3-1. The Main Command Post (MCP) performs most of the administrative Service functions traditionally 882
associated with the Army Service Component Command. Figure 3-1 depicts the Theater Army 5.4 Main 883
CP Organization. 884
Figure 3-1. Theater Army 5.4 Main Command Post Organization 885
3-2. The MCP is primarily responsible for Title 10, administrative control, Army support to other 886
services, and Army executive agent functions in support of the GCC’s area of responsibility (see Annex 887
B).. The theater army is responsible for providing ADCON over all Army forces forward-stationed, 888
transiting or deployed to the AOR and controls Army support to joint, interagency and multinational 889
elements, as directed by the GCC. In most cases, the theater army fulfills these responsibilities by 890
15 July 2010 (Final Draft) FM 3-93 3-2 allocating resources and delegating missions to subordinate theater enabling commands or brigades, which 891
conduct the detailed planning and execution (actual delivery of products or services). 892
The MCP also supports Army, joint, and multinational forces deployed to JOAs established 893
within the AOR. Such support includes theater opening, RSO&I, common user logistics (CUL) 894
and other services associated with Army Executive Agent responsibilities. The vast majorities 895
of these responsibilities are sustainment-related, and performed through the subordinate TSC and 896
/or deployed ESC (Expeditionary Sustainment Command). Other, non-sustainment ASOS/AEA 897
responsibilities of the theater army include the following (see Annex B for a complete listing of 898
ASOS, AEA, and OPLAN/CONPLAN-derived responsibilities): 899
Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) 900
Theater chemical defense 901
Military working dog program 902
General engineering 903
Detention Operations 904
Military postal services 905
Civil affairs 906
Communications 907
Military support to civil authorities 908
U.S. military confinement facilities 909
Mapping, charting & geodesy 910
Joint combat camera 911
The MCP is primarily a planning and coordination element, and is responsible for developing 912
and maintaining OPLANS/CONPLANS, and Service supporting plans to the GCC’s Theater 913
Campaign Plan. The MCP may provide command and control over Army forces involved in 914
operations, training exercises, and other theater security cooperation activities. It also conducts 915
collaborative planning with any Army headquarters designated to deploy within the AOR. This 916
collaborative planning support facilitates the transition of existing OPLANS/CONPLANS into 917
the incoming headquarters’ own Operation Orders (OPORDs) for execution, and to provide the 918
theater army’s regional expertise to support to the planning and execution of operations, 919
exercises or other theater security cooperation activities. The MCP provides direct planning 920
support to the CCP when it deploys (as a forward CP) to C2 smaller scale contingency 921
operations or to participate in exercises and other theater security cooperation activities. 922
As an operational headquarters, the theater army’s normal battle rhythm and work schedule 923
conform to mission requirements and are coordinated with the Geographic Combatant 924
Commander (GCC) headquarters to which the theater army is assigned. However, during steady 925
state operations most of the theater army staff elements typically works a standard workday that 926
conforms to prevailing business work hours of the local community. The Current Operations 927
Integration Cell (COIC) of the Movement and Maneuver Warfighting Functional Cell is an 928
exception to that norm, and is organized to monitor the activities of Army forces within the AOR 929
24 hrs per day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year, even when the CCP isnot deployed. 930
3-3. The MCP staff organization contains elements of both functional and G-staff/special staff design. 931
Functionally, the MCP staff is organized into six warfighting functional Cells which combine certain G- 932
Staff and Special Staff Sections into logical functional groupings. The six functional Cells are Intelligence, 933
Movement & Maneuver (M2), Fires, Protection, Sustainment, and Mission Command. The theater army 934
Chief of Staff is responsible for overall supervision of MCP operations, and for organizing and training the 935
staff, in accordance with the commander’s guidance. 936
Command Group: The theater army command group includes the commander, a deputy 937
commander, the command sergeant major (CSM), the chief of staff (CoS), secretary to the 938
general staff (SGS), the Political Advisor, Science Advisor plus the enlisted and officer aides to 939
the CG/DCG, and administrative staff and drivers. 940
Personal Staff includes Internal Review, Chaplain, PAO, SJA, Surgeon, Safety, and IG. 941
Theater Army Contingency Command Post Organization
15 July 2010 (Final Draft) FM 3-93 4-3
Special Staff (per FM 5-0) includes all staff elements, which are not personal staff or not 942
assigned to a primary coordinating staff section. The theater army special staff includes the 943
following staff Elements: Inspector General (IG), Staff Judge Advocate (SJA), Public Affairs 944
(PA), Knowledge Management, Chaplain, Red Team, Operations Research Systems Analysis 945
(ORSA), Command Liaison Teams (LNO), and Digital LNO Detachments (when applicable). 946
Intelligence Cell: The Intelligence Cell is composed of the Intelligence Operations, Intelligence 947
Control, G2X and Intelligence Support Sections and the USAF Staff Weather Office. The G2 is 948
the Chief of the Intelligence Cell. 949
Movement & Maneuver Cell: The Movement and Maneuver Cell forms the three integrating 950
Cells: Current Operations Integration Cell (COIC), Future Operations (FUOP) Cell, and Plans 951
Cell (See FM 5-0). The G3 is both the Theater Army Operations Officer, responsible for 952
integrating all components of the operation into the theater army’s single, unified operation, and 953
the Chief of the Movement and Maneuver Warfighting Functional Cell. The Movement and 954
Maneuver Cell also is designed with the traditional G3 operations, support, training, security 955
cooperation and force management sections with the numerous elements subordinate to them. 956
Fires Cell: The Fires Cell is composed of headquarters, electronic warfare (EW), and joint fires 957
sections. The Fires Cell Director is the Theater Army’s Chief of Fires. 958
Protection Cell: The Protection Cell is composed of the Provost Marshall (PMO), Chemical 959
Biological Radiological Nuclear and High Yield Explosives (CBRNE), Air & Missile Defense 960
(AMD), Anti-terrorism/Force Protection, Personnel Recovery, and Safety Staff Sections. The 961
Protection Cell is also responsible for the Operations Security (OPSEC) function. The Chief of 962
the Protection Cell is coded O1C, a multi-functional officer specialty open to MP, Chemical, or 963
Engineer officers. The Corps 4.1 design aligns the Engineer Section under the Protection Cell. 964
The Theater Army design aligns the Engineer section under the Sustainment Cell since its 965
primary duties are sustainment related. The Universal Joint Task List (UJTL) supports this 966
difference by aligning engineer functions under sustainment vice protection. 967
Sustainment Cell: The Sustainment Cell is composed of the G-1/Personnel, G4/Logistics, 968
G8/Financial Management, Engineer and Surgeon Staff Sections. The Chief of the Sustainment 969
Cell is an O-7, General Officer. 970
Mission Command Cell: The Mission Command Cell is composed of the G-7 Information 971
Engagement and G-9 Civil Affairs Sections, as well as the G-6/ Signal Section. The Mission 972
Command Cell is an abstract construction, and does not function in the same manner as the other 973
Warfighting Functional Cells. Although the theater army Commander is, conceptually, the 974
Chief of the Mission Command Cell, the commander does not manage the day-to-day activities 975
of the Cell. As a practical matter, the Chief of Staff is responsible for the day-to-day 976
management and integration of the functions of all component Sections of the Cell. Unlike the 977
other G-staff and functional Cells, ASCCs supported by a Signal Command do not have a 978
permanently assigned G-6/Signal Chief to the theater army headquarters. The commander of the 979
Signal Command (Theater) is dual-hatted as the theater army G-6/Signal Chief in theaters 980
assigned this enabler. 981
982 983
Chapter 4
984