Aircraft/Armor Surplus Storage

[Olefin]

Originally Posted by dragoon500ly

One little thing about the training divisions, they are not equipped with battalions of equipment, they use NG equipment to train on, for the most part, and if activated, they would assume the training equipment left with the service schools.

I'm the first to admit, I have a lot of issues with the canon order of battle, but they were fairly correct in one aspect, the training divisions would have gone into action as either weak infantry/light infantry divisions, with nothing heavier than mothballed artillery, early generation AT weapons, and whatever small arms that could be scrounged to supplement issued weapons.

Actually the 100th had two brigades that were designated as training units specifically for armor and cavalry troops and was specifically assigned M1 tanks and Bradley APC's - enough to form at least two full battalions from what I have found and possibly three. I could see most of the others lacking armor but they are the one group that would have had at least a decent amount at the start - which could explain why they still have tanks in 2000. If there is one of the training divisions that needs to be updated to show it having tanks and APC's at the start I would say its the 100th. Now I could see the 100th getting its M1's and Bradley's replaced with M60A4's and M113's as the newer equipment was needed to be sent to Europe and Korea and the Middle East.

Also keep in mind that the USAR training units had first rate NCO's and officers as well. And they would have definitely had regular army small arms, mortars and machine guns to go around - they are training units after all and its hard to train men in how to be soldiers without weapons.

The question what was their training function and did they train them for combat operations? One thing to look at with the training units is what their assignments actually were - i.e. the ones that were training for combat would have definitely had a better record in the field than units that were training support units.

For instance the 85th was a logistics training unit - not a combat training unit like the 100th. And its record in the Twilight War reflects that - i.e. it almost got wiped out by the Texian Legion. Whereas the 100th did pretty good and by 2000 is actually the unit that is guarding one of the most important areas that MilGov has left.

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by Olefin

Now I could see the 100th getting its M1's and Bradley's replaced with M60A4's and M113's as the newer equipment was needed to be sent to Europe and Korea and the Middle East.

It's conceivable they didn't even have vehicles that new given the hodge podge of vehicles such as the Stingray, Peacekeepers and Commandos which were requisitioned and pressed into combat service. M48's and other 1950's vehicles could well have made up the bulk of their armoured strength in the beginning, along with the 4 M60A3s, 1 M1 and 1 M1A1 listed in the vehicle books. The older equipment may have been lost in combat, broken down, or even been reallocated to neighbouring units leaving just the 6 tanks listed (which were likely all that was left of the modern training vehicles, or too worn out to send overseas - trainees tend to be rather hard on equipment).

[Olefin]

Given the fact that they drove into Texas and are the strategic reserve now for MilGov I am betting that they had pretty good armor but not a lot of it when the division was formed up for combat - probably a battalion of mixed tanks which explains what they have left - could easily see them starting with a mix of a company of M1 tanks (both M1 and M1A1 models that were training tanks with higher miles and thus ones that might have been left behind) as well as replacement M60A4's to bring them back up to strength along with the cav vehicles they would have had as well.

And actually they would have been in a good position to keep going what they had - one of their training functions was in maintenance of the tanks.

Again this doesnt apply to all the training units - but for the 100th an addition of a couple of cav battalions (armed with older equipment) and an armored battalion (with a mixed bag of tanks) would definitely be appropriate given their assignment.

And one thing that is actually surprising is that you dont see the M48 or older versions of the M60 showing up in many of the stateside units - there were stockpiles of them still and they are the perfect tanks to have never been issued to units heading out to take on top of the line Soviet equipment and thus ones you would see in things like the rebuilt 40th Mechanized.

[Louied]

Slightly OT.........while researching the CAPSTONE program CMH sent me a document entitled "Army Command and Control Study 82". Apparently each ARCOM had a post-mobilization mission to command certain installations. What I found interesting is that five ARCOMs would have formed new combat divisions...."ARCOM will be prepared after M+4 months to form base for new combat division".......these were:

96th ARCOM @ Ft, Carson, CO
90th ARCOM @ Ft. Chaffee, AR
77th ARCOM @ Ft. Drum, NY
79th ARCOM @ Ft. Indiantown Gap, PA
63rd ARCOM @ Ft. Irwin, CA