Leon Panetta, the new U.S. Secretary of Defense, outlined last month a plan to reorganize the U.S. military into a smaller, more nimble force. The goal of the plan is to create a more affordable military by relying on special operation forces and technologically advanced equipment.
If you have been around the defense field for more than a decade, this plan should sound familiar. While serving under President George W. Bush, then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was an eager and vocal advocate for moving away from the massive conventional forces of the Cold War in favor of a smaller and faster U.S. military. The plan, called “transformation,” was meant to revolutionize the U.S. military by relying on technology to create a more deadly force without the need of massive numbers of conventional units. However, Rumsfeld’s dream of a transformed military was dashed after September 2001, when the U.S. found itself engaged in the invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. Faced with two large-scale insurgencies, U.S. military planners scrapped transformation’s principles for those more appropriate for counterinsurgency: heavily armed troop transports and large numbers of conventional forces.
Now, with budget cuts looming on the horizon, the war in Afghanistan winding down, and U.S. forces out of Iraq completely, transformation is getting a second chance. Panetta’s plan, which has yet to be approved by Congress, would cut 100,000 service members from the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. Such a move would represent the greatest decrease in military personnel in decades and a significant change in U.S. military strategy, precluding actions requiring large numbers of conventional ground forces. Instead, the plan would focus on creating a faster and more flexible U.S. military, relying on missiles, unmanned drones, special operations forces, and a proposed new bomber.
The plan is not without critics. Senator John McCain voiced opposition of the plans cuts to conventional forces, claiming that such a move ignores history. Other critics have pointed out that the reduction in the conventional forces of the military will make large scale ground operations impossible, an important consideration given the U.S. military’s recent operational history in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mike Jones is a researcher, writer, and analyst on national and international security. He lives in the DC area.
