The Army Of The Future

 

The Army Of The Future -- Brookings 

A Discussion with General Raymond T. Odierno, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army This event was broadcast live on CSPAN.org. As the Pentagon adapts to budget cuts, new strategic priorities, and continued fighting in Afghanistan, the U.S. Army must still look ahead in order to respond to future challenges. In wrestling with the transforming international security environment as well as new budget realities, the institution and its leadership must be ready to ask the right questions about what lies past the horizon and then develop responses that reflect its innovative and adaptive character.

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My Comment: An informative discussion .... check it out.

The Gutting Of The U.S. Army

Chief: Sequestration Could Cost U.S. Army 200,000 Soldiers -- Defense News

Even without sequestration, the U.S. Army may be forced to cut its end strength further than the already planned-for 80,000 troops over the next several years, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said on Feb. 15.

Under current plans, the 570,000-strong Army will fall to 490,000 in coming years, as part of the postwar rebalancing of the armed services.

Speaking at the Brookings Institution in Washington, Odierno said, “my guess is that we’ll go even a little bit smaller in order for me to balance the readiness and modernization. We’re still working that number.”

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Update #1: Gen. Odierno: Army will lose 100,000 soldiers under defense cuts -- Washington Times
Update #2: Odierno: Budget cuts could impact training, deployment -- Stars and Stripes

My Comment: I made a prediction about a year ago using the British template of sudden and drastic budget cuts to balance the books on what such a scenario may play with the U.S. military. In short .... I predicted a 30% - 50% cut in the U.S. military. Sadly .... it looks like this scenario is something that even General Odierno is beginning to realize may happen.

U.S. Army Deployments To Be Extended

Odierno Outlines Cuts, Extended Deployments -- Army Times

Even without sequestration, the Army may be forced to cut its end strength further than the already planned-for 80,000 troops over the next several years and soldiers deployed to Afghanistan next year may see their war tours extended because budget cuts will drastically limit training for brigades to replace them, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said Friday.

Under current plans, the 570,000-strong Army will fall to 490,000 in coming years, as part of the postwar rebalancing of the armed services.

Speaking at the Brookings Institution in Washington, Odierno said, “my guess is that we’ll go even a little bit smaller in order for me to balance the readiness and modernization. We’re still working that number.”

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Update: Army may have to extend deployments in Afghanistan -- AP

My Comment: This is going to make no one happy.

The U.S. Army's Top General Gives His View Of What The Future Will Hold

Photo: GEN Raymond T. Odierno, as the 38th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, 2011.

The Force Of Tomorrow -- Gen. Ray Odierno, Foreign Policy

The Army's top general on the future of war.

Over the past 11 years of continuous combat, the Army made great strides at the tactical and operational levels of war. We evolved our tactics, fielded new equipment, and modified our organizations, all while combating determined enemies. These changes were necessary, and they produced an Army without peer on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq. However, they do not fully prepare us for the diverse array of challenges our nation faces in the coming years. Changes in the character of modern conflict demand that we continue to evolve as an institution, even as we remain focused on our primary task -- to fight and win our nation's wars.

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My Comment: A rosy view of the future from America's top Army general .... but this recent post from Aol on the impact that sequestration will have on the US Army just about blows his assessment out of the water.

Update: More on the devastating effects of sequestration on the U.S. Army can be read here.

U.S. Army Get's Ready For Sequestration

Army Puts Brakes On All Non-War Related Spending, Projects Huge Cuts -- Defense News

Like the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force before it, the U.S. Army chief of staff and the secretary of the Army on Jan. 16 sent a memo to their subordinates outlining drastic cost-saving measures that significantly curtail any work not directly related to the war in Afghanistan — including the reset and refit of equipment at domestic Army depots.

While some of the steps they outline are immediate, others will come to pass if Congress continues to fund the Pentagon though continuing resolutions through the end of the year, and sequestration goes into effect.

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My Comment: As I said in this post on the US Air Force getting ready for sequestration .... what was unthinkable a year ago is happening right now.

Proposed U.S. Army Manual Tells Soldiers To Not Criticize The Taliban, Islam, Women's Rights, And Pedophilia

U.S. troops mourn a comrade killed in October by an Afghan policeman. A draft Army manual blames some attacks on cultural chasms. Reuters

Draft Army Handbook Wades Into Divisive Afghan Issue -- Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON—American soldiers should brace for a "social-cultural shock" when meeting Afghan soldiers and avoid potentially fatal confrontations by steering clear of subjects including women's rights, religion and Taliban misdeeds, according to a controversial draft of a military handbook being prepared for troops heading to the region.

