United States Army Regionally Aligned Forces: Opportunities for the Future
Abstract
Regional alignment will allow the Army to provide the means to accomplish national strategic objectives on scale previously unrealized. Regional alignment will deliver a low-cost means to increase the stability of selected countries or regions while simultaneously decreasing the probability and frequency of the U.S. engaging in high-cost sustained land combat operations. Regionally aligned forces will not stop the U.S. from engaging in future wars on land, and the U.S. Army must always prepare to dominate the nation's future adversaries with overwhelming violence. However, the development of skills and the acquisition of knowledge required to optimize the potential of a regionally aligned force will allow the U.S. to more effectively shape the land domain in peace, dominate in war, and transition to a better peace. Through an enhanced contextual appreciation of regional systems, U.S. Army regionally aligned forces will move closer to bridging the constant tension between efficacy and efficiency within the military. Through a measured and deliberate pace of change the U.S. Army has the opportunity to make cultural and institutional changes within itself to optimize the concept of regional alignment and cement their politically perceived relevancy irrespective of war. Namely, the U.S. Army needs to enhance how it develops talent within the force, and generates combat power for regional alignment while simultaneously remaining vigilant and ready to win the next war on land.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 22, 2014
- Accession Number
- AD1003797
Entities
People
- Andrew M. Beal
Organizations
- School of Advanced Military Studies