This study examines the need to change the field artillery's four standard tactical missions because of the U.S. Army's evolution to Force XXI operations. Currently the field artillery organizes field artillery for combat and assigns a tactical mission (direct support, reinforcing, general support, or general support reinforcing) to each unit. These four missions may not provide a specific enough purpose for field artillery units providing fires to the future force of the 21st century. The author provides the reader with background definitions, an explanation of the process of organizing field artillery for combat, and a description of the Army concepts for Force XXI. The author analyzes the research question through a study of the Mobile Strike Force (MSF) concept, a study of field artillery employment in Operation Desert Storm, and interviews with senior field artillery leaders. The author concludes that the four standard tactical missions should expand to include a Mission Oriented Task and Purpose (MOTP) statement. The MOTP statement will ensure that supporting field artillery fires are linked to the maneuver task and purpose for each mission. The thesis proposes several categories of MOTP statements for use in the future. The author recommends that the field artillery experiment with the MOTP process to see if it adequately addresses the intent for field artillery fires.

ADA 299379 Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)