As we came to the end of our visit with General Keane, we were curious about the future of XVIII Airborne Corps. In particular, with the coming of the 21st century and the high OpTempos of the previous few years, how does he see the corps’ units evolving? Also, his comments into the future soldiers and their technologies were insightful.
Tom Clancy: What do you see the XVIII Airborne Corps foot soldier of 2010 looking like, given the technology that will be coming on-line?
General Keane: Well, the soldiers will be the same in all the ways that we want them to be. That means that they will be American soldiers who will come from a values-based society, who care about their teammates and what they are doing, and they want to do that job correctly. They will be mentally and physically agile and tough, full of esprit, and with ever-increasing combat skills. Those core ingredients that we have always had in our soldiers will continue to be there. They’re very educated now, better than they’ve ever been, and will probably continue to improve in this area, I suspect. They already are much more computer-literate than many of our senior leaders in the corps today, and fifteen years from now, it will be even more remarkable with the technology that will be here. Best of all, they will be comfortable with technology and probably will enjoy using it as well.
The soldier, in terms of individual capabilities, will probably have a new personal weapon by then [to replace the existing M16A2 combat rifle]. At some point our weapons may transit to some sort of beam technology. I would also imagine that there is a possibility that the soldiers will carry an onboard computer/sensor system with digital communications that will enable them to become a node in a network, and send back “real-time” data and pictures direct from the battlefield.
They may also be in a climatically controlled battle dress uniform, which could possibly have some type of cooling and/or heating system integrated into it. In addition, it will probably have an improved capability to provide protection against small-arms/ballistic/shrapnel-type threats and nuclear/biological/chemical [NBC] agents. Certainly there is technology already in place which would allow us to make great strides in this area. The key, though, is to make the garments and other equipment both comfortable to wear, and lightweight enough to be carried by a soldier. We have to keep this stuff light! That’s because there is only so much you can hang on a soldier, and still have that person be able to move, fight effectively, and survive on the battlefield. This means that you have to be careful how far you go with some technologies.
Tom Clancy: Following up the last question, what do you see the XVIII Airborne Corps looking like in 2010, with regards to units, capabilities, and missions?
General Keane: I think that I see it developing in an evolutionary manner, rather than revolutionary. My view of it is that by the turn of the century, much of the equipment that we already have will still be with us, especially in terms of tanks, helicopters, artillery, and other heavy vehicles and systems. While some of the equipment and systems will modernize, the uses of that equipment will generally stay the same.
The quality of our soldiers, by every indication that we have, will not diminish, though we’re very concerned about that. We want to hold the quality of the people in the Army, and if possible improve it. Right now, retention rate in XVIII Airborne Corps is well over 100 percent of our assigned objectives. In fact, they’re in the neighborhood of 126 percent at the moment. Better yet, we seem to be retaining the best of our soldiers. You have to remember that we must keep between 35 and 40 percent of our first-term soldiers to maintain a viable force, and right now we’re not having any trouble doing that. Still, we’re watching reenlistment rates very closely. In summary, I think that the quality of the soldiers will stay the same, or possibly increase because of superior education.
I don’t see a dramatic change in the technology of our equipment, though I do see an evolutionary change. The RAH-66 Comanche helicopter, if we have it in the force by then, will be a very significant change on the battlefield in terms of expanding the third dimension. This will allow us to see better, and to organize a lot of our combat capability around that aircraft, because it will be able to digitally transmit enemy locations, and organize targeting and responses to the enemy threats. That will be a very significant change.
I would expect that the missions of XVIII Airborne Corps will also stay the same. We’re going to be a crisis- response force, ready to answer the nation’s needs. By then we’ll be using the C-17 Globemaster III heavy transport aircraft as the core of our strategic airlift force, which will double the load capability. We’ll be able to project that combat power faster because of the C-17, and to shorter airfields [less than 3,000 feet/914 meters] than existing heavy-lift aircraft. Right now, with our existing force of C-141B Starlifter and C-5 Galaxy aircraft, we always look for the longest and biggest airfields. With the C-17, though, a whole range of short/undeveloped airfields will be available for our use. This will allow us to get our combat power forward faster, and with less likelihood of interdiction by enemy forces.
In addition, the nation is buying a force of nineteen large Medium Speed Roll-On/Roll-Off [LMSR] ships where we used to have eight Fast Sealift Ships [FSS] and ninety in reserve. The increase in cargo stowage of these LMSRs will give us an additional five million square feet of sealift capacity. This is because each LMSR has 300,000 square feet of cargo space, where the older FSS has only 150,000 square feet per ship. This will allow the Army and other services to more rapidly project our heavy combat forces and keep them sustained. So in terms of power projection, our capability is actually going to increase. We have begun to solve some of the airlift and sealift challenges that were recognized by senior leaders at the conclusion of the Gulf War in 1991.
Once that army is on the battlefield, and XVIII Airborne Corps is deployed, the information technology explosion will enable the pieces and parts of that army to communicate much more effectively than it’s doing now, and we’re already doing a remarkable job. I see all of that as a natural evolution in terms of what’s taking place in the world today. The mission of the corps is not going to change. Our organization will probably go through some changes, and our capabilities will certainly increase. And we will be there in 2010, as we have always been there in the past.
As we prepared to leave, General Keane shared with us some of his personal feelings about the force that he commands, and about being the nation’s senior paratrooper.
Tom Clancy: One last question. Are you having fun in this job?
General Keane: Yeah! If you’re not having fun doing this, there’s something wrong with you. I’ve got the best job in the United States Army, hands down. Some people I know who have more money than me would like to have this job, because it is so much fun! It’s also a humbling thing too. Remember, I started out as a 2nd lieutenant down the street here at Fort Bragg in 1966, and I never thought I would wind up doing something like this three decades later. So you remind yourself of that from time to time. You have to focus properly too. With over 85,000 soldiers out there, I’ll tell you that I’m always working to do what’s right for the team and it’s a heck of a team to be part of!
Given the pace of world events, it is more likely than not that sometime during his tenure, he will have to commit elements of his corps to action somewhere in the world. This certainly was the pattern for the two men who preceded him in the job, Generals Luck and Shelton. Luckily, the Army has made a point of putting warriors of quality in the job. That tradition has been sustained with General Keane at the controls of the XVIII Airborne Corps.
Fort Benning: The Paratrooper Factory
I am an Airborne trooper! A PARATROOPER!
I jump by parachute from any plane in flight. I volunteered to do it, knowing well the hazards of my choice. I serve in a mighty Airborne Force — famed for deeds in war — renowned for readiness in peace. It is my pledge in all that I am — in all that I do. I am an elite trooper — a sky trooper — a shock trooper — a spearhead trooper. I blaze the way to far-flung goals — behind, before, above the foe’s front line. I know that I may have to fight without
