Reposturing the Force: Implications of Budget Reductions and Regional Rebalancing

Abstract

The United States is making essential budgetary and military posture decisions to retain its global influence and support economic recovery. The Budget Control Act of 2011 and President Obama's guidance to rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region provides clear direction for the Department of Defense (DoD). The increased U.S. focus on the Asia-Pacific region, coupled with diminishing resources, creates potential national security risks and requires DoD to reassess its force projection, prepositioning, and forward stationing strategies. This paper evaluates the trade-offs inherent in force projection, forward stationing, and prepositioning strategies, and recommends that DoD employ a threat-based strategy supported by regional engagement programs to reduce the vulnerability to national security.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA589409

Entities

People

  • Layton G. Dunbar Jr.

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Combatant Commanders
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Department Of Defense
  • Disasters
  • Geographic Regions
  • Governments
  • Humanitarian Assistance
  • Military Force Levels
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Security
  • United States
  • United States Central Command
  • United States Government
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.