Rapid Deployment Forces
Encyclopedia
The Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) is an inactive United States Department of Defense Joint Task Force. It was inactivated in 1983, and re-organized as the United States Central Command
(USCENTCOM).
, American attention gradually focused on the Persian Gulf
. The Yom Kippur War
of 1973, the US/Soviet confrontation and the subsequent 1973/1974 oil crisis
led to President Nixon issuing an American warning "that American military intervention to protect vital oil supplies" was a possibility, served to increase attention on the area as being vital to US national interests.
There were several reasons why the move to a Rapid Deployment Force did not occur in the 1970's. Unlike previous Cold War
administrations, the US foreign and defence policies under President Carter featured retrenchment not intervention in foreign affairs. Also, the Carter Administration had NATO as it's focus with conventional force policy as a result of the buildup of Warsaw Pact
forces. Domestically, there were many objections from the Congress and the Media with regards to the use of United States military forces in the wake of the Vietnam War and in addition within the Defense Department, the Armed Services were just not enthusiastic about the establishment of another limited contingency organisation.
A concerted effort to establish the envisioned force was not made until world events in 1979 ended the post-Vietnam malaise in the United States after the Fall of Saigon
. The 1979 SALT II agreement with the Soviet Union
led to a vigorous debate (and subsequent rejection by Congress of the treaty) which illustrated how far the United States military had fallen into disrepair during the 1970s. The 1979 Iranian Revolution; the 1979 energy crisis
; the April 1980 failure of Operation Eagle Claw
to rescue United States diplomatic personnel from Tehran, and the 1979 acknowledgment of a Soviet Army combat brigade in Cuba
reinforced the appearance of weakness.
However, even before the 4 November 1979 seizure of the American Embassy in Tehran
by a group of Islamist students and militants in support of the Iranian Revolution, President Carter announced the establishment of the Rapid Deployment Force, or RDF. The RDF concept was to develop a mobile strike force of Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force elements that could independently operate without the use of established forward bases or the facilities of friendly nations globally. The orientation of the RDF, however, was on the Middle East.
This statement was followed-up in Carters' 1980 State of the Union address
when he announced that any attempt by a foreign power to gain control of the Persian Gulf and surrounding area would be regarded as an attack on the vital interests of the United States, and be stopped by all means necessary including the use of military force. This was the first formal commitment of US military power to the region.
, Florida. It was established as a part of U.S. Readiness Command (REDCOM). The RDJTF was initially commanded by Lieutenant General
P.X. Kelly
, USMC. The mission of the RDJTF was that of deterrence - against possible Soviet or proxy invasion, conflict among the states of the area and subversion and insurrection within the states and thus "help maintain regional stability and the Gulf oil-flow westward".
The RDJTF was planned from the beginning to be highly mobile, its components to be drawn from central pool of resources allocated by the combined services as required to meet mission objectives and the nature of the specific threat to US interests.
Initially conceived as a force with a global orientation, the RDF soon focused its attention and planning to the Persian Gulf
region. This narrowing of emphasis was precipitated by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan on 26 December 1979 and the subsequent announcement of the Carter Doctrine
which stated that because of its oil fields, the Persian Gulf area was of vital interest
to the United States, and that any outside attempt to gain control in the area would be "repelled by use of any means necessary, including military force."
Thus, the 1980 RDJTF AOR included Egypt
, Sudan
, Djibouti
, Ethiopia
, Kenya
and Somalia
as well as Afghanistan
, Bahrain
, Iran
, Iraq
, Kuwait
, Oman
, Pakistan
, the People's Republic of Yemen, Qatar
, Saudi Arabia
, United Arab Emirates
and the Yemen Arab Republic
.
The Commander of RDJTF was a three star position, first held by General P X Kelley and then by General Robert Kingston, USA (the commander alternated between the Army and Marine Corps). The Deputy Commander was usually Air Force.
It's command staff was drawn from all four armed services. Component commanders of RDJTF consisted of:
In the event a conflict had occurred these personnel would have controlled deployment and operations and been augmented by around 200 personnel from REDCOM and another 250 if they were to go to a remote area. The headquarters at MacDill AFB in Tampa
, created some tension between the commands. This command relationship proved unsatisfactory, because in 1980, before the 1986 Goldwater–Nichols Act, there was significant separation within the chain of command of the separate Armed Services and no single channel of communication through which the RDF commander could communicate directly to the United States Secretary of Defense
on matters specifically relating to the RDF.
