Follow the Growth

Strategypage writes about the growth of the Army and points to an Army web site that houses information on this expansion.

I will follow this site. I thought the expansion added up to 48 Army brigade combat teams in the active component and 28 in the National Guard when finally completed. Strategypage calls it 49 and (by implication) 28.

But this Army page says we have 42 BCT now and will add 6 infantry brigade combat teams under its authorization to add to end strength to reach 48 over the next several years. So I'm calling at as 48 brigades until I see something more authoritative. I think Strategypage is assuming that the original plan to have each of our ten divisions add another brigade was completed. We only added 9 brigades under that program that relied on internal Army personnel without increasing end strength, if I recall. It is tough to follow this in the weeds, it seems. Other than this possible lacuna, the Strategypage article is a nice summary of expansion.

The Marines get another regimental combat team out of their expansion, to a total of 9 active and 3 reserve.

Of course, we shall see if Congress will pay for these brigades in future years to make sure we don't have to reduce equipping and training funds to pay for personnel. That has always been the worry of the Army--that we'd have a hollow Army.