Commanders 1909-1910 1911-1913 1913-1914 1914-1914 1914-1915 1915-1916 1916-1916 1916 1917 1917-1917 1917-1917 1918-1918 1918-1919 1919-1919 1919-1921 1921-1924 1924-1925 1925-1927 1927-1928 1928-1930 1930-1930 1930 1931 1931-1935 1935-1935 1935-1937 1937-1938 1938-1941 1941-1941 1941-1943 1943-1946 1946 1946 1946-1949 1949 - 1949 1949-1952 1952-1954 1954-1954 1954-1956 1956-1956 1956-1957 1957 United States Army, Alaska (USARRAL). Chronology of events: (1) 15 Nov 1947, Alaskan Department designated U.S. Army, Alaska with headquarters at Fort Richardson; (2) 1 May 1948, Big Delta Air Force Base transferred to Army; Nov 48, Army Arctic Indoctrination School established; (3) 15 Oct 1950, Army headquarters moved from Elmendorf A.F.B. to its present location, Fort Richardson; (4) Aug 1951, 196th R.C.T. arrived at Fort Richardson, 4th Inf. consolidated; (5) 7 Jul 1952, Arctic Test Branch, Army Field Forces established at Big Delta; (6) 24 Nov 1954, 71st Div. activated at Fort Richardson, 4th Inf. at Ladd, 5th Inf. at Fort Lewis, Wash.; (7) 1 Jul 1955, Big Delta named Fort Greely; (8) Jun-Sep 1955, 2nd Inf. Div. moved to Alaska, 71st Inf. Div. moved to Fort Lewis; (9) 16 Dec 1957, inactivation of 2d Inf. Div. Primary missions (as of 31 Mar 1958: Commanders 15 Nov 1947-31 Jan 1948 1 Feb 1948-31 Mar 1950 1 Apr 1950-14 Apr 1952 15 Apr 1952-30 Apr 1952 1 May 1952-1 Jul 1954 Col. W. S. Schuyler Brig. Gen. H. M. Macomb Brig. Gen. Frederick Funston .Brig. Gen. H. M. Macomb .Maj. Gen. W. H. Carter Brig. Gen. John P. Wisser Brig. Gen. Robert K. Evans .Brig. Gen. Frederick S. Strong Brig. Gen. C. G. Treat .Brig. Gen. John P. Wisser Brig. Gen. A. P. Blockson ..Brig. Gen. J. W. Heard . Brig. Gen. J. C. Hodges, Jr. .Brig. Gen. Charles C. Morton Maj. Gen. C. P. Summerall Maj. Gen. Charles T. Menoher .. Maj. Gen. Edward M. Lewis Maj. Gen. William R. Smith .Maj. Gen. Fox Conner .Maj. Gen. Edwin B. Winans .Maj. Gen. William Lassiter .Maj. Gen. Briant H. Wells .Maj. Gen. Halstead Dorey .Maj. Gen. Hugh A. Drum ..Maj. Gen. Andrew Moses .Lt. Gen. Charles D. Herron .Lt. Gen. Walter Short .Lt. Gen. Delos C. Emmons .Lt. Gen. Robert C. Richardson Maj. Gen. George F. Moore .Lt. Gen. John E. Hull . Maj. Gen. Floyd L. Parks .Lt. Gen. Henry S. Aurand Lt. Gen. John W. O'Daniel .Maj. Gen. Clark L. Ruffner .Lt. Gen. Bruce C. Clarke Maj. Gen. Herbert B. Powell .Lt. Gen. Blackshear M. Bryan .....Gen. I. D. White (1) to participate in ground and air defense of Alaska; (2) to supervise and train Army units in Alaska; (3) to supervise ROTC, Army Reserve, and National Guard activities in the Territory; (4) to develop cold weather and mountain warfare doctrine; (5) to conduct Cold Weather and Mountain School for military personnel from Alaska and the U.S.; (6) to furnish civil defense assistance to the Territory; (7) to participate in search and rescue operations. List of subcommands (as of 31 Mar 1958): (1) 1st Battle Group, 23d Inf.; (2) 96th AAA Battalion; (3) Aviation Company; (4) Yukon Command; (5) Fort Richardson; (6) Fort Whittier; (7) U.S. Army Supply and Maintenance Center, Alaska; (8) Headquarters Detachment, USARAL; (9) U.S. Army Advisor Group (NGUS); (10) U.S. Army Instructor Detachment (ROTC). Col. Russell G. Barkalow Maj. Gen. Stanley L. Scott Maj. Gen. Julian W. Cunningham Brig. Gen. Charles W. Pence .Maj. Gen. William M. Miley United States Army, Caribbean (USARCARIB). Chronology of events: (1) 1911, first U.S. Army troops, 10th Inf., arrived as Panama Canal defense and guard force; (2) 1914, Guard Force redesignated U.S. Army Forces in the Canal Zone; (3) 1915, 29th Inf. arrived for station at the Atlantic Canal terminus; (4) 1916, 33d Inf. organized from 5th and 10th Inf.; (5) 1917, 10th Inf. assigned to war duty in France; (6) 1 Jul 1917, Panama Canal Dept. designated as a geographical command separate from Eastern Dept.; (7) Panama Canal Dept. set up Atlantic and Pacific sectors; (8) 1939, Caribbean Defense Command, organized; (9) 1944, joint command post supplanted operations centers; (10) 1947, U.S. Army, Caribbean, organized as an area command having authority over Army Forces in Puerto Rico; (11) 1949, Army Commanders 16 Nov 1914-11 Apr 1917 12 Apr 1917-13 Aug 1917 14 Aug 1917-30 Aug 1917 31 Aug 1917-27 Feb 1918 28 Feb 1918-27 Apr 1919 28 Apr 1919-23 May 1921 24 May 