The Navy also operated Military Sealift Command
(MSC) which would have been tasked in providing the RDJTF with long term sustainability. The heavier items of equipment would also have to be transported by sea such as the 100,000 tons of equipment for the 24th Mechanised Division (which would take five weeks by air using every transport available). While bulky items and sheer tonnage are the advantages of sealift, it's main disadvantage was speed - as it would take longer to deploy, and be more vulnerable to enemy action.
Designated United States Air Force elements of the force were from Tactical Air Command
(TAC):
Additional secondary units consisted of squadrons deployed from the following USAFE-committed TAC wings:
The Air Force also controlled the Military Airlift Command
(MAC), which put the "Rapid" into the RDJTF. The RDJTF relied upon the C-5 Galaxy
(70 aircraft), C-141 Starlifter
(234 aircraft) and C-130 Hercules
(490) of MAC to deploy the fastest reacting ground forces, the forward elements of the 82d Airborne, Special Forces and USMC personnel of the 7th MAB.
The RTJTF could also call upon the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) of 111 long-range cargo and 231 long-range passenger aircraft.
announced that the RDJTF would evolve into a separate command with specific geographic responsibilities. The planned change was favorably received in the Congress, though not unanimously. Both the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Senate Committee on Appropriations expressed their concern" about the absence of an organized effort to plan and provide for possible power projection requirements in other Third World areas which are also critical to U.S. interests." The decision to focus the attention of the RDJTF solely on the Middle East
and Central Asia
— to the exclusion of other areas, such as central and southern Africa — did little to ease this concern.
On 1 January 1983 the RDJTF became a separate unified command known as the United States Central Command
(USCENTCOM). The USCENTCOM commander enjoys the same stature as other theater commanders, and he reports directly to the Secretary of Defense. His operational planning responsibility is limited to the Middle East and Central Asia only. The Department of Defense distinguishes between the U.S. Central Command and the RDF. The Central Command is primarily a planning headquarters; the forces available to it are the RDF.
United States Central Command
The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...
(USCENTCOM).
Origins
After the end of United States involvement in the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, American attention gradually focused on the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
. The Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
of 1973, the US/Soviet confrontation and the subsequent 1973/1974 oil crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
led to President Nixon issuing an American warning "that American military intervention to protect vital oil supplies" was a possibility, served to increase attention on the area as being vital to US national interests.
The Carter Doctrine
With the new administration elected in 1977, President Carter signed Presidential Review Memorandum (PRM) 10, which undertook a evaluation of US strategy. The President signed Presidential Directive (PD) 18 on August 24th 1977, a part of which called for the establishment of a mobile force capable of responding to worldwide contingencies that would not divert forces from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or Korea. In 1978, two Army divisions (82nd and 101st) and one Marine division were earmarked for such duties. There were however no substantial funds allocated and it remained a paper exercise.There were several reasons why the move to a Rapid Deployment Force did not occur in the 1970's. Unlike previous Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
administrations, the US foreign and defence policies under President Carter featured retrenchment not intervention in foreign affairs. Also, the Carter Administration had NATO as it's focus with conventional force policy as a result of the buildup of Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
forces. Domestically, there were many objections from the Congress and the Media with regards to the use of United States military forces in the wake of the Vietnam War and in addition within the Defense Department, the Armed Services were just not enthusiastic about the establishment of another limited contingency organisation.
A concerted effort to establish the envisioned force was not made until world events in 1979 ended the post-Vietnam malaise in the United States after the Fall of Saigon
Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975...
. The 1979 SALT II agreement with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
led to a vigorous debate (and subsequent rejection by Congress of the treaty) which illustrated how far the United States military had fallen into disrepair during the 1970s. The 1979 Iranian Revolution; the 1979 energy crisis
1979 energy crisis
The 1979 oil crisis in the United States occurred in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. Amid massive protests, the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, fled his country in early 1979 and the Ayatollah Khomeini soon became the new leader of Iran. Protests severely disrupted the Iranian oil...
