Preparing for a Spectrum of Conflicts
The United States needs strong, flexible forces that operate within our budgetary means.
"I'm a Hawk, but I'm a cheap Hawk." Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich
One effective approach would be the following:
----Expand the Marine Corps to four full strength Marine Expeditionary Forces (“MEF”) (One Marine Division, One Air Wing, One Force Support Group and ancillary forces). These act in an expeditionary role, deploying flexible response forces ranging from a special operations capable Marine Expeditionary Unit (“MEU [SOC]”) (a Marine Air Ground Task Force [“MAGTF”] built around an Infantry Battalion) to one or more MEFs, all levels of which are MAGTFs, to develop the situation in a Theater of Operations.
----Reduce the active Army to four maneuver Divisions (one Airborne [“ABN”], one Air Assault [“AASLT”], one Armor and one Mechanized Infantry [“Mech”])
and one Corps Headquarters.
---Keep all existing Artillery units at the Corps-level and form them into “Artillery
Divisions,” form all existing Aviation units at the Corps level into “Cavalry Divisions (Air Combat).”
---Use this "New Model Army" to fight in coalitions in Mature Theaters of Operations to “stiffen the spine” of allied forces and to provide state-of-the-art fires and Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition ("RSTA") capabilities.
---The Armored Cavalry Regiments (2d, 3d and 11th (ACRs) would be configured and employed as true cavalry units, rather than as heavy brigades (“BDES”) or training units.
---Maneuver Divisions would train in their primary Battlefield Operating Specialty (Armor, Mech, ABN and AASLT) and would also train to use Strycker vehicles in a peace-keeping/peace enforcing or counter insurgency ("COIN") role. Their training would span a conflict spectrum from Medium Intensity Conflict (such as the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 Invasion of Iraq) to Low Intensity Conflict/Operations Other than War (such as the Iraq War, peacekeeping in Bosnia, the intervention in Hatti in 1994).
----Branch Qualified Army Captains (those who have attended the Career Course, commanded at the Company level and been a Primary or Special Staff Officer) would be seconded to allied Armies, especially those in Africa and the Middle East, as Company-level Commanders and Primary Staff Officers. Demonstrated language proficiency and cultural knowledge in one or more target languages and cultures would be one criterion for promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel or higher.
---The National Guard would be realigned to provide Civil Affairs, basic Civil Engineering and Light Infantry/Security functions more useful to Governors for things like Hurricane Katrina relief and to the President for missions like the current ones in Iraq, Afghanistan and for security and rebuilding functions in any future Medium Intensity Conflict.
---The Army and Marine Reserve would be reconfigured to be a “holding pen” for people with relevant skills. Modern management techniques would be used to assign and develop these individuals. Changes to law would be made to allow the flexible appointment of civilians with required skills as Reserve Senior Non-Commissioned (“NCOs”), Warrant and Commissioned Officers. Consider this "off the shelf" Soldiers and Marines to compliment "off the shelf " equipment.
---There would be periodic review of making Special Operations Command a separate Service Branch, like the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.
---Thought should be given to returning Tactical Aviation/Close Air Support
("TACAIR/CAS") and Battlefield Air Interdiction ("BAI") missions, people and assets to the Army, rather than having these people, assets and missions remain part of the Air Force.
---The Navy would be required to bring their competing Communities (e.g. Aviation, Surface Line, Submariners and Special Warfare) together to develop more flexible and cost effective approaches to the dual missions of controlling the sea lanes and conducting littoral warfare.