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This Congressional Budget Office (CBO) memorandum was prepared as an initial response to a request from the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Subcommittee on Personnel of the Senate Armed Services Committee. It summarizes the results of an ongoing CBO study that looks at the mix of active and reserve-component units in the Army, as well as possible alternative force structures for the Army. The full study will be released later in the year. The summary is being published now to aid the Senate in its debate of the 1998 defense authorization bill.

Frances Lussier of CBO's National Security Division and JoAnn Vines of CBO's Budget Analysis Division prepared the memorandum under the direction of Cindy Williams, R. William Thomas, and Michael A. Miller. The authors gratefully acknowledge the analytical assistance of Douglas J. Taylor and the useful comments of Lane Pierrot. Christian Spoor edited the manuscript, Marlies Dunson provided editorial assistance, and Judith Cromwell prepared the memorandum for publication.

Questions about the analysis may be addressed to Frances Lussier or JoAnn Vines.
 
 

CURRENT ARMY FORCES

• Force Requirements
• Issues Concerning the Army's Current Force Structure

THE ARMY'S PLAN FOR ITS FORCE STRUCTURE

ALTERNATIVES TO THE ARMY'S PLAN

• Alternative I: Increase Reliance on Host-Nation Support and Civilian Contractors
• Alternative II: Create Additional Support Forces in the Active Army
• Alternative III: Rely More on Host-Nation Support and Also Create Additional Support Forces in the Active Army
• Alternative IV: Rely More Heavily on the Reserve Component to Conduct the Second MRC

CONCLUSIONS
 

TABLES
1.	Alternatives for Modifying the Army's Force Structure
2.	Effect of the Army's Plan and Four Alternatives on Deployment Times and Annual Costs
3.	Effect of the Army's Plan and Four Alternatives on the Number of Deployable Forces
FIGURES
1.	Army Force Structure Planned for 1999
2.	Deployable Army Forces for Two Major Regional Conflicts,Compared with Army Requirements
3.	Total Army Forces Under the 1999 Structure, the Army's Plan, and Four Alternatives

 

The U.S. Army provides the bulk of the ground forces needed to carry out the nation's defense strategy. That strategy has changed dramatically over the past 10 years--from the Cold War mission of deterring or defeating the forces of the Soviet Union and its allies, to a strategy that emphasizes being able to fight and win major regional conflicts, take part in peacekeeping and humanitarian relief efforts, and help maintain domestic tranquility and civil order. To play its role in carrying out those missions, the Army maintains three separate organizations: the active Army, the Army National Guard, and the Army Reserve.

This document is available in its entirety in PDF.