The proposed Army handbook suggests that Western ignorance of Afghan culture, not Taliban infiltration, has helped drive the recent spike in deadly attacks by Afghan soldiers against the coalition forces.

"Many of the confrontations occur because of [coalition] ignorance of, or lack of empathy for, Muslim and/or Afghan cultural norms, resulting in a violent reaction from the [Afghan security force] member," according to the draft handbook prepared by Army researchers.

The 75-page manual, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, is part of a continuing effort by the U.S. military to combat a rise in attacks by Afghan security forces aimed at coalition troops.

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More News On The U.S. Army's Draft Handbook

New Army Manual Orders Soldiers Not To Criticize Taliban -- Judicial Watch
Proposed Army manual tells G.I.s not to insult Taliban, speak up for women -- FOX News
New Army Manual Forbids Criticism of Taliban and Pedophilia -- The Moral Liberal
New Army Manual Orders Soldiers Not To Criticize Taliban, pedophilia, "anything related to Islam" or "advocate for women's rights" -- Atlas Shrugs

U.S. Army Generals Misbehaving

Accusations Against Generals Cast Dark Shadow Over Army -- Washington Post

The accusations leveled against three Army generals over the past six months are as varied as they are striking, the highest-profile of a growing number of allegations of wrongdoing by senior military officials.

A one-star general was flown home from Afghanistan this spring to face criminal charges, including sexual assault. A four-star general formerly in charge of the increasingly vital Africa command was accused of financial mismanagement, accepting inappropriate gifts and assigning staff personal tasks.

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My Comment: Is there a problem in screening these Generals .... or a run of bad luck .... either way .... it certainly does not make the Army look good.

Update: The U.S. Navy appears to have the same problems.

The Spending Habits Of A 4-Star General

Gen. William E. Ward is seen during a 2010 ceremony at Caserma Ederle's Hoekstra Field, Vicenza, Italy. Ward is facing numerous allegations that he allowed unauthorized people, including family members, to fly on government planes, and that he spent excessive amounts of money on hotel rooms, transportation and other expenses. Rick Scavetta / Army

4-Star General Investigated Over Spending -- Navy Times/AP

WASHINGTON — A four-star Army general who was the first head of the new U.S. Africa Command is under investigation and facing possible demotion for allegedly spending hundreds of thousands of dollars improperly on lavish travel, hotels and other items, The Associated Press has learned.

Gen. William "Kip" Ward has been under investigation for about 17 months, and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is expected to make a final decision on the matter before the end of the month, according to several defense officials.

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My Comment: This is not a good way to end a long and honorable career.

U.S. Army Is Looking For Global Partners

Army Looks For Global Partnerships -- Washington Times

Obama strategy shifts role from fighting to training.

To maintain its relevance in a post-Afghanistan world, the U.S. Army is learning to make new friends.

The Army is embarking on a two-pronged campaign of linking its brigades to third-country allies and to regional U.S. commands that direct combat. These commands - such as Central Command and Pacific Command, led by four-star officers - carry much influence inside the Pentagon when it comes to making strategy and buying weapons.

“It’s one thing to put a 11-, 12-man Special Forces detachment on the ground to train a brigade, but wouldn’t it be better to put a brigade on the ground to train up a division?” said retired ArmyMaj. Gen. Robert Scales. “You’re able then to perform all the functions that need to be performed.”

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My Comment: Training others to do our fighting is probably a smart move .... especially if the ones that we are training are willing to fight, and are successful at doing it.

The U.S. Army Wants To Know What It's Soldiers Are Doing On Their Computers

U.S. Army

Army Wants To Monitor Your Computer Activity -- Army Times

In the wake of the biggest dump of classified information in the history of the Army, the brass is searching for ways to watch what every soldier is doing on his or her Army computer.

The Army wants to look at keystrokes, downloads and Web searches on computers that soldiers use.

Maj. Gen. Steven Smith, chief of the Army Cyber Directorate, said the software was one of his chief priorities, joking that it would take the place of a lower-tech solution: “A guy with a large bat behind every user as they go to search the Internet.”

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My Comment: The Army wants to avoid another Wikileaks intelligence breakdown .... but with everything now being done digital .... I wish them luck.

The Army's Future Truck?

Future Army Truck Inspired by the iPhone -- Danger Room

The Army’s next truck should be smart, flexible, user-friendly, partially autonomous and affordable. In other words, the automotive equivalent of a gadget from Apple. At a trade conference in Virginia on Tuesday, Brig. Gen. Stephen Farmen, the chief of U.S. Army transportation, held up an iPhone. “How do we put the kind of power and technology like this into a wheeled vehicle and hit the right price point?” Farmen asked, according to a report by National Defense.

