First Earth Battalion

The First Earth Battalion was a concept paper written by Lieutenant Colonel Jim Channon and issued in 1979 in the concept-paper series of Task Force Delta at Headquarters, Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia. Its title page names Colonel D. H. Malone as author of the foreword and Major M. M. Ischinger and Colonel Malone (spelled Melone in the sponsors' line) as sponsors, and its disclaimer reads: "The views expressed in this concept paper are those of the author(s) and do not purport to reflect the positions or policies of the Department of the Army or of the Department of Defense. Requests for additional information or clarification regarding this concept paper should be addressed to HQ TRADOC, ATTN: ATCS-SO, Ft. Monroe, VA." The foreword calls it "a place to dream," "an 'Earth' battalion because of what we know about a shrinking world, and about interdependencies among men, and nations, and natural resources," and appoints Channon "C.O., First Earth Battalion, responsible for assimilating, integrating, and communicating what the future may hold for our Army."¹

Later accounts date Task Force Delta variously to 1979, as a briefing to commanders at Fort Knox, and to 1983, as a think tank convened at Fort Leavenworth, and relate it to the human performance programs that Albert Stubblebine's INSCOM ran, such as the High Performance Task Force of 1983, whose report does not mention it.¹²