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New moves set stage for a stronger, combat-ready force

Aug- 5-2004 » Filed Under: General Military

The following was written by R.L. Brownlee, the acting secretary of the Army, and Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, chief of staff of the Army.

[Link to Full Article]
By R.L. Brownlee and Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Aug. 5, 2004) -- The last few weeks have seen a lot of discussion -- much of it confusing or inaccurate -- about the condition and future readiness of the U.S. Army. We owe it to our men and women in uniform, their families, and our country to get the facts right.

No one disputes that there are currently strains on certain segments of our armed forces. A solution some offer is to increase the permanent end strength of our Army. But simply adding to the total number of people in uniform does not really get to the heart of the problem.

Let us explain. Today our Army has a total force of more than 1 million Soldiers. Yet the vast majority of our Army is not currently deployed. Approximately 123,000 -- or less than 12 percent of the total force -- support operations in Iraq or Afghanistan. In fact, 123,000 members of the 350,000-strong Army National Guard have not been called up.

Overall, 270,000 Soldiers are forward deployed in more than 120 countries, but with a total force in excess of 1 million, this should not stretch the force. Yet, it does. The strain on the force is caused by a force structure that was built for the Cold War. The solution to the problem is to create the right number of deployable Soldiers with the right skills in the right component.

This is why Army transformation is so critical. And so today, our Army is in the midst of the most sweeping transformation since World War II to significantly increase the number of deployable Soldiers and units available around the world.

Army transformation is proceeding along three main avenues.

First, we are restructuring the force into modular formations with the right capabilities for our current and future security environment. This restructuring increases the number of active-duty combat brigades from 33 to 43 or more, using a combination of new recruits and Soldiers drawn from other parts of our Army. Our goal is an Army with more cohesive and combat-ready formations.

Second, we are stabilizing the force with initiatives that will eventually allow most Soldiers to remain based at a single installation for longer periods of time. Stabilization will yield a more predictable lifestyle for our Soldiers and their families.

Third, we are rebalancing our force between the active component of the Army, the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve. This initiative will give our Army more troops available with the skills we need to fight the Global War on Terrorism.

The article continues...


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