“The AG Corps Force Development Update” Article by Galassie

The article written by Galassie (2006), describes the development of a new human resource program for the new units, the Brigade Combats Units. These new units aim at developing a new modular army as a result of major reconstruction procedures of the United States Army forces. Due to the turbulent times under which the reconstruction is to take place and the need for future strategic considerations, there is a need to develop a new HR system that fits into the 21^st century. The new HR community is designed to be flexible, modular and scalable and will provide theatre level essential HR support to the modular forces (Galassie, 2006). Galassie (2006) describes the various divisions under the Human Resource Development Center. These divisions include the plans and operations division, PASR/PR/IM division, Casualty Operation Division, R5 Operations division, and the Postal Operation Division. The HR company headquarters is responsible for providing technical support, control and command of the Postal, R5 and the casualty platoons in the battlespace and identified by the commanders.

The writer concludes that the completion of the identified personnel transformation will enable the achievement of total migration of tasks and services from the existing HR structure to the S1 structures. In doing this, the writer believes that the challenge to provide HR support to the new modular army structure will have been achieved and is expected to be sustainable throughout the 21^st century. From the article, the writer seeks to promote the idea that this new system is not only practical, effective and sustainable but also cost-efficient. He seeks to highlight the importance of transforming the existing HR system to fit with the new modular Army that will result from the reconstruction process.

The army’s transformation concept requires organized, trained, manned and equipped units that are more strategically responsible, survivable, lethal, deployable, versatile, agile and sustainable across the complete range of military operations. This thus requires a Human Resources community that can effectively meet all the HR needs of this new modular army. The AG Corps Force Development supports the Army transformation through the provision of various capabilities to BCT/BDE commanders to carry out critical personnel services with organic assets while reconstructing and advancing theatre level support to the various units under the newly transformed modular Army.

The writer develops a strategic plan that seeks to provide strategic human resources services to the transformed modular army. The author details various connections between the units of the HR community and their various tasks in relation to the theatre level HR support to the Modular Army. Throughout the article, the author tries to provide a detailed view of the evolution of the current Human Resources Operations to the future concept as described. Due to changing army demands, the author notes that the supporting HR organizations have to adapt while at the same time becoming more efficient and sustainable. In view of this, AG officers should consider the modifications and suggestions forwarded by this article in order to remedy the various shortfalls that have been identified in the personnel services operational support (see table 1, Galassie, 2006).

In my opinion, the article provides a compelling view of the need for a sustainable HR community in the Army. The world is continuously changing and most of the HR processes being utilized were developed from analyzing the cold war era. However changes in military tactics, technological changes and a better understanding of the HR system necessitates that the army system should conform to the 21^st century. This article was written with consideration of a transformed Army that is modular, more effective, flexible and agile. It thus provides a better understanding of how different tasks and processes within the army can be coordinated through an interconnected HR community. After analyzing this article, I am thus able to understand the Army’s human resources processes better and identify HR shortfalls that may arise during the execution of tasks. The article also provides a means to develop an HR system with various teams or a single team within the army.

References

Galassie, D. (2006). The AG Corps Force Development Update, The Journal of the Adjutant General’s Corps Regimental Association, 23-31.