Force Structure: Army Support Forces Can Meet Two-Conflict Strategy with Some Risks
Abstract
Most of the active Army is divided between operational (63 percent) and institutional forces (25 percent), with the remainder of the force in temporary status, such as students (12 percent). Historically, these percentages have remained relatively constant. Operational forces are generally those forces that deploy to MRCs and other military operations. The operational force is further divided into the 10 war-fighting divisions and 2 armored cavalry regiments, and the deployable combat support and combat service support units needed to sustain this force in wartime. Combat support includes such specialties as chemical, engineering, military intelligence, and military police, while combat service support includes specialties such as transportation, medical, finance, quartermaster, and ordnance. The institutional force, called the Table of Distribution and Allowances (TDA) force, provides generally nondeployable support to the Army infrastructure, including training, doctrine development, base operations, supply, and maintenance. The Army uses different processes to determine requirements and allocate resources to each portion of the active Army. Combat forces are determined by defense guidance, which establishes the number of divisions, and Army doctrine, which establishes the number and type of forces dedicated to those divisions. The Army uses a process known as Total Army Analysis (TAA) to determine the number and types of support units needed to support the Army's combat forces and to allocate personnel authorizations to required units. TAA results are determined biennially. For example, TAA 2003, which was completed in January 1996, projects requirements through the year 2003. Resourcing decisions made as a result of TAA are used to develop future Army budgets. Requirements for the Army's institutional forces are determined outside the TAA process and are allocated largely at the major command level.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- AD1179611
Entities
People
- Carol R. Schuster
- Gwendolyn R. Jaffe
- Janet A. St. Laurent
- Joseph J. Faley
- Joseph W. Kirschbaum
- Marc J. Schwartz
- Margaret A. Klucsarits
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office