A Hollow Army in the 21st Century: Will History Repeat Itself?
Abstract
With the end of major military operations in Iraq in 2011, and in Afghanistan in 2014, the U.S. Army begins another transformative era. The challenge of maintaining a large standing Army without a comparable large scale mission, in an environment characterized by diminishing resources, compounded by global economic crisis, poses unprecedented challenges to our organization. We must find ways to retain the combat and operational experience of an Army that has been in combat for over a decade, while enabling a future force that remains the best trained, best equipped, best led, and most capable. The Army is the largest service and thus, through history, has been cut the most during post-conflict draw downs. What will be different in a post-Afghanistan Army? There are potential solutions to the problem set that we face today. Our Army's history is full of examples. The strategic environment today is very similar to the situations we faced following two World Wars, Korea, and the Cold War. In each of those situations, the Army force structure and budgets were reduced sharply following major combat commitments. The lessons learned in those eras can provide possible solutions or options relevant for tomorrow's Army.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 22, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA561800
Entities
People
- Richard A. Rivera
Organizations
- United States Army War College