(SANITIZED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-23-5-26-2
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: October 5, 2010
• Sequence Number: 26
• Publication Date: May 19, 1972
• Content Type: MEMO

MORI/CDF
C03316297
pages 1-6
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ARMY, OSD, NSS reviews completed.]
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MEMORANDUM
SECRET/NOFORN
MEMORANDUM FOR DR. KISSINGER
FROM: Phil Odeen itr/
SUBJECT: Services' Responses to NSDM 133
and Army Manpower
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
4376
Deputy Secretary Rush has written a letter (Tab B) to:
-- update you on Army reorganization plans for Europe which
were recently approved for implementation,
-- mention NSDM 133 actions of the other services,
-- describe Army manpower problems.
Army Reorjanization in Europe
The material discussed below draws on the Rush letter and additional
information we were able to obtain on the current USAREUR reorganiza-
tion. This effort is in response to NSDM 133 which directed DOD to
look for ways to convert non-combat spaces to combat manpower.
The restructuring plan involves a total of about 8000 spaces and will
take place over a 2-1/2 year period., The plan is summarized
following table:
Army Response to NSDM 133
in the
Added
Replacement of HONEST JOHN
and SERGEANT Missile
Removed
Battalions by LANCE Battalions
-3775
+2538
Support and Headquarters Reduction
-4263
New Combat Capability
+3341
Internal Management Improvements
(e.g., Military Police, Drug
Control, Volunteer Army Promotion)
+2159
-8038
+8038
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SECRET /NOFORN
The replacement of HONEST JOHN and SERGEANT missile systems with
LANCE is an improvement that has been programmed for some time.
It was known that the upgrading would permit fewer missiles and personnel
to carry out the theater missile role. The inactivation of three divisional
HONEST JOHN battalions was, however, accelerated. The spaces involved
in the LANCE conversion are as follows:
Reduced
Added
Five Divisional HONEST JOHN Battalions
-1215
Two Corps SERGEANT Battalions
-1168
Four Corps HONEST JOHN Battalions
-1392
Six LANCE Battalions
+2538
TOTALS
-3775
+2538
The streamlining of support and headquarters functions in order to provide
new combat capability is directly responsive to NSDM 133.
breakdown of these support cuts follows:
1) Inactivate three major headquarters* and reduce
A detailed
HQ US.AREUR and 7th Army
-694
2)
Reorganize supply and maintenance concept
-718
3)
Reorganize aviation maintenance
-611
4)
Implement depot complexing
-488
5)
Inactivate/reorganize POL units
-170
6)
Inactivate/reorganize medical units
-432
7)
Reorganize 7th Signal Brigade
-636
8)
Phasedown computer management
-108
9)
Reorganize Combat Equipment Group
-318
10)
Reorganize 66th Military Intelligence Group
- 88
TOTAL:
-4263
About 61 percent of the spaces made available in this reorganization were
used to improve conventional combat capabilities, as shown below:
1) Two tank battalions
2) Airborne battalion combat team
3) Conversion of 105 mm artillery battalion
to a 155 mm battalion
+1142
+1048
+ 91
* HQ USARE UR and 7th Army Combat Support Command; HQ Materiel
Com-man:1; I Ai 4- r r Command.
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4) Chaparral/Vulcan battalion
5) Two attack helicopter companies
+ 640
+ 420
TOTAL +3341
The combat augmentations were designed in accord with NSDM 133 and
NATO agreed AD-70 (force improvement) goals. For example, U.S.
armor/anti-armor capabilities are enhanced, a prime force improve-
ment goal. Also an airborne battalion combat team is established to
serve as the U.S. element of the ACE Mobile Land Force. It will be
located in Italy so that it could also be available for use in Mediterranean
and Middle East contingencies. These missions are currently assigned
to divisions in the Seventh Army. The formation of the airborne unit
will free all of the combat power of Seventh Army for use in the Center
Region.
