In 1917, General Pershing dictated General Orders, No. 8 creating the staff organization of the American Expeditionary Forces and subordinate army corps and division staffs. The new structure was developed in response to modern field conditions and was originally derived from a comprehensive study of French and British army staffs. Although doctrine and organization of the United States Army have changed significantly and repeatedly, the divisional staff structure has remained remarkably consistent. This monograph examines headquarters staff organization in relation to the modern field conditions within which the Objective Force will operate. Modern field conditions are rapidly changing as the twenty-first century begins. The nature of the Objective Force reflects a transformation in U.S. Army organization and operation. The Army will be an extremely versatile, combined arm maneuver force expected to perform a variety of roles and missions. As a result, the staff, the mechanism that enables commanders to command and control their forces, must also be examined to determine if this ninety year old structure is suitable for effective employment of the Objective Force. The hierarchical, functional organization and bureaucratic legacy of headquarters staffs no longer maximize the overall combat effectiveness and efficiency of Army forces. Current staff organization lacks the agility to rapidly employ the Objective Force. Nor is it modular, adaptable, interoperable or echeloned enough to achieve synchronized, integrated and lethal operations under modern field conditions. In order to determine whether the current division-level general staff organization can employ the Objective Force, a discussion of modern field conditions or the Current Operating Environment (COE) is included as is an outline of basic organizational theory. A survey of the evolution of the United States Army's division staff structure provides a means to identify trends, shortfalls, and successes in staff design. The staff organization and theory of the United States Marine Corps, the British Army division and the French Army division staffs are examined and offer unique perspectives on the organization and function of headquarters staffs. As a result of research conducted, the author concluded that: The division staff organization requires significant restructuring. Force designers must abandon the constraints of the bureaucratic organization intended to support mechanistic, predictable and consecutive operations and consider potential organizational concepts that are more conducive to achieving excellence under modern field conditions. Functional hierarchies and mirrored echelons serve little purpose on a dynamic, non-contiguous battlefield.

ADA 403843 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.)