The information contained below is an extract from Field Manual 101-5, Staff Organization and Operations, 31 May 1997.

This chapter provides the basic foundation of staff organizations from battalion through corps. Staff structures and organizations, within the limitations of regulations and laws, often reflect the commander's operational requirements, experience, and span of control. The Army uses standardized staff organizations to benefit from consistency in performance, responsibilities (regardless of unit type or echelon), training, and resources.

BASIS FOR STAFF ORGANIZATIONS

Military staffs are organized according to the following interrelated considerations:

The mission determines activities units are to accomplish. These activities, in turn, determine how the commander organizes, tailors, or adapts the staff to accomplish the mission.

Regardless of the command mission, every Army staff has common broad fields of interest that determine how the commander divides duties and responsibilities. Grouping related activities allows an effective span of control and unified effort. Broad fields of interest include--

The broad fields of interest may vary, depending on the echelon of command, the mission, and the environment. For example, at the battalion level there is not a resource manager. The commander, however, adds the field of interest to other echelons when resource management is a major consideration.

Army regulations and laws establish special relationships between certain staff officers and the commander. For example, AR 20-1, AR 27-1, and AR 165-1 require the inspector general (IG), the staff judge advocate (SJA), and the chaplain to be members of the commander's personal staff.

FACTORS AFFECTING STAFF ORGANIZATIONS

Each commander must use his professional knowledge, experience, and leadership style to develop and efficiently and effectively organize his staff. Several factors influence staff organization, including the--

AUTHORIZATION FOR STAFF ORGANIZATIONS

Every organization and activity must have an authorization document to reflect an organizational structure supportable by manning and equipping systems. An authorization document states a unit's approved structure and resources and is the basis and authority for requisitioning. Every staff has a modified table of organization and equipment (MTOE) or a table of distribution and allowances (TDA), or a combination of both that authorizes the staff.

An MTOE is a unit's wartime authorization document. The commander develops the MTOE from the table of organization and equipment (TOE). The TOE prescribes the organizational structure, personnel, and equipment authorizations and requirements of a military unit. Because of a unit's specific mission, the environment, or other reasons, the TOE is modified into an MTOE. An MTOE prescribes, in more detail, the unit's organization, personnel, and equipment authorized to accomplish the doctrinal mission in a specific geographical or operational environment or at a specific point on its modernization path. An MTOE lists authorized staff sections, personnel, and equipment. The commander can change the MTOE with Department of the Army (DA) approval.

A TDA is an authorization document. The TDA prescribes the organizational structure for a unit having a support mission or function for which a TOE does not exist and which may include civilian positions. TDAs are unique authorization documents. They help the staff attain the most efficient operational capability possible, using manpower spaces the command force structure prescribes, to accomplish specific missions and functions. Types of TDA documents include mobilization, augmentation, and full-time support TDAs.

NOTE: See FM 100-11 for a discussion of authorization documents.

BASIC STAFF STRUCTURE MODEL

Staffs at every echelon of command are structured differently, but every staff has some commonalities. The basic model for all staff structures includes a chief of staff (CofS) or executive officer (XO) and three staff groups: coordinating, special, and personal. The number of coordinating, special, and personal staff officers within each staff group varies at different levels of command. The commander may integrate TDA staffs with MTOE staffs to promote unity of effort and to save resources. Figure 2-1 depicts the basic staff model.

Chief of Staff (Executive Officer)

The CofS (XO) is the commander's principal staff officer. He directs staff tasks, conducts staff coordination, and ensures efficient and prompt staff response. The CofS oversees coordinating and special staff officers. He does not necessarily oversee the commander's personal staff officers, although he normally interacts with them every day. The commander normally delegates authority to the CofS for the executive management of coordinating and special staff officers.

Figure 2-1. Staff structure model

Coordinating Staff Group

Coordinating staff officers are the commander's principal staff assistants and are directly accountable to the CofS. Coordinating staff officers are responsible for one or a combination of broad fields of interest. (See Chapter 4 for specific responsibilities and duties.) They help the commander coordinate and supervise the execution of plans, operations, and activities. Collectively, through the CofS, they are accountable for the commander's entire field of responsibilities. The staff is not accountable for functional areas the commander decides to personally control.

Commanders may designate coordinating staff officers as assistant chiefs of staff (ACofSs), deputy chiefs of staff (DCofSs), directors, or regular staff officers. These positions generally reflect the degree of authority the commander delegates to coordinating staff officers and the scope and complexity of operations within a command. However, the commander establishes a staff officer's actual authority if it is not inherent in his title. A coordinating staff officer's authority is limited to advising, planning, and coordinating actions within his field of interest. He also coordinates and integrates appropriate special staff officer activities into operations. The commander might also give a coordinating staff officer added authority to act on specific matters within his field of interest.