; the April 1980 failure of Operation Eagle Claw
Operation Eagle Claw
Operation Eagle Claw was an American military operation ordered by President Jimmy Carter to attempt to put an end to the Iran hostage crisis by rescuing 52 Americans held captive at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran on 24 April 1980...
to rescue United States diplomatic personnel from Tehran, and the 1979 acknowledgment of a Soviet Army combat brigade in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
reinforced the appearance of weakness.
However, even before the 4 November 1979 seizure of the American Embassy in Tehran
Iran hostage crisis
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian...
by a group of Islamist students and militants in support of the Iranian Revolution, President Carter announced the establishment of the Rapid Deployment Force, or RDF. The RDF concept was to develop a mobile strike force of Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force elements that could independently operate without the use of established forward bases or the facilities of friendly nations globally. The orientation of the RDF, however, was on the Middle East.
This statement was followed-up in Carters' 1980 State of the Union address
State of the Union Address
The State of the Union is an annual address presented by the President of the United States to the United States Congress. The address not only reports on the condition of the nation but also allows the president to outline his legislative agenda and his national priorities.The practice arises...
when he announced that any attempt by a foreign power to gain control of the Persian Gulf and surrounding area would be regarded as an attack on the vital interests of the United States, and be stopped by all means necessary including the use of military force. This was the first formal commitment of US military power to the region.
Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force
The Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) as the organization was officially designated, was activated on 1 March 1980 at MacDill Air Force BaseMacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base is an active United States Air Force base located approximately south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida...
, Florida. It was established as a part of U.S. Readiness Command (REDCOM). The RDJTF was initially commanded by Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
P.X. Kelly
Paul X. Kelley
General Paul Xavier Kelley was the twenty-eighth Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, from July 1, 1983 to June 30, 1987....
, USMC. The mission of the RDJTF was that of deterrence - against possible Soviet or proxy invasion, conflict among the states of the area and subversion and insurrection within the states and thus "help maintain regional stability and the Gulf oil-flow westward".
The RDJTF was planned from the beginning to be highly mobile, its components to be drawn from central pool of resources allocated by the combined services as required to meet mission objectives and the nature of the specific threat to US interests.
Initially conceived as a force with a global orientation, the RDF soon focused its attention and planning to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
region. This narrowing of emphasis was precipitated by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan on 26 December 1979 and the subsequent announcement of the Carter Doctrine
Carter Doctrine
The Carter Doctrine was a policy proclaimed by President of the United States Jimmy Carter in his State of the Union Address on January 23, 1980, which stated that the United States would use military force if necessary to defend its national interests in the Persian Gulf region...
which stated that because of its oil fields, the Persian Gulf area was of vital interest
National interest
The national interest, often referred to by the French expression raison d'État , is a country's goals and ambitions whether economic, military, or cultural. The concept is an important one in international relations where pursuit of the national interest is the foundation of the realist...
to the United States, and that any outside attempt to gain control in the area would be "repelled by use of any means necessary, including military force."
Thus, the 1980 RDJTF AOR included Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
as well as Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, the People's Republic of Yemen, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
and the Yemen Arab Republic
Yemen Arab Republic
The Yemen Arab Republic , also known as North Yemen or Yemen , was a country from 1962 to 1990 in the western part of what is now Yemen...
.
The Commander of RDJTF was a three star position, first held by General P X Kelley and then by General Robert Kingston, USA (the commander alternated between the Army and Marine Corps). The Deputy Commander was usually Air Force.
It's command staff was drawn from all four armed services. Component commanders of RDJTF consisted of:
- Army Force Commander (ARFORCOM) (Commander, XVIII Airborne Corps)
- Navy Force Commander (NAFORCOM) (Assistant Chief of Staff for Planning, United States Pacific FleetUnited States Pacific FleetThe United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
) - Air Force Force Commander (AFFORCOM) (Commander, Ninth Air Force, Tactical Air CommandTactical Air CommandTactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
) - Marine Force Commander (MARFORCOM) (who was subordinated to NAWORCOM, and Commander, 1st Marine Division)
In the event a conflict had occurred these personnel would have controlled deployment and operations and been augmented by around 200 personnel from REDCOM and another 250 if they were to go to a remote area. The headquarters at MacDill AFB in Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
, created some tension between the commands. This command relationship proved unsatisfactory, because in 1980, before the 1986 Goldwater–Nichols Act, there was significant separation within the chain of command of the separate Armed Services and no single channel of communication through which the RDF commander could communicate directly to the United States Secretary of Defense
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
on matters specifically relating to the RDF.