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My Comment: Interesting .... but still far away from implementation.

Is Laying Off 30,000 U.S. Army Soldiers A Breach Of Trust?

Downsizing Army May Lay Off Veteran Soldiers. Is That A Breach Of Trust? -- Anna Mulrine, Christian Science Monitor

Thomas Lamont, the assistant secretary of the Army, told lawmakers that the Army may have to lay off as many as 30,000 soldiers in its attempt to trim its ranks and meet budget cuts.

As many as 30,000 soldiers could be laid off in the next five years amid the Army’s efforts to trim its ranks by nearly 90,000 personnel, a plan that is generating criticism from lawmakers who accuse the Pentagon of “breaking trust” with troops who have been repeatedly deployed during a decade of war.

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My Comment: If I made the choice of serving in the Army as a career .... where I was then deployed to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan .... followed by being laid off. Yup .... from my point of view it would be a breach of trust. And what is worse is if sequestration does happen .... that 30,000 lay-off number can easily escalate to an even higher number.

US Army Chief Tries To Reassure Troops Over Budget Cuts

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno gives his insights of combat operations to soldiers during an after action review of a training exercise on Fort Campbell, Ky., April 12, 2012. The soldiers are assigned to 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Teddy Wade

As Army Prepares to Shrink, Its Chief Tries to Reassure His Soldiers -- New York Times

WIESBADEN, Germany — Hundreds of American troops crowded the bleachers inside a gymnasium at the historic garrison here as Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army’s top officer, tried to address what seemed to be on the minds of every soldier: the future.

General Odierno strolled back and forth across the waxed basketball court as he took questions: As the Army shrinks by tens of thousands of troops over the next five years, will soldiers be forced to retire from active duty? What if they want to continue serving? And if they are ordered out of uniform, what about the Defense Department’s commitments to the families?

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My Comment: Odeirno is trying his best to reassure everyone .... but the money is not there, and that is what everyone is looking at.

New Grooming Standards For The U.S. Army

Army Tightens Rules On Hair, Tattoos, Makeup -- Army Times

Senior leaders are putting the final touches on 17 grooming regulation changes that cover everything from tattoos and makeup to cellphones and civilian attire. And soldiers will likely face punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice if they fail to get squared away.

The pending changes include:

• Shorter sideburns.

• Soldiers must be clean shaven on and off duty, even during leave.

• Women will be allowed to put hair into ponytails during physical training.

• Men will be prohibited from wearing cosmetics, to include nail polish.

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My Comment: I guess this is not acceptable.

U.S. Army Faces Growing Percentage Of Medically Unfit Soldiers

Army Maj. Gen. David L. Mann, right, commander of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, uses a cord to connect his hand with the hand of Army Capt. Ivan Castro, a blind runner, while they approach the finish line at the 2011 Army Ten-Miler in Washington, D.C., Oct. 9, 2011. Castro, who continues to serves in active duty despite losing his eyesight, is the only blind officer serving in the U. S. Army Special Forces. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Teddy Wade

Shrinking Army Faces Growing Percentage Of Medically Unfit Soldiers -- USA Today

As the Army faces a prospective drawdown, the Army surgeon general says a growing percentage of soldiers aren't medically fit for duty, the Army Times reports.

Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker said Monday at a conference in Washington that about 15% of the active forces aren't able to deploy for medical reasons.

He called that a growing problem that has "begun to erode the readiness of the Army as a whole."

Many of those involved, he said, are not those injured in combat.

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My Comment: What can change this is to (1) provide greater financial/benefit packages for people to join .... which is not going to happen in an era of budget cutting .... or reinstate (2) the draft .... which is politically explosive.

The U.S. Army Voices Their Concerns On Impending Defense budget Cuts

Army Secretary John M. McHugh speaks during opening ceremonies for the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting and exposition in Washington, D.C., Oct. 10, 2011. U.S. Army photo by C. Todd Lopez

Army General: Budget Cuts Could Hit Combat Brigades; Make Army Unable To Fight 2 Wars At Once -- Washington Post/AP

WASHINGTON — The Army’s top general says plans to slash Pentagon spending by $450 billion will force the Army to consider cutting combat brigades.

He says that will mean the military won’t be able to fight two conventional wars simultaneously — as it has done for the last decade.