1921-21 Oct 1921 22 Oct 1921-18 Sep 1924 19 Sep 1924-12 Jan 1926 13 Jan 1926-1 Oct 1927 2 Oct 1927-31 Mar 1928 1 Apr 1928-9 Aug 1930 10 Apr 1930-23 Nov 1930 24 Nov 1930-13 Nov 1933 14 Nov 1933-9 Nov 1935 10 Nov 1935-29 Jul 1936 30 Jul 1936-9 Feb 1937 10 Feb 1937-11 Apr 1937 12 Apr 1937-7 Jan 1940 8 Jan 1940-18 Sep 1941 19 Sep 1941-8 Nov 1942 9 Nov 1942-14 Oct 1945 15 Oct 1945-15 Nov 1947 19 Nov 1947-21 Nov 1948 22 Nov 1948-30 Nov 1951 1 Dec 1951-12 Nov 1954 13 Nov 1954-23 June 1956 24 Jun 1956 1931, .Brig. Gen. Marshall S. Carter ..Maj. Gen. James F. Collins .Brig. Gen. John F. Ruggles ..Maj. Gen. Gilman C. Mudgett command headquarters established at Fort Amador to relinquish Quarry Heights command post to Caribbean Command; (12) 1950, Panama Canal Zone defense agencies placed on alert status for Korean War. Primary missions (as of 31 Mar 1958): (1) to provide protection for the Canal Zone and USARCARIB bases; (2) to train for combat operations; (3) to maintain the art of jungle warfare; (4) to provide assistance in the event of disaster; (5) to promote friendly relations with Latin-American countries. List of subcommands (as of 31 Mar 1958): (1) 1st Battle Group, 20th Inf.; (2) 764th AAA Battalion; (3) U.S. Army Antilles and Military District of Puerto Rico; (4) U.S. Army Inter-American Geodetic Survey; (5) U.S. Army Caribbean School. Brig. Gen. Chester R. Edwards . Maj. Gen. H. B. Fiske .Maj. Gen. Lytle Brown .Maj. Gen. H. W. Butner .Brig. Gen. F. W. Rowell .Maj. Gen. David L. Stone .Lt. Gen. Daniel Van Voorhis .Lt. Gen. F. M. Andrews .Lt. Gen. G. H. Brett .Lt. Gen. Willis D. Crittenberger Maj. Gen. Edward H. Brooks a Maj. Gen. Ray E. Porter .Maj. Gen. L. J. Whitlock Maj. Gen. Lionel C. McGarr ....Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Harrold a First commander of USARCARIB. United States Army Southern European Task Force (SETAF). Chronology of events: (1) 25 Oct 1955, Southern European Task Force activated at Vicenza, Italy; United States Forces, Austria Support Command redesignated SETAF Support Command and assigned Southern European Task Force; (2) 21 May 1956, Headquarters SETAF closed at Camp Darby, Leghorn, Italy and opened at Verona; (3) 1 Jun 1957, SETAF redesignated U.S. Army Southern European Task Force; (4) 15 Nov 1957, U.S. Army Garrison, Support Command, U.S. Army SETAF redesignated U.S. Army Logistical Command, U.S. Army SETAF; (5) 25 Dec 1957, U.S. Army Task Groups A, B, and S reorganized at Vicenza, Italy and redesignated 1st U.S. Army Missile Command (Medium); (6) 1 Jan 1958, U.S. Army SETAF assigned to Commander in Chief, U.S. Army Europe. Primary mission (as of 31 Mar 1958): to provide ground delivered atomic Commanders 25 Oct 1955-26 Sep 1956 26 Sep 1956-1 Oct 1958 1 Oct 1958 support to Italian ground forces under Hq, Allied Land Forces Southern Europe. Subcommands (as of 31 Mar 1958): (1) 1st U.S. Army Missile Command (Medium); (2) U.S. Army Logistical Command, U.S. Army SETAF. .Maj. Gen. John H. Michaelis OTHER OVERSEA AGENCIES OF THE ARMY Among these may be mentioned military attaches, MAAG's, and military missions. THE ARMY ATTACHE SYSTEM. Every government, including our own, is interested in the armed forces of other nations and desires full and upto-date information about them. If the other nation is an actual or potential enemy or an actual or potential ally, the importance of such information is obvious. Even if this is not the case, a study of its armed forces may bring to light some weapon, mechanical device, or system of organization, training, or tactics that can profitably be imitated or adapted. In most periods of the world's history such data had to be obtained surreptitiously. Military personnel, operating sub rosa and often in disguise, were quite commonly attached to embassies for this purpose. However, a great many of the facts about a country's army, navy, and air force are public property anyhow; and many others are of such a nature that a trained and intelligent man can learn them by diligent observation, without resorting to espionage or "cloak and dagger" methods. In recent generations most governments have come to realize that, outside certain fields where secrecy is both practicable and important, it is simpler to acquiesce in the collection of military information by officially-recognized