The remainder of the spaces made available, either through trimming
headquarters and support or conversion to LANCE, are to be allocated
to priority internal management tasks such as military police, drug
control, promotion of the Volunteer Army, and support adjustments to
accommodate the combat force improvements. The spaces are allocated
as follows:
1) Military Police +1148
2) Professional Army (e.g., drug control,
IG's, Equal Employment) + 184
3) US Army Southern European Task Force
Support for SASCOM and Airborne + 115
battalion combat team
4) Southern European Task Force Signal Units + 93
5) Conventional Ammunition Group + 619
TOTAL +2159
Secretary Laird informed NATO at the Ma'i Defense Planning Committee
meeting of the conventional combat force improvements by the U.S. Army
and the conversion of HONEST JOHN/SERGEANT to LANCE. Other aspects
of the reorganization will probably not be discussed generally with the
Allies since they are internal in nature.
Other NSDM 133 Activities
The Army has made a modest but reuectable response to the guidance of
NSDM 133; the Air Force and Navy have done nothing significant to date.
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a.
The Air Force recently reduced 3rd, 16th, and 17th Air Force Head-
quarters personnel by a token 235 spaces in total. Some additional
Air Force reductions may be made in connection with plans for the FRG
to take over some aircraft control functions and radar warning sites in
Germany. The manpower savings will be used to deploy a squadron
of 30 OV-10 aircraft to Europe as airborne forward air controllers.
There are no Naval reductions in sight, largely due to the plans for
Mediterranean horneporting. Only three hundred support spaces have
been trimmed(from the Naval Security Group in Morocco). The Navy
has, however, increased the number of ships, their operating days,
the number of aircraft and their operating hours without increasing its
European support base.
Army Manpower Problem
The Army forces worldwide are now understrength by about 35,000
trained personnel. This was due to the underestimate of response to
an early release program established to meet Congressional manpower
ceilings. Overall there are now four unmanned brigades within the
thirteen division force structure. The Army expects to have only one
unmanned brigade by December, and by the end of FY 73 they expect
to have all thirteen divisions at authorized levels.
Current DOD estimates are that at the present time Army forces in
Europe are short of authorized levels by about 13,000 (about 7 percent
down) and division forces in the U.S. under strength by about 21,000
(about 13 percent down).
The Army has given European replacement requirements higher priority
and expects to be within about 4 percent of authorized strength in Europe
by the end of July.
RECOMMENDATION
That you sign the letter at Tab A to Rush thanking him for this infor-
mation.
SECRET /NOFORN
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SECRET
Dear Ken:
THE WHITE HOUSE
The information on NSDM 133 follow-on actions and Army
manpower problems is appreciated. The Army reorganization
plan appears to be a realistic step toward improving our con-
ventional capability in Europe. Actions which enable us to
provide more combat capability within existing manpower level
are definitely responsive to the President's guidance.
The steps being taken by the other Services' response t SDM
133 were, perhaps unavoidably, sketchy. I would bk to have
details of Air Force and Navy plans, as well as an additional
Army steps, as soon as they are developed.
I also appreciate your providing me an update on the Army
manpower difficulties. Please keep me inf med on progress
toward correcting the current shortfalls i Army manpower.
The prompt corrective measures for Eu pean manpower levels
are especially critical at this juncture, s I am sure you are
well aware.
Warm regards,
Henry A. Kissinger
The Honorable Kenneth Rush
Deputy Secretary of Defense
Washington, D. C. 20301
SECRET
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SECRET w 4174
THE DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
WASHINGTON 25, D.C.
2 3 MAY 1972
Dr..:Henry Kissinger
Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
The White House
Washington, D. C. 20501
Dear Henr :
Our NSDM 133 follow-on actions continue; this letter will update
the President and you on a recent Army organizational plan for
Europe which I approved for implementation, as well as on-going
NSDM 133 activities of the other Services. This letter also
describes some current Army manpower problems.
During the next fiscal year, the Army will make some significant
management adjustments to our ground force structure in Europe.
