Power Projection is the ability to apply all or some of its elements of national power - political, economic, informational, or military - to rapidly and effectively deploy and sustain forces in and from multiple dispersed locations to respond to crises, to contribute to deterrence, and to enhance regional stability. A Power Projection Platform (PPP) is an Army installations that strategically deploy one or more high priority active component brigades or larger and/or mobilize and deploy high priority Army reserve component units.

The Army?s name for installations that serve as the Corps rear boundary is Power Projection Platform. Force projection typically begins at a power projection platform. There are 15 designated Army power projection platforms within the continental United States (CONUS), along with 2 Marine Corps installations that serve a similar function. As combat units prepare for departure from these installations, Army Reserve units such as deployment support brigades assist the combatant commanders in preparing equipment for shipment to a port of embarkation. At the port, other Army Reserve entities?transportation terminal brigades and battalions?are positioned to process and plan the loading of that equipment onto Military Sealift Command vessels for the second leg of deployment (port to port).

Power Projection Platforms are defined as Army installations that strategically deploy one or more high priority active component brigades or larger and/or mobilize and deploy high priority Army reserve component units. Installations designated as PPP will be prioritized and resources to perform power projection functions together with designated strategic sea and aerial ports in support of national strategy. The TRADOC installations continue to conduct TRADOC mobilization missions of training base expansion and individual replacement operations.

As the Army enters into a sequential call up of the 200K, few mobilization stations will be required in each CONUS Army area. For the most part, these mobilization stations are active installations assigned to FORSCOM. Even though these mobilization stations have a full garrison staff in peacetime, they may require augmentation during mobilization operations. This augmentation will be provided by tailored Garrison Support Units or by Individual Mobilization Augmentees (IMA) who may be called up at the discretion of the installation commander when authorized to augment the installation staff.

The additional work load created by Reserve units mobilizing at power projection platforms can disrupt a garrison's peacetime operational structure. However, the missions of various Army Reserve units can enhance an installation's capability to process an influx of soldiers and equipment. One of the key expanders at each power projection platform is the Army Reserve garrison support unit. This unit's primary purpose is to provide administrative, intelligence, operations, and logistics base operations support to the installation commander.

All installations in America's Army are members of the power projection team and have corresponding responsibilities. For example, responsibilities may extend from training, provisioning, and deploying a tactical unit, to acting as a CONUS support base.

The Army installations that support mobilization and deployment activities must be seen as power projection platforms. Included are the facilities and infrastructure to support MDRD. Mobilization stations deploy specified units and equipment; process, validate, and deploy mobilized units; and process and move individuals designated as nonunit-related personnel to CRCs. They may perform additional missions such as: Regional marshaling area support for deploying forces, POE/POD (port of debarkation) processing support (arrival/departure airfield control group [A/DACG] and port support activity [PSA]) at USTRANSCOM-directed POEs and PODs.

All installations that have either active Army units, RC individuals, or individual units mobilizing and deploying through are considered power projection platforms. These installations must have the required facilities in place to house, feed, train, and deploy the units. These facilities include training, maintenance, supply, administration, billeting, and transportation. Prime examples of these facilities are: Airfields, railroads and railheads, Warehousing to support basic loads and additional requirements at staging areas.

The immediate nature of force projection dictates that the facilities available to support the operation are those existing at the time the operation commences. Maximum use of all facilities is a must. Deploying units must vacate all barracks, administrative, and related facilities to provide space for mobilizing individuals and/or follow-on units. During peacetime unit deployments as emergency deployment readiness exercises, units practice procedures wherein they clean the barracks, inventory and store personal items in a portion of the facility, and prepare for the next potential occupants. For actual deployment situations, additional existing facilities, such as service clubs or gymnasiums where latrine and shower facilities are located, are converted to barracks and provided to incoming units.