Hollow Force, Hollow Metaphor: Assessing The Current Defense Drawdown
Abstract
In a 1980 testimony to Congress, the Armys Chief of Staff, General Edward Meyer, used the phrase hollow Army to articulate his perception of an undermanned,poorly trained post-Vietnam U.S. Army. While the validity of Meyers assessment remains disputed, Service leaders still use the phrase as an expedient and vivid way to describe shortfalls in readiness, force structure, and modernization. The phrases recurring use, typically in periods following conflict, suggests the existence of a hollow force narrative perpetuated by senior military leaders: following conflict, politicians cut defense budgets too rapidly and too much, making military forces unprepared for the next war. However, the metaphor itself has never really been defined and is being used in the contemporary defense drawdown by Service leaders in different ways. This thesis assess how Service leaders are characterizing the impact of the current defense drawdown (post-Operation Enduring Freedom) and specifically examines where and how they are using the hollow force metaphor. Service posture statements from 2013 to 2015 are analyzed and qualitatively compared between services along three interrelated areas: readiness, force structure, and modernization. Analysis of these statements suggests that each Service is framing the drawdown in different terms and that muddled metaphors like hollow force are preventing political leaders from understanding actual military capability shortfalls. This ambiguity erodes senior military leader credibility and prevents genuine discussions about post-conflict defense policy. The author concludes that hollow force is used predominately by ground-centric forces (Army and Marine Corps), but in different ways and in no less clearer terms than General Meyer used in 1980.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 04, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1010547
Entities
People
- Jon D. Griese
Organizations
- National Defense University