The Cadre Division
Abstract
Five times in this century the United States has mobilized to fight wars for which they were initially not prepared. After each of these wars, the military was 'down-sized' to meet austere budgets. Given the inability of the country and her leaders to adequately learn the lessons of history, what lessons can we apply to the current restructuring within the U.S. Army? How can we economically maintain structures which have the capability to rapidly expand should the national interests be threatened? How can we keep highly trained professionals within the Army, active and reserve, who can rapidly regenerate fighting forces? The cadre division is the concept which will allow the Army to regenerate fighting divisions in the shortest possible time with the smallest feasible cost to the American taxpayer. This concept puts a cadre of active and reserve soldiers in divisional units to plan and train for expansion of the cadre division to a heavy division which is a combat ready and capable unit. In comparison to an active or reserve component heavy division, the cadre division is relatively cheap, but it is not without cost. To be successful the cadre division must have a relatively large contingent of active duty soldiers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 20, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA250990
Entities
People
- Henry G. Holcomb
Organizations
- United States Army War College