Directors have staff and line authority. For example, the director of logistic operations might be responsible for operating support activities in addition to his normal responsibilities. Typically, a commander might delegate significant responsibility and authority to a director to enable him to accomplish specific functions.

Normally, coordinating staff officers have a direct interest in other staff officers' fields of interest. Therefore, a clear definition of staff responsibilities is necessary to ensure coordination and to eliminate conflict. Unit SOPs or organization and functions manuals give procedures that specify primary responsibilities and requirements for coordination.

Coordinating staff officers are responsible for acquiring information and analyzing its implications for and impact on the command. More important, coordinating staff officers must provide timely and accurate recommendations to the commander to help him make the best possible decisions. While doing so, coordinating staff officers must often request and receive information and recommendations from special staff officers. However, they must be sure to inform all other coordinating staff officers, as required.

NOTE: A coordinating staff officer working for a general officer is normally designated as a "G" staff officer. For example, the ACofS for operations, G3, normally is at corps, corps support command (COSCOM), and division levels. At division support command (DISCOM), regiment, brigade, and battalion levels, the operations officer is designated as the S3.

Special Staff Group

Special staff officers help the commander and other members of the staff in their professional or technical functional area. The specific number of special staff officers and their duties vary at each level of command. Special staff sections are organized according to functional areas. For example, the fire support coordinator (FSCOORD) is the staff officer whose functional area is fire support and artillery. In some cases, a special staff officer is a unit commander, for example, a division artillery commander or an engineer brigade commander at division or corps.

The commander assigns responsibilities to specific coordinating staff officers for each of the special staff functions. Although special staff sections may not be integral to a coordinating staff section, there are usually areas of common interest and habitual association. Therefore, a coordinating staff officer might be responsible for coordinating a special staff's actions. For example, at division level the G3 coordinates all matters relating to fires and engineers with the FSCOORD, the engineer coordinator (ENCOORD), the air/naval gunfire liaison company (ANGLICO) commander, the aviation coordinator (AVCOORD), and the air liaison officer (ALO).

Other special staff officers may deal routinely with more than one coordinating staff officer. For example provost marshal (PM) functions are operationally aligned under the G3, but he coordinates with the G1, G2, G4, and G5.

Personal Staff Group

Personal staff members work under the commander's immediate control. They also may serve as special staff officers as they coordinate actions and issues with other staff members. When performing their duties as special staff officers, these personal staff officers may work through the CofS and under a specific coordinating staff officer for coordination and control purposes. Members of the personal staff include--

Typical personal staff members include the command sergeant major (CSM), chaplain, inspector general (IG), public affairs officer (PAO), surgeon, dentist, and staff judge advocate (SJA). Members may perform some duties as personal staff officers and some as special staff officers or members of a coordinating staff section. For example, the SJA is also responsible for his staff section's operations.

STAFF MODELS

All Army staff organizations at corps through battalion levels use a basic model to begin the organization of their staffs (Figure 2-1). Each commander then tailors his staff according to his specific needs. Whether the staff is called a G staff or an S staff depends on who is in command. A unit commanded by a general officer has a G staff. A unit commanded by a colonel or below has an S staff.

Major Commands (G Staffs) (Corps and Division)

Figure 2-2 shows the typical staff organization for a corps or division. The staff of a major command has each of the major staff groups: coordinating, special, and personal staff officers. (See Chapter 4 for the duties and responsibilities of each of these officers.)

In a corps or division, the deputy or assistant commander extends the commander's span of control in areas and functions as the commander designates. The deputy or assistant commander's specific duties vary from corps to corps and division to division, but typically include rear operations or a special operation in conjunction with close operations.

A division normally has two assistant division commanders (ADCs) to extend the division commander's control in designated areas and functions. The ADC's specific duties also vary from division to division. Typical duties might include being the ADC for maneuver or operations or the ADC for support.

Staffs of Smaller Units (S Staffs) (Regiments, Brigades, and Battalions)

The staffs of smaller units are organized according to the basic staff model. Their coordinating staff officers control functional areas of interest more suited to their unit's mission. The staffs of units smaller than division must meet unit requirements. Figure 2-3 depicts a typical smaller-unit staff structure. (See Chapter 4 for the duties and responsibilities of each staff officer.)

Smaller-unit staff functions are generally the same as those for larger staffs. However, the operational nature of smaller units might require some modification. For example, staff activities, such as advising, planning, coordinating, and supervising, are more informal at small units than at higher levels. The functional area of interest should remain, however, even when the function is absent.

Figure 2-2. Typical corps or division staff structure

Figure 2-3. Typical smaller-unit staff structure (brigade and battalion)