Army elements of the RDJTF
Designated Army elements of the force were:- 9th Infantry Division, Fort LewisFort LewisJoint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
, Washington
- Conceived as a "High Technology Light Division" and provides the same firepower as a normal infantry division but with far fewer aircraft sorties needed for deployment. The division emphasised "heavy firepower, long range mobility, interdiction capabilities to the enemy's rear elements ("extended battlefield concept") with light forces and long range weapons, and improved C3 and real-time information analysis for effective targeting and weapons utilisation". The division was organised into three brigades of ground troops with a mix of heavy and light battalions, as well as combat support for a total of 14,500 personnel. The fourth brigade was an air attack cavalry brigade with two battalions of attack helicopters, a cavalry squadron with two ground and two air cavalry troops and a transport helicopter battalion.
- 24th Mechanised Division, Fort StewartFort StewartFort Stewart is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily in Liberty County and Bryan County, but also extending into smaller portions of Evans, Long, and Tattnall Counties in Georgia, USA. The population was 11,205 at the 2000 census...
, Georgia
- Equipped with M60 PattonM60 PattonThe 105 mm Gun Full Tracked Combat Tank, M60, also known unofficially as the M60 Patton, is a first-generation main battle tank introduced in December 1960. It was widely used by the U.S. and its Cold War allies, especially those in NATO, and remains in service throughout the world today...
tanks in 1980, the 24th formed the core of the US Army's heavily armored mechanized force. It later was re-equipped with M1 Abrams tanks and M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, which were employed with great success in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
- 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
- The 82nd is the Army's only airborne division, along with the headquarters of the 18th Airborne Corps. It consisted of eight infantry battalions in three brigades with supporting assets such as air transportable armour, artillery, air defence, engineers, intelligence and signals with a total of 16,000 personnel. This was one of the key elements in the RDJTF as it could deploy a battalion plus supporting assets in eighteen hours and a brigade in twenty-four. It would have been unlikely that the entire division would have been airlifted in and go into action upon notification of a RDJTF deployment. It is more probable that initially a brigade would have been dropped to secure an airhead and then the rest of the division arrive. Although predominantly infantry, the 82d had substantial organic airlift in it's helicopter assets which were to be upgraded with UH-60 Black hawk helicopters by the end of the 1980's.
- 101st Air Assault Division, Fort CampbellFort CampbellFort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
, Kentucky.
- The 101st was unique among the Army's divisions due to it's massed assault helicopter capability. It was organised into three brigades of three battalions each, the usual support elements and three helicopter battalions, two transport, one attack for a total of 17,900 personnel. The division used its helicopters to provide tactical mobility. Originally an airborne division, the 101st gradually converted to an airmobile role during the Vietnam War, where it integrated a large number of helicopter assets as the 1st Cavalry (Airmobile) Division had done. As its experience with helicopter operations increased and tactics refined, it changed its designation to Air Assault. The division was designed to envelop the enemy with speed and firepower and had equal status with the 82nd in RDJTF planning.
- 6th Cavalry Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas
- Formed initially as the second brigade for the 1st Cavalry Division as it tested the triple capability concept and as a result of these tests became the only Air Cavalry brigade in the US Army. The brigade was made up of two aviation squadrons with support, communications and headquarters elements. The brigade had scout (OH-58 Kiowa), attack (AH-1 Cobra) and transport (UH-1 Huey, replaced by UH-60 Black hawk and CH-47 Chinook) helicopters and operated with the same tactics as the 101st, emphasising speed of attack and envelopment.
Marine Corps elements of the RDJTF
Designated USMC elements of the force were:- 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California
- Consisted of 18,000 Marines, it's aviation support group, the 3d Marine Air Wing (159 aircraft), 1st Force Service Support Group and 7th Marine Amphibious Brigade (of 11,000 personnel). The Marines provided the RDJTF the capability of projecting sea power ashore and then conduct land operations. In an amphibious operation there were three types of units which were available to the RDJTF:
-
- A Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU) which of battalion size with a squadron of support aircraft being forward deployed to certain areas
-
- A Marine Amphibious Brigade (MAB) which consisted of a regimental landing team (two MAUs), a tank company, artillery battalion, support elements and a Marine Aircraft Group
-
- A Marine Amphibious Force (MAF) which consisted of a Marine division (three MABs), a tank battalion, artillery regiment, a Light Attack Vehicle battalion, an Amphibious Attack Vehicle battalion, engineer battalion, reconnaissance battalion and a Marine Air Wing (600 aircraft).
