The Pentagon, in a major four-year decision, has decided to stick with having the capability of being able to fight two major conflicts at once, The Washington Times has learned.
Two officials said that when the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) is completed next month, it will retain the requirement that the Pentagon maintain active forces and reserves able to repel and occupy an enemy in one war and defeat a second enemy but not necessarily occupy the capital.
The decision is one of the most important that Pentagon leaders make every four years in the congressionally mandated QDR. From the two-war requirement, other major decisions flow, such as the number of active and reserve troops, fighter air wings and Navy carrier battle groups, and major weapons systems to be procured.
I'm a little puzzled about this:
Officials think that transforming the 10-division active Army into 70 mobile brigades allows the service to meet future challenges with fewer soldiers.
"The new brigades are so much more mobile and lethal than they used to be," said a senior defense official, citing better precision-guided weapons, improved intelligence links and shorter logistics tail. "They are easier to get to the fight.
... A new Army brigade has more firepower than an old Army division."
Seventy brigades? We are going from 33 (not counting the Ranger regiment) to 43 by adding one brigade combat team to each division. We may add five more to reach 48 brigade combat teams in the active force without adding to end strength. By moving some jobs to civilians and reconfiguring types of units no longer needed,we are freeing up troops to fill out new combat units. Our National Guard will be reorganized to have 34 brigades. So the reference to 70 brigades is too many to refer to our line units in the active component but not enough to refer to the Total Force. What's up? Is this counting the various support brigades, too?
And a new brigade will have as much firepower as an old Army division? Surely when they say "old" division they don't mean the divisions of 2003 prior to the reorganization. Are they talking about our 1980s-style divisions?
And when they say the new brigades, are they talking about the current reorganized brigade combat teams or the future ones based on the Future Combat Systems? I'm really curious about this comparison.
Anyway, I'm glad the two-war goal is being retained. I look forward to seeing the QDR to answer my questions raised by the article.
