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Old 05-09-2009, 03:43 AM
Abbott Shaull Abbott Shaull is offline
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I really don't think as many National Guard Divisional HQs, would of made it to Germany. Anything the members of these HQs would be sent as specialist replacements to Divisional HQs that were already on the ground.

As for re-flagging units, I don't really see this. Once you re-flag unit you take away any battle honor the unit may have won, and give them others they may not be due.

As for the cultural/language issue, yes, units that had been cross attached due to national interest would be returned as soon as possible. Yet, for many years they had existed in real life, due to the fact that many allies have dwindle their military force, even during the Cold War.

After 1998, most divisional and corps levels service would of started to migrate to Brigade levels. Let's face the facts, many operation conducted by the US Army since WWII, with the exception of those in Korea and Vietnam, many of them that required more than Brigade, but less than Corps were done piecemeal. A Brigade from this unit, and from that unit, and support from others would be cobbled together for Operations. Operation Just Cause is a good example, other are the cobbling together of 1st Cavalry, 24th Mechanized, and the Division drawn from Europe where Brigade and even Battalions of other Divisions were used to make complete Divisions.

Then again I had issue with the way they had deployed many Divisions from the US too. The 24th Mechanized Division would of probably went to Europe, even though it was/had been assigned as the heavy unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps, it had also been active in many exercise where it would deployed to Europe too. Then the 6th Light Infantry Division be drawn out of Alaska, in a time when war with the Soviet Union was being conducted and sent to Germany.

Also the 194th Armored and 197th Mechanized Brigades would have either sent personnel as replacements to Europe, or more likely, be used to stand up new Division at Benning and Knox. The 197th in real live, was used in Operation Desert Shield/Storm was assigned to the 24th Mechanized Division and after the war took over the duties of its National Guard round-out Brigade. The 194th probably would of served the same purpose to an element of the III Corps since most of those Divisions had round out Brigades.

With the III Corps is very interesting too. Two Divisions had forward deployed Brigade, and three Divisions had round out Brigades. All state side elements only had two combat brigades in the US, so two Division would be made full once they land. So leaving one Divisional HQ and it support units in the States to help build a new Division wouldn't be far fetch. It Brigades sent to Europe in place of the round-out Brigades that the other two Divisions of the Corps would be relying on. Using the 194th, 197th, and a brigade from the 24th, you could have all of the III Corps moved to Europe. There are lot of possibilities, and if you left the 24th at it base minus one Brigade sent to Europe to rebuild and hence it in the Middle East as canon.

Then lack of mention of the SEATF, granted be little more than over size Battalion, it was based in Italy at the outset of the war. If it stayed in Europe, was it attached to some other unit?

Just some thoughts.
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