Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Defense Daily
April 8, 2008 By Ann Roosevelt
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- Six and a half years of war may have stretched the Army, but it's by no means broken, according to the the Chief of Staff.
"We're stretched and stressed there's no question about that," Gen. George Casey told the Army Aviation Association of America Annual Conference at National Harbor, Md.
"This is not a hollow or broken force," and it's the best he's seen in his time in the service, he said.
But the force in combat is focused on the immediate here and now.
"We're so consumed by the demands of the current fight that we can't do the things we need to do to prepare for other things," he said.
Casey praised Army aviation, a branch he's watched mature and grow over his professional career. The branch now has more than two million hours in combat.
"We have put ourselves back in balance," he said.
The Army must sustain, prepare, reset and transform the force, he said.
"First and foremost we have to sustain our soldiers," Casey said. They are "our national asymmetric advantage."
Units come back after 15 months, some going back after 12 months, not enough time to do all that needs to be done, he said.
When the surge force returns and as the Army continues to grow, time at home will increase. "We'll gradually get there over time," he said.
Casey said he told Congress "it takes $17 billion to $18 billion to reset a rotation... [that's] the difference between a hollow force and a versatile force."
Casey said the surge "sucked a lot of flexibility out of our units. I don't like that."
Right now, there are 2,500 Mine Resistant Armor Protected vehicles on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said. And the Army will continue to look at new technology to give soldiers the decisive edge.
At the same time the service is working out how to prepare for full spectrum operations, as called for in the new Field Manual 3.0 Operations.
Delivering the keynote address, Casey provided the strategic setting for the conference.
With more than half a decade at war, Casey says he sees a future of persistent conflict and trends pushing in the wrong direction as the Army looks forward.
Confrontation will come among state, non-state and individual actors, 'who are increasingly willing to use violence to achieve their political objectives."
Over the next couple of decades he sees trends moving in the wrong direction, which "absolutely exacerbates a period of persistent conflict" such as globalization of the economy, which brings an uneven distribution of prosperity.
Technology shows similar trends, he said. The same computer that opens the world to users is used by terrorists to export terrorism around the world, he added.
And population and demographics also cause concern, he said. By 2030, Casey said, 60 percent of the population is projected to live in cities.
Swelling populations will lead to competition for resources. Consider, he said. The middle class in India and in China will be larger than the population of the United States.
Casey said he worries most about weapons of mass destruction winding up in the hands of terrorists. "There's no question they're out after weapons of mass destruction--no question if they find them they will use them."
Casey's other concern is safe havens, where local governments can't or won't police their own territories and terrorists will exploit that weakness.
Success will be difficult. "We're going to depend on the resources and good will of others...other agencies of government will be a part of our long term success," Casey said.
April 8, 2008 By Ann Roosevelt
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- Six and a half years of war may have stretched the Army, but it's by no means broken, according to the the Chief of Staff.
"We're stretched and stressed there's no question about that," Gen. George Casey told the Army Aviation Association of America Annual Conference at National Harbor, Md.
"This is not a hollow or broken force," and it's the best he's seen in his time in the service, he said.
But the force in combat is focused on the immediate here and now.
"We're so consumed by the demands of the current fight that we can't do the things we need to do to prepare for other things," he said.
Casey praised Army aviation, a branch he's watched mature and grow over his professional career. The branch now has more than two million hours in combat.
"We have put ourselves back in balance," he said.
The Army must sustain, prepare, reset and transform the force, he said.
"First and foremost we have to sustain our soldiers," Casey said. They are "our national asymmetric advantage."
Units come back after 15 months, some going back after 12 months, not enough time to do all that needs to be done, he said.
When the surge force returns and as the Army continues to grow, time at home will increase. "We'll gradually get there over time," he said.
Casey said he told Congress "it takes $17 billion to $18 billion to reset a rotation... [that's] the difference between a hollow force and a versatile force."
Casey said the surge "sucked a lot of flexibility out of our units. I don't like that."
Right now, there are 2,500 Mine Resistant Armor Protected vehicles on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said. And the Army will continue to look at new technology to give soldiers the decisive edge.
At the same time the service is working out how to prepare for full spectrum operations, as called for in the new Field Manual 3.0 Operations.
Delivering the keynote address, Casey provided the strategic setting for the conference.
With more than half a decade at war, Casey says he sees a future of persistent conflict and trends pushing in the wrong direction as the Army looks forward.
Confrontation will come among state, non-state and individual actors, 'who are increasingly willing to use violence to achieve their political objectives."
Over the next couple of decades he sees trends moving in the wrong direction, which "absolutely exacerbates a period of persistent conflict" such as globalization of the economy, which brings an uneven distribution of prosperity.
Technology shows similar trends, he said. The same computer that opens the world to users is used by terrorists to export terrorism around the world, he added.
And population and demographics also cause concern, he said. By 2030, Casey said, 60 percent of the population is projected to live in cities.
Swelling populations will lead to competition for resources. Consider, he said. The middle class in India and in China will be larger than the population of the United States.
Casey said he worries most about weapons of mass destruction winding up in the hands of terrorists. "There's no question they're out after weapons of mass destruction--no question if they find them they will use them."
Casey's other concern is safe havens, where local governments can't or won't police their own territories and terrorists will exploit that weakness.
Success will be difficult. "We're going to depend on the resources and good will of others...other agencies of government will be a part of our long term success," Casey said.