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Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin, Oct-Dec, 2004 by Peter A. Shaver

New Cavalry Leaders Course Is For MI Personnel Too

The challenges of the U.S. Army's modular force redesign are upon us, and we are addressing the necessary changes with the grim, professional determination of an Army at war. Our Army's efforts to make Units of Action (UAs) a reality have demanded some fundamental shifts in our thinking about how we organize brigade combat teams (BCTs) and how we expect them to fight. This Army reexamination has not spared the role of the Cavalry. One of the latest efforts to ensure the Officer Education System at Fort Knox, Kentucky, remains current and relevant is the U.S. Army Armor Center and School's recent redesign of the Cavalry Leaders Course (CLC).

As we change our force structure, so must we also reconfigure our assumptions about who should attend the Cavalry Leaders Course. The combined arms philosophy that underpins the logic behind creating these UAs demands that all officers, regardless of branch, who are assigned to the BCT (UA) planning staffs or assigned to the reconnaissance squadrons within these brigades, should understand Reconnaissance and Security Operations. Leaders who attend CLC will gain in-depth knowledge of reconnaissance and security as applied to the new reconnaissance squadrons found in the Heavy BCTs (HBCTs), Infantry BCTs (IBCTs), and Stryker BCTs (SBCTs). The CLC accomplishes its learning objectives through challenging practical exercises that test and hone the students' understanding of the latest doctrine; tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP); organizations; missions; and capabilities and limitations of reconnaissance squadrons and reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA).

The Armor School encourages CLC enrollment for all Armor officers as well as those leaders serving in the Infantry, Field Artillery, Engineers, Aviation, Military Intelligence, and Signal Corps branches assigned as planners or commanders of RSTA or Cavalry organizations within these new UAs. All those in the above branches should seriously consider attending CLC to prepare for their assignments to or in support of RSTA and Cavalry organizations. Attendance at CLC is currently open to graduates of any officer career course in the grades of First Lieutenant (Promotable) through Major in both the Active and Reserve Components with the assignments mentioned above. MI noncommissioned officers in the ranks of E-8 and above who may find themselves either assigned to positions inside RSTA or Cavalry units or assigned to work on planning staffs inside the new UA BCTs may also attend the CLC.

The updated CLC is 15 academic days in length with 36 students per class. Upcoming course dates for fiscal year 2005 are:

* Class 05-03:4 through 22 April 2005.

* Class 05-04:31 May through 17 June 2005.

* Class 05-05:1 through 19 August 2005.

* Class 05-06:29 August through 16 September 2005.

Enrollment is available through the Army Training Requirements and Resource System (ATRRS); the ATRRS website is at https://www.atrrs.army.mil/. Information on specific blocks of instruction, read-ahead materials, reporting and inprocessing, clearance requirements, etc., is available at http://www.knox.army.mil/school/16cav/ studentinfo.asp (click on "Cav Leader (CLC)").