These adjustments will shift about 3,400 manpower spaces from head-
quarters and support units to additional tank, air defense, and
airborne units, thereby improving our conventional combat capability
in Europe. No increase in our total European ground force authori-
zation is required. I have enclosed a summary sheet which provides
additional details on this improvement program called Project Fender.
As you know, the Army will be phasing out its Honest John and Sergeant
nuclear artillery battalions in Europe during the next three years
and replacing them with Lance units. To ease some stationing and
base facility problems associated with Project Fender, we plan to
accelerate the inactivation of some of the Honest John and Sergeant
battalions. This will result in a temporary reduction in the number
of launchers until the Lance replacements are in position. However,
we plan no reduction of nuclear warheads during this period; all of
the warheads will be available for delivery by the remaining launchers.
After a careful study, we see no particular problems with these ad-
justments to the nuclear artillery replacement schedule from either
a military or political point of view. There will be a total man-
power savings of about 1,240 spaces during a three year period due to
phase-in of Lance. Additionally, we are making some internal manage-
m(1,nt adjustments in our ground forces support structure in Europe.
The Army will reprogram manpower spaces released in Luse adju,3Lment,
to satisfy essential support requirements.
2
41 SECRET D'C'n
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111, SECRET mir
Secretary Laird plans to tell the Allies of this improvement to our
conventional capability during the DPC meeting in Brussels on 24 May.
He will point out that the President is carrying out his pledge to
maintain and improve our force capabilities given a similar effort
by our Allies. Secretary Rogers' staff has been fully consulted on
all aspects of this reorganization. Helmut Schmidt and his staff will
be fully briefed on the plan before the DPC but we will not make a
public release on Project Fender until after the May Ministerial.
The Army has made a good start toward meeting both the President's ob-
jective outlined in NSDM 133 and the NATO's AD 70 goals. As you know,
we recently reduced our numbered Air Force Headquarters. This has allowed
us to consolidate some of our communications services, and we have made
other changes to convert Air Force support personnel to combat roles.
We are working with the FRG on plans for them to take over aircraft
control and warning sites in Germany. We will use the manpower
savings to develop a tactical air control system and to deploy a
squadron of 30 OV-10 aircraft to Europe for airborne forward air
controllers. The Navy has increased the number of ships, their operat-
ing days, the number of aircraft and their operating hours without
increasing its support base in Europe. We will homeport additional
ships, submarines, and a carrier task force in European waters. These
moves require some increase in naval manpower in Europe, but over three
hundred spaces are derived from better utilization of Navy forces al-
ready in Europe.
The Army's NSDM 133 actions will be implemented during FY 73. By this
time, we also expect to have corrected a shortage we are now experiencing
in Army manpower. Army forces worldwide are now understrength by
about 35,000 trained people due principally to early release of first-
term soldiers. The early release programs were implemented to reduce
Army strength to the level imposed by Congress. However, the response
to the programs was greater than anticipated and significant shortages
developed in our CONUS and European ground forces. As a corrective
action, the early release programs were stopped (with a few exceptions)
on the 18th of May. We now expect that by the end of May Army forces
in Europe will be about 13,000 under authorized levels (about 7% down),
and division forces in the United States will be about 21,000 under
strength (about 13% down). The Army has increased the European priority
for replacements and plans to be within about 4% of authorized strength
in Europe by the end of July. Overall, we now have four unmanned
brigades within our thirteen division force structure. The Army re-
ports that they will have only one brigade unmanned by December; by
the end of FY 73 they project all 13 divisions at authorized levels.
The Army's NSDM 133 actions described herein should have little or no
effect on th. r currnl. maripor plobiLto or its rusoluLion.
SECRET
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Ul?VitL. I Mr
We are encouraging all of the Services to redouble their efforts to
-develop more combat power within present force ceilings. We will keep
the President and you informed of our continuing effort to improve
our force structure and combat posture.
Sincerel
Kenneth Rush
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