representatives of the armed services of other nations, called attaches, in exchange for a similar privilege extended to themselves. The first reported move of our government toward such overt collection of military data was in 1883, when the Secretary of War sent an Army officer to attend special maneuvers of the French cavalry. This resulted, in 1885, in the creation of an embryonic Division of Military Intelligence under The Adjutant General, which became the parent organization of the Army's attache system. In 1888 Congress authorized the "pay of a clerk attendant on the collection and classification of military information from abroad." Under authority of that legislation the first Army attache was detailed, on 11 March 1889, to the American Legations at London and Berlin. Later in the same year attaches were also sent to Paris, Vienna, and St. Petersburg; and as the advantages of the arrangement became manifest, more and more stations were added. The functions of Army attaches have changed little since the system was established. The attache is a trained observer and reporter of matters pertaining to the foreign defense establishment; and his task is to ascertain, and to report periodically to the Department of the Army, information of a military or technical nature that would be of interest to any Army agency. He must be constantly on the alert for new ideas that might be applied to our own Army. He studies the organization of the army of the nation to which he is accredited, the organization of its various branches and units; its training techniques, and their effectiveness; the equipment of the units and of the individual soldiers; the service of supply; the cost of maintenance of troops; the organization and training of reserves; the mobilization of manpower and industry; and so on. Beyond these matters of primary military concern, he must interest himself in other fields. For example, to estimate how effectively the soldiers of the army he is studying would fight against some other specific nation in a hypothetical war, he must study and analyze the political relations between the two countries, both today and in the past, and the reciprocal feelings and attitudes of their citizens. In fact, all of the many facets of industrial, social, cultural, and economic life come within his purview, insofar as they are related in any way to his field of interest. Since an attache's inquiries and studies are based on military considerations, they do not duplicate or conflict with those of the civilian members of the embassy or legation staff. By close cooperation and joint effort, their studies supplement each other. It is a not uncommon misconception that an Army attache serves as aide-decamp to the American ambassador (or minister) to whose embassy (or legation) he has been appointed. Although this was true to some extent in the early days of the attache system, it is no longer the case. The attache has a dual position in the diplomatic mission. He is under the local direction of the chief of mission, and is available to assist him in discharging certain responsibilities for which, as an Army officer, he is especially qualified. But also he represents the Department of the Army, and is the channel for liaison of various types between our Army and that of the country where he is stationed. The staff of an attache depends on the importance of the area with which he is dealing. He may have one or more assistant attaches. Today there are a total of 98 such assistants, serving at 43 of the 70 stations in the system. In addition, there are some 48 warrant officers, 178 enlisted men and 84 Army civilian employees distributed among the stations, all engaged in cryptographic, administrative, disbursing, and stenographic work. Alien civilians are hired locally for such positions as translator, receptionist, chauffeur, and janitor. Attaches must travel a great deal; must attend official receptions, ceremonies, reviews, manuevers, dinners, cocktail parties, and so on; must enter tain extensively; and must make innumerable calls on agencies with which they are required to keep contact. The cost of all this, in addition to normal living expenses, is considerable. Officers on attache duty are therefore reimbursed, within strictly defined limitations, for the