Organizational hierarchy of where documents originated

[Deering, Brian R.]

Captain,

 

I'm unsure of the vernacular and of the organizational structure of the military enterprise. There are armies, divisions, battalions, platoons, companies, regiments and such stuff but I don't know how they all fit together. I'm assuming that the records we seek are filed according to that hierarchy. So, could you do me the favor of listing the hierarchy form within which these records were produced, as near as you can recall. It might be really useful to be able to include this with my request for records.

 

NARA does not 'pull' records on Saturday. The pull records for Saturday users late on Fridays. If I do not request the correct records on July 20 it will be another month before I can return again. If I request the correct records for the 21st hopefully I can return in August and complete my task!!

 

I have set aside July 21 to travel to College Park, MD and have a look see at what's available and the level of effort required to capture them. My oldest son, Justin, is going with me to assist and I have a high resolution digital camera that I can take with me as well. I'm excited!

 

 

---

From: Bergerson Fred [mailto:fberg...@whittier.edu]
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2007 3:36 PM
To: Deering, Brian R.
Subject: RE: Update - Communications!

Brian, by the way this stuff may be listed under the 191 st military intelligence detachment, both intsums and morning report if not under the g-2 of the 1st cav.

Best,

Fred

 

 

[Bergerson Fred]

Dear Brian,

 

Did you receive my last two e-mails? I have a new computer and I want to make sure that it’s working.

 

The documents I referred to in my last e-mail were the Intsums (intelligence summaries) and the morning reports.

 

As I understood the index, things are listed under the J-2. Two is the staff function of Intelligence. There are J-2’s at the Pentagon level (Joint); S-2’s at the battalion level; and Brigade, regiment, division, corps, and Army intel staffers are G-2. The Army organization looks something like this.

 

Unified and Specified Commands

Army Group (150,000+)

Army (100-200,000)

Corps (25-70,000)

Division (10-20,000)

Brigade or Regiment (2,500-4,000)

Battalion (Squadron) (500-800)

Company (Troop) (125-200)

Platoon (40ish)

Squad (10ish)

Fire team (5ish)

 

A division has between ten and twenty thousand  people. The big organizations have staff organizations headed by people who aren’t exactly commanders. In the Cav, the division intelligence operation was headed by a full Colonel and was comprised of: order of battle, counterintelligence, interrogation of prisoners of war, photo interpretation, secreter stuff, and odds and ends. The heads of these sections were usually Captains and were designated “Chief of”. I headed order of battle, after a stint in counterintelligence.

 

Most of the people who worked for the G-2 belonged to a unit with a commanding officer, a Major. That was the 191^st military intelligence detachment, a roughly Company sized unit of about two hundred minus. My order of battle guys, after gathering information, produced the intelligence that went into the intsums. The lieutenant who wrote them was in the G-2 section and belonged to the 191^st MID, but did not report to me. Some other oddities: there was a G-2 plans subsection made up of briefers who were not MI but worked for the G-2 in my tent; the 191^st MI had its own little headquarters where administrative functions were performed. I think this was the 191^st headquarters and not the G-2’s because I don’t think the G-2 had a headquarters, but I could be wrong. All the staff functions were technically a part of the Division headquarters. The morning reports I hope came out of the 191^st (G-2?) headquarters, rather than the Division headquarters, I think.

 

I’m glad you’re brilliant because when I describe it, it seems pretty damn arcane for dealing with two hundred intel types.

 

I just got you’re note saying you got my first e-mail. Good, or as we say in the Army, “real fine.”

Write me if you have any more questions. The morning reports are less significant than the intsums at this point. So, if time is pressing, I would save them for the next trip. If asked what the documents are called, I would guess first Cavalry Division Intelligence Summaries. If that doesn’t get it, you may want to throw G-2 or 191^st MI into the descriptor box.

 

Thanks for all your help. Now you know so much that if I get my way and we have a draft for the Reserves you can be a member of the organization for Senior Digital Information Corps Knowledge Management Warfare And Defense (S-DICKWAD). I’m fully qualified to serve as well.

Later Dude.

 

Freddie, the Intel puke