How Would an Eight-Division Army Meet Current and Likely Projected Strategic Requirements
Abstract
The current Army force structure provides for ten active component divisions. Given an end strength of 480,000 active component personnel, this force structure continues to be a challenge to support. The issues that the Army continues to face in the areas of recruiting and retention are not short-term in nature. Given today's demographics and the projected future demographics of the primary recruited population of males and females ages 17 to 24, this challenge will only intensify as the Army and the other services continue to recruit approximately 200,000 + personnel each year to man their respective forces. At a time when senior leaders are publicly calling for a larger end-strength to meet the multitude of smaller scale contingencies the military is engaged in globally, the reality of the situation is that a smaller force may be more manageable given resources and demographics. * It is my intent to show how that force can execute all of its assigned missions and meet the requirements of the President's National Security Strategy, the Chairman's National Military Strategy, and the Joint Strategic Capabilities Plan. What I propose is that the Army reshape itself within the 480,000-person force structure from ten divisions to eight divisions, and fully manning an eight-division force vice reduced manning in the larger Army thereby gaining efficiencies that an undermanned force does not enjoy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 10, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA389047
Entities
People
- Michael M. Cannon
Organizations
- United States Army War College