Addressing the Resource Requirements Mismatch

摘要

See attached file. The tension between transformation policy goals and Army concepts to describe the transformed force on the one hand, and the limited funding resources available to implement those concepts on the other, appear to be developing a requirements-resource mismatch. The goals and objectives of the transformation rhetoric intuitively resonate with the military's increasingly technologic culture. Defense budgets fluctuate with changes in administration and perceived threats, but must remain within sustainable levels to avoid unwanted opportunity costs for the American society. This paper suggests that to implement a feasible transformation strategy within sustainable resource levels the Army must rethink its requirements approval process, and produce comprehensive implementation plans constrained by realistic funding and technology expectations. The primary recommendation of this paper is the need to link the planning and programming functions with a resource constrained implementation plan to inform he requirements approval process. The implementation plan needs to provide guidance to balance force recapitalization, modernization, and transformation initiatives across the Army. It must also synchronize the reductions in force structure with the realized fielding transformational capabilities.