c. The DISCOM provides support from that portion of the combat zone allocated to the
division. The DISCOM headquarters, the main support battalion (MSB), and an aircraft maintenance
company (AMCO) primarily occupy the division support area (DSA) and three FSBs occupy the BSAs.
(1) The DSA is normally located between the division rear boundary and the brigade rear
boundary, and adjacent to air landing facilities and the main supply route. Its precise location is
contingent on tactical plans, the location of corps support command (COSCOM) supply installations,
terrain in the area of operations, security considerations, and accessibility to the lines of communication.
In coordination with the assistant division commander for support, the G3, and the G4, the DISCOM
commander recommends locations for the DSA to the division commander and orders the movement
DISCOM elements within the DSA.
(2) Planning considerations for site selection of the DSA differ only in scale from those of
selecting the BSA. It is a matter of more numerous and larger units the DSA. There is no firm rule for
the size of the DSA. An area of 200 to 450 square kilometers should be considered in terrain offering
medium cover and concealment. In addition, COSCOM units operating in support of the division may
also be located in the DSA.
d. The key combat service support (CSS) operators in the heavy divisions are the FSBs, the
MSB, and the AMCO.
2. DISCOM Organization. The DISCOM is organized to provide division-level CSS (except
construction, finance services, personnel and legal services, public affairs, and classified maps) to all
organic and attached elements of the division. The DISCOM has a unique organization, depending on
the type of division supported. The DISCOM organization in the different types of divisions is
explained in the following paragraphs.
a. Armored and mechanized infantry. The DISCOM organizations for armored and
mechanized infantry divisions are shown in Figures 1-1 and 1-2, page 1-5. Each of these DISCOMs has
about 2,900 assigned soldiers. The only difference between the two is the number of tank and infantry
maintenance support teams found in their FSBs.
(1) The headquarters and headquarters company/materiel management center (HHC/MMC),
with about 245 soldiers, consists of a headquarters company and the DISCOM headquarters. The
headquarters company provides overhead support (billeting, field feeding, unit supply and maintenance,
and security) to the DISCOM headquarters. The DISCOM headquarters provides personnel and
equipment for the command and control of all organic and attached units of the DISCOM. It also
supervises and controls all CSS operations (except personnel, legal, and chaplain services; military
police support; and civil affairs). The DISCOM headquarters also advises the division commander and
staff concerning supply, maintenance, transportation, and services, and the conduct of these CSS
functions throughout the division.
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