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Challenges for the Army in the 21st Century

Secretary of the Army Pete Geren spoke at the Center for National Policy on "Challenges for the Army in the 21st Century." The discussion served as a backdrop to CNPs forthcoming manuscript on defense transformation entitled "Agility Across the Spectrum: A Future Force Blueprint."  

Secretary Geren began his address by commending the Army on being the "best-trained [and] best equipped" force the United States has ever fielded, but warned that unless it addresses a number of structural imbalances, it will be hard-pressed to meet the multifaceted demands of a 21st Century fighting force.  Specifically, sweeping budgetary and personell cuts enacted during the 1990s created an army which was too small to effectively protect the United State's burgeoning global commitments.  By relying on 15-month extended combat tours, extensive deployment of the Reserve and Guard forces, and an almost 1:1 ratio of troops to support contractors, the Army has degraded its ability to address the full-spectrum of conventional and asymmetric threats.  Longer tours necessitated by overburdened forces reduce valuable time to reunite with families and train for emerging threats, while the widespread use of the National Guard and Army Reserve puts undue stress on forces designed to be deployed "one weekend a month and two weekends in the summer." Likewise, the Army's increased reliance on private contractors presents numerous issues regarding regulatory oversight and abuse of power.  

The Secretary stated that the Army must focus on both family support and increased societal outreach if it is to increase its ranks without enacting a draft.  Soldiers who are personally committed to military careers come with families who must bear the burden of their deployment.  By minimizing support for military families through lengthy and geographically remote deployments, the Army deters the enlistment of qualified and dedicated servicemen.  Furthermore, Geren argues that military recruitment is too restricted to the confines of military families.  Although "army brats" following in their parents' footsteps provide an invaluable source of elite recruitment, their numbers are too small and regionalized to fulfill the Army's growing personnel needs.  Recruitment must come, not from select regions already familiar with the Army's institutions, but from the nation as a whole.  Secretary Geren concluded by reminding the audience that an all-volunteer Army is a "national treasure" embodying determination, professionalism and adaptability in the face of a dynamic and multifaceted threat environment. Traditionally recognized as a balanced force representing recruits from every region of the country, the Army must be able to recruit once again in the northeastern U.S. By emphasizing recruitment, family support, and advanced training, the United States can be sure to maintain such a force well into the 21st Century.