Army Force Structure and Regional Combatant Commander Requirements

The Department of Defense requested an increase of 74,200 soldiers to the Army in January 2007 to meet strategic demands, mitigate capability issues and relieve the pressure of constant deployments on soldiers and families. The increase was approved and became the Grow the Army initiative. General George Casey, Army Chief of Staff, announced to Congress in February 2008 during The Army Posture Statement (TAPS) that the Army will increase its end strength more quickly than originally planned in order for the Army to meet Regional Combatant Commander requirements. The primary research question seeks to determine if the 2007 increase to Army force structure will provide Regional Combatant Commanders with the force size and capabilities required to affect their respective operational environments. The primary research question asks, "Is Army force structure adequate to meet operational environment challenges faced by Regional Combatant Commanders?" In order to answer this question, this research endeavors to understand how Army force structure is developed, how Regional Combatant Commanders meet national requirements, and how force structure adequacy is measured.