extraordinary and unusual expenses incident to their assignment. At one time this was not done, with the natural result that the field from which the Army could pick its attaches was restricted to the relatively few officers who had a considerable personal income in addition to their pay. The disadvantages of such a limitation are obvious. The Navy and the Air Force also have their attaches. Under authority of the Department of Defense, each Service runs its own attache system. However, when attaches of two or all three Services are accredited to a particular country and located at its capital, they work closely together to prevent duplication of effort. Such facilities as communications, finance and fiscal services, motor pools, and the like are operated jointly to the greatest extent possible. MILITARY MISSIONS AND MILITARY ASSISTANCE. Our entrance into these fields dates from 1926, when we began establishing military missions in various Latin-American countries. Their purpose was to foster friendly relations, and also to assist in preventing any such country from falling within the sphere of influence of any nonAmerican Power. In 1942, after our entrance into World War II, two missions were set up in Iran. In 1948 we started a program of aid to Greece against the Communist menace, providing both military equipment and training assistance. With the continued increase in such military aid, a new kind of agency was created for its effective administration, known as the Military Advisory Assistance Group (MAAG). The first two MAAG's were established, in Greece and Turkey, in 1949. In 1945 Congress authorized the Mutual Defense Assistance Program, intended to promote the security of the United States and the individual and collective self-defense of friendly nations. Included in the program is the provision of military equipment and training needed to develop or maintain effective military-type units, in countries which are important to our own security but are unable to create or support such units without our help. This part of the program is administered by the Department of the Army under the Department of Defense. In each such country there is a basic organization, the "U. S. Country Team," functioning under our Ambassador or Minister. When military assistance is a part of the program, it is administered by the type of unit (MAAG) which had been created for a similar purpose before the passage of the 1954 act. A MAAG is usually a joint organization of Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel. It advises the foreign government as to the determination of military needs, the use and care of equipment furnished by us, and the conduct of military training. Programs in the various countries differ in emphasis, scope, and magnitude; there are variations in the kind of aid given, and in the degree of self-sufficiency of the nations being aided. The makeup and activities of MAAG's vary accordingly. Basically they consist of a chief (usually a gen eral officer or flag officer) with a small joint staff and sections provided by the Services having programs in the country concerned. The chief of a MAAG is specially selected, and is then nominated to the Department of Defense by the military department concerned. In addition to the above, there are cases where our military assistance to a nation is chiefly limited to training its armed forces. Such activity is administered by U. S. Military Missions. A mission is provided at the request of the host nation and its duties are clearly outlined in a bilateral agreement between the two governments. In general, missions are small and pertain to only one of the Armed Services. They are advisory in character. For economy of forces, the scope of certain military missions has been expanded to handle some of the work ordinarily done by MAAG's. Most of the missions in Latin-American countries have been designated as MAAG's and perform MAAG functions. During 1957 about 6,000 Army personnel were employed on MAAG's or military missions in foreign countries. LOCATIONS. Below are listed the nations or oversea areas in which American MAAG's, military missions, and military attaches are located, and also those where there are sizable American forces. X X X X (Haiti) Iceland Indonesia Iran Japan New Zealand Philippines, |