The Failure of the Quadrennial Defense Review to Formulate a Viable Defense Strategy Based Upon the Strategic Reserve

Abstract

The National Security Strategy outlines an ambitious military plan that focuses on transforming and maintaining a Force strength sufficient to dissuade potential adversaries while providing the President a wider range of military options. The Quadrennial Defense Review acknowledges the Department of Defense's responsibility in providing these options to the President as part of its Paradigm Shift in Force Planning. To underwrite its new force-sizing construct the Department of Defense mandate is to maintain sufficient force generation capability and a Strategic Reserve to mitigate risks. Regrettably the Quadrennial Defense Review fails to articulate the feasibility of how it plans to organize resource equip and employ the Strategic Reserve that is so critically linked to America's national defense. Adjunct to the Quadrennial Defense Review's treatment of the Strategic Reserve is the Army's Vision and how it defines its role in the defense of the National Military Strategy. The Army's vision and role are underscored by a three-prong approach; people readiness and transformation. Specifically within the element of Readiness the main objective is to fully integrate the Active and Reserve Component forces. This seamless integration while highly desirable to meet current operational requirements directly impacts and impairs the effective employment of the Army Reserve Component in support of its mandate to provide a Strategic Reserve capability as outlined in the Quadrennial Defense Review Report. The purpose of this research project is to address the Quadrennial Defense Review's failure to realistically provide a viable strategy for the employment of the Strategic Reserve in support of the National Security Strategy and to refute the feasibility of the Army's capacity to provide a ready and relevant force capable of serving as the Nation's Strategic Reserve.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 19, 2004
Accession Number
ADA424240

Entities

People

  • Thomas G. Roxberry

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Combat Operations
  • Combat Readiness
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Department Of Defense
  • Deployment
  • Employment
  • Force Structure
  • Homeland Defense
  • Homeland Security
  • Military Operations
  • Military Personnel
  • National Security
  • Operational Readiness
  • Security
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military Mobilization and Reserve Forces Studies.
  • Strategic Security Studies