We Need More Troops - Why America's Army Is Too Small
Abstract
The Army is maintaining near force breaking operational tempo while conducting world wide operations in the War on Terror. Many critics believe the Army's share of the Defense budget is the culprit. This project asserts that there are deeper issues. Americans inherited an aversion to large standing armies from our English forefathers that established a national trend of relying on militias in times of crisis. The second effect is the nation's belief that war is an anomaly, not a recurring condition. This belief generates an expectation in the American people and Congress that a large "peace dividend" follows any conflict, resulting in a shift of fiscal resources from the military. The third cause is rooted in the American way of war. Decisive operations are rapid operations designed to quickly defeat an adversary while incurring minimal US casualties. Successful decisive operations do not require a large army; but they do require investment in highly technical systems that come at the expense of maintaining an adequate Army end strength needed for other than decisive operations. The end result is an Army that is insufficiently manned and trained for prolonged operations and those scenarios in which decisive operations are neither applicable nor effective.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 02, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA469606
Entities
People
- John W. Miller Iii
Organizations
- United States Army War College