Navy elements of the RDJTF
Designated United States Navy elements of the force were:- Three carrier battle groups (one each in the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Pacific Ocean)
- A surface action group, antisubmarine warfare patrol aircraft, the amphibious ships to carry a MAU on station and the propositioning ships at Diego Garcia which by 1982 could provide the supplies to sustain the 7th MAB for over two weeks and supply several tactical air force squadrons.
The Navy also operated Military Sealift Command
Military Sealift Command
The Military Sealift Command is a United States Navy organization that controls most of the replenishment and military transport ships of the Navy. It first came into existence on 9 July 1949 when the Military Sea Transportation Service became solely responsible for the Department of Defense's...
(MSC) which would have been tasked in providing the RDJTF with long term sustainability. The heavier items of equipment would also have to be transported by sea such as the 100,000 tons of equipment for the 24th Mechanised Division (which would take five weeks by air using every transport available). While bulky items and sheer tonnage are the advantages of sealift, it's main disadvantage was speed - as it would take longer to deploy, and be more vulnerable to enemy action.
USAF elements of the RDJTF
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
(TAC):
- 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Virginia (F-15 Eagle)
- 27th Tactical Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, New Mexico (F-111E)
- 347th Tactical Fighter Wing, Moody AFB, Georgia (F-4E Phantom II)
- 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina (A-10 Thunderbolt II)
- 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, (F-111F)
- 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah (F-16 Fighting Falcon)
Additional secondary units consisted of squadrons deployed from the following USAFE-committed TAC wings:
- 31st Tactical Fighter Wing, Homestead AFB, Florida (F-4E Phantom II)
- 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina (F-4E Phantom II)
- 23d Tactical Fighter Wing, England AFB, Louisiana (A-7D Corsair II)
- 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Shaw AFB, South Carolina (RF-4C Phantom II)
- 552d Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma (E-3A AWACS)
- 41st Electronic Combat Squadron41st Electronic Combat SquadronThe 41st Electronic Combat Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. Its current assignment is with the 355th Operations Group, being stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.-History:...
, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, (EC-130H Compass Call)
The Air Force also controlled the Military Airlift Command
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
(MAC), which put the "Rapid" into the RDJTF. The RDJTF relied upon the C-5 Galaxy
C-5 Galaxy
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It provides the United States Air Force with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. The Galaxy has many...
(70 aircraft), C-141 Starlifter
C-141 Starlifter
The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter was a military strategic airlifter in service with the Air Mobility Command of the United States Air Force...
(234 aircraft) and C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
(490) of MAC to deploy the fastest reacting ground forces, the forward elements of the 82d Airborne, Special Forces and USMC personnel of the 7th MAB.
The RTJTF could also call upon the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) of 111 long-range cargo and 231 long-range passenger aircraft.
Formation of United States Central Command
On 24 April 1981, Secretary of Defense Caspar WeinbergerCaspar Weinberger
Caspar Willard "Cap" Weinberger , was an American politician, vice president and general counsel of Bechtel Corporation, and Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan from January 21, 1981, until November 23, 1987, making him the third longest-serving defense secretary to date, after...
announced that the RDJTF would evolve into a separate command with specific geographic responsibilities. The planned change was favorably received in the Congress, though not unanimously. Both the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Senate Committee on Appropriations expressed their concern" about the absence of an organized effort to plan and provide for possible power projection requirements in other Third World areas which are also critical to U.S. interests." The decision to focus the attention of the RDJTF solely on the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
— to the exclusion of other areas, such as central and southern Africa — did little to ease this concern.
On 1 January 1983 the RDJTF became a separate unified command known as the United States Central Command
United States Central Command
The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...
(USCENTCOM). The USCENTCOM commander enjoys the same stature as other theater commanders, and he reports directly to the Secretary of Defense. His operational planning responsibility is limited to the Middle East and Central Asia only. The Department of Defense distinguishes between the U.S. Central Command and the RDF. The Central Command is primarily a planning headquarters; the forces available to it are the RDF.