Every Soldier Counts: Part 3 – The Role of the Brigade S1 in Manning a Brigade in Today’s Force Reductions

MAJ Christopher L. Moore

Editor’s Note: This is the third article of a three-part series on how company command teams, battalion S1s, and brigade S1s sync their efforts to properly man brigade combat teams as the Army reduces its end strength.

Manning a brigade during today’s force reductions is a multi-echelon effort synchronized by the brigade S1. The brigade S1 works closely with the brigade’s battalion S1s and company command teams to ensure the brigade is effectively manned in accordance with its modified table of organization and equipment (MTOE) personnel authorizations. The brigade S1 accomplishes this by leveraging the unit’s MTOE personnel authorizations, electronic Military Personnel Office (eMILPO) availability codes, and coordination with the division/installation senior commander’s G1 and appropriate Human Resources Command (HRC) assignment personnel.

The first - and often overlooked - step for a brigade S1 to effectively man the brigade is to know its MTOE personnel authorizations. This is accomplished by downloading the brigade’s MTOE personnel authorizations from the Force Management System website (FMSWeb).¹ A user-friendly tool, FMSWeb enables the brigade S1 to know exactly what each subordinate unit assigned to the brigade is authorized from each military occupational specialty (MOS) by pay grade.

Once the S1 knows the brigade’s MTOE personnel authorizations, it is time to discuss its impact on the brigade’s mission readiness with the brigade command sergeant major (CSM). For example, many MOSes are part of vehicle or weapon system crews and must be assigned accordingly. As the brigade’s senior enlisted advisor, the brigade CSM can assist the brigade S1 in identifying MOS shortages that will make vehicles or weapon systems non-mission capable simply because there are not enough properly trained Soldiers to operate them. This is critical to understand, especially with the current Army Manning Guidance that prioritizes each unit’s manning levels based upon its assigned mission. A brigade S1 that understands the brigade may be filled at varying percentage levels of its MTOE authorization, depending on its mission status, can conduct an analysis with the brigade CSM to determine which MOSes or assigned units can absorb this manning fluctuation with the least impact on the brigade’s mission readiness.²

Of the systems available to the brigade S1, eMILPO is the most efficient at providing real-time availability data for each Soldier assigned to the brigade.³ This system enables all HR professionals in the brigade, and Army wide, to share a common picture of each Soldier’s availability status. With eMILPO generated reports, such as the Soldier Readiness Report, the brigade S1 can review each Soldier’s availability codes in order to determine any trends reducing available manpower. Some of these trends can be easily mitigated through aggressive use of the Soldier Readiness Process (SRP).

Other trends, such as pending legal separation, require close coordination between the brigade S1, battalion S1, company command teams, and other brigade and division staff sections. The focus of this coordination is to conserve the brigade’s available combat power by successfully correcting the issue that is preventing the Soldier from being available for missions worldwide. When the Soldier’s command team has made the determination that the Soldier’s non-availability issue(s) cannot be resolved, then the above mentioned sections must shift their efforts to separate that Soldier in a timely manner. This must be accomplished in order for the brigade to receive a replacement who is available for worldwide missions.

For manning shortages that cannot be resolved at the brigade level, the brigade S1 coordinates with the division/installation senior commander’s G1 and appropriate HRC assignment personnel to receive personnel critical to mission accomplishment.⁴ Key to the brigade S1’s success working with these two HR echelons is the accuracy of the brigade’s personnel requirements. The brigade S1 must ensure that each personnel requirement is supported with validated data. This includes verifying the requirement is based upon the brigade’s MTOE personnel authorizations or assigned mission and that each assigned Soldier’s eMILPO availability code is correctly annotated.

Once the brigade S1 has validated the personnel requirement’s supporting data, the requirement is forwarded to the division/installation senior commander’s G1 or appropriate HRC assignment personnel. Often the division/installation senior commander’s G1 can fill a brigade’s personnel shortage more quickly than HRC assignment personnel through the use of an intrapost transfer. This saves time and money by eliminating the need to move Soldiers and their Families from one duty station to another duty station. HRC assignment personnel can fill the brigade’s remaining mission-essential personnel requirements by placing available Soldiers on permanent change of station (PCS) or temporary change of station (TCS) orders. This process takes more time, typically three to six months, and more funding due to moving the Soldiers from one duty station to another.

In today’s manning force reduction, the brigade S1 must synchronize the efforts of HR professionals across multiple echelons to effectively man a brigade. By working closely with the brigade’s battalion S1s and company command teams, the brigade S1 ensures that the brigade leverages its own capabilities to secure its Soldiers’ availability from resolvable issues. This is accomplished by ensuring that these leaders clearly understand their units’ MTOE personnel authorizations and how to properly track their Soldiers’ availability status in eMILPO. The brigade S1’s coordination with the division/installation senior commander’s G1 and HRC leverages additional personnel to fill mission-critical manning vacancies that could not be resolved at the brigade level. Through meticulous synchronization of multi-echelon HR manning efforts, the brigade S1 can ensure the brigade is effectively manned for its assigned missions.

Notes

¹Force Management System Website - https://fmsweb.army.mil/unprotected/splash/.

²All Army Activities (ALARACT) 293/2012, “HQDA EXORD 10-12 ISO the HQDA FY13-15 Active Component Manning Guidance.” Pentagon Telecommunications Center, HQDA, Washington, D.C., October 2012.

³eMILPO website - https://emilpo.ahrs.army.mil.

⁴ALARACT 063/2014, “FRAGO 1 to HQDA EXORD 010-13 ISO THE HQDA FY13-15 Active Component Manning Guidance (ACMG),” March 2014.

MAJ Christopher L. Moore is currently serving as the S1 for the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Knox, Ky. He is a graduate of the Intermediate Level Education program (common core and qualification courses), Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; Adjutant General Captains Career Course, Fort Jackson, S.C.; Adjutant General Officer Basic Course, Fort Jackson; Brigade S1 Operations Course, Fort Leavenworth; Postal Operations Course, Fort Jackson; Basic Instructor Training Course, Fort Jackson; Military Transition Team training, Fort Riley, Kan.; and Recruiting Commanders Course, Fort Jackson. MAJ Moore earned a master’s degree in human resources development from Webster University.