This report is a record of how U.S. Army planners of the Training and Doctrine Command developed during 1978-80 modernized concepts and structures for the divisions, corps, and higher echelons of the Army that was envisioned for the late 1980s. This volume treats the background of the effort and its central first task, the development, through October 1979, of Division 86, the heavy division. Carried through by the TRADOC commander, General Donn A. Starry, the Division 86 effort had its origins in significant division restructuring studies and evaluations by his predecessor, General William E. DePuy, but posed a new departure in its conceptual approach. This was based on General Starry's view of the NATO central battle and its constituent functional elements, as elucidated in a Battlefield Development Plan prepared in November 1978. Starry involved the TRADOC schools and integrating centers fully in the study, analysis, and structuring of Division 86, employing functional task forces which developed operational concepts spelling out the battlefield functions of target servicing, air defense, suppression and counterfire, interdiction, command-control-communications and electronic warfare, logistical support, force mobility, surveillance-fusion, and reconstitution. From these operational concepts, the task forces weighed exhaustively the organizational options, as guided by the TRADOC commander and the Chief of Staff of the Army. Approval in principle of Division 86 signaled the beginning of the remaining Army 86 Studies -the light division, the corps, and echelons above corps.

The division restructuring study of 1976 -- Starry's central battle and battlefield development plan -- Defining the new division (August-November 1978) -- Division 86 takes shape (December 1978-April 1979) -- Toward an objective division (April-October 1979) -- The Chief of Staff decides -- List of acronyms and abbreviations.