Gen. Raymond Odierno, the Army’s chief of staff, says officials are developing plans to cut spending, but are committed to ensuring the force is properly trained, staffed and equipped to defend the nation.

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More News On The US Army's Concerns On Impending Budget Cuts

Army Leaders Warn Against Shrinking Forces Too Much -- New York Times
U.S. Ground Forces Face Biggest Cut -- Defense News
Odierno: US Army could shrink below 520,000 -- Stars and Stripes
Top General ‘Deathly Afraid’ of Sequestration Cuts -- Wall Street Journal
Crisis Could Rattle 'Precarious' Army As It Juggles Manpower -- Aol Defense
U.S. Army Chief Warns Cuts Could Be Made in Combat Brigades -- FOX News
The Army gets set to fight for its budget dollars -- Washington Post
Army bracing for more budget cuts, AUSA audience told -- Army.mil
US army fears being loser in American debt crisis -- AFP
McHugh, Odierno say cuts should hit all branches equally -- Defense News
Budget cuts mean the United States can't fight 2 wars, the Army says -- Politico
The Army makes a case for itself -- DoD Buzz
McHugh: Cuts will make remake Army -- Defense News
U.S. Army Secretary Mchugh Says Cuts Might Be ‘Catastrophic’ -- Bloomberg
Army Leaders Confident They Can Weather Budget Storm -- National Defense
Army: You Sure We Won’t Fight Another Ground War? -- Spencer Ackerman, Danger Room
Army: Budget cuts are opportunity -- John T. Bennett, The Hill

The U.S. Army`s Future

General: Troops to Be Spread Thinner -- Military.com

FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- As the war in Afghanistan winds down, U.S. Soldiers will be spread thinner and must be ready to perform a wider array of missions, the new Army commander in charge of training and providing troops for the wars said Monday.

Gen. David Rodriguez, who took over as head of U.S. Army Forces Command on Monday, said that as troops withdraw from Afghanistan, one brigade may have to take over where two have been working. And he said they must be trained to coordinate and use the high-tech surveillance, communications, and command and control systems that are flooding into the war zone.

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Update: The Army’s Thinner, High-Tech Force Of Tomorrow -- DoD Buzz

My Comment: Thinner, faster, better, high-tech .... whatever. Bottom line .... the money is no longer there to have the Army that the U.S. has had for decades.

The Shrinking U.S. Army

U.S. Army May Cut 10 Active-Duty Brigades -- Defense News

The U.S. Army may cut 10 of its 45 active-duty brigade combat teams (BCTs) as it works to meet President Obama's order to slice defense spending, said an Army official familiar with the budget deliberations.



Service leaders are still discussing how many Stryker, heavy or infantry BCTs might get cut and when.



The discussions are part of the budget drills each U.S. military service is undertaking before the Defense Department delivers a plan in October to cut its budget by at least $400 billion.



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My Comment: This fits in with my previous assessments that in the end .... the U.S. military will (overall) be reduced by about 25% from it`s present levels.

Will Recent War Lessons Aid Future Military Programs And Institutions?

Photo: U.S. President Barack Obama meets with General Ray Odierno after stepping off Air Force One at Baghdad International Airport in Baghdad, April 7, 2009. (Reuters)

Odierno: Recent War Lessons Will Aid Future -- Washington Post

Gen. Ray Odierno, the soon-to-be Army chief of staff, described last week how he hoped to reshape his service as officers like himself, battle-tested over the last 10 years, return from Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We have majors today and captains today that all they’ve experienced is war,” Odierno said during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Change, he added, “is about challenging these leaders who have had so many challenges and been so successful. . . . We have to be able to continue to challenge them because we’re going to need them as we move forward in the future.”

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My Comment: Changing the culture in any military organization is very hard to do, they operate as huge bureaucratic institutions in which change is something that is very hard to accept and even more difficult to implement. I wish General Odierno success in changing this culture .... but if history is any indication .... it is going to be very difficult and the odds are against him.

Army Bans Use Of 'Toe Shoes’

(Courtesy of City Sports)

Army Bans Use Of ‘Toe Shoes,’ Citing Image Concerns -- Washington Post

Bad news, trendsetters: The Army has officially banned soldiers from wearing “toe shoes” while training.

No, not the en pointe ballet slippers.

The glovelike shoes, with individual sections for individual toes, are supposed to simulate the experience of being barefoot and, enthusiasts say, reduce the likelihood of injuries. But in a notice this month, the Army said that the shoes were not becoming, and that its policy would henceforth be modified.

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My Comment: I can understand the Army's reasoning if they want to ban something like this .... but banning 'toe shoes' .... c'mon.