent facilities such as the Mission Support Training Facility, a great resource for training and supporting staffs and units. Recently redeployed from Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 555th task organization represented a mix of engineer and chemical units that was inherently geared toward maneuver enhancement. Indeed, while operating with the 4th Infantry Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 555th provided maneuver support and force protection for the division and operated along many of the same lines expected of an MEB. Additionally, the great diversity of echelon-above-division units at Fort Lewis provided a pool of units to draw from in developing the MEB.