The Army of Excellence: At What Price to Combat Service Support?
Abstract
In 1983, the Army embarked on a plan to redesign, then restructure, and then reorganize the entire tactical Army in support of excellence. Designers of this new 28 division Army force point with pride to units which focus their resources on combat capability. The Army of Excellence also gives a corps structure with greater capabilities in artillery, aviation, and air defense which expanded the ability to influence the Airland Battle. It created light infantry divisions, with enhanced deployment capability. Finally, it eliminated the hollowness which had existed. The Army of Excellence did all of this without the addition of a single space in the active force and only moderate offs to achieve such a force. The first is a refinement in combat service support structure and the second is the expanded willingness to accept risk. This study seeks to examine the changes and impact which the Army of Excellence has brought to combat service support. It will examine the combat service support structure at all levels and within all components. It will make some assessments based on revisions to programmed end strength, the delayed fielding of many logistics unit improvements, and the ability of the divisions, with emphasis on the light infantry divisions, to conduct operations without significant augmentation. This study is a status report on one aspect of the Army of Excellence. It does not attempt to make recommendations for further changes to the total force.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 11, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA195741
Entities
People
- Arthur P. Dupay
Organizations
- United States Army War College