Army Readiness and the Reserve Roundouts: A New Perspective
Abstract
The Persian Gulf War of 1990-91 was the first major conflict since the Total Force Policy became an integral part of our National Security Strategy in 1971. This conflict was the first large-scale mobilization of reserve forces since the Korean War. The lack of readiness of the 13,000 combat-arms soldiers activated from three of the four existing reserve roundout brigades became a troubling and controversial issue for the Army's leadership. New training strategies, known as BOLD SHIFT, were implemented in September 1991 to correct the readiness shortfalls that appeared during this mobilization. However, given the on-going reduction in force that will result in tomorrows smaller, contingency-oriented Army, more than training reforms are needed to maximize the effectiveness of the roundout concept. This study identifies the other military factors, such as mobilization planning and force structure changes, as well as some of the political and legislative issues that must be addressed in light of the problems incurred in past mobilizations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 15, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA264580
Entities
People
- Norman L. Williamson
Organizations
- United States Army War College