Is the future of the US Army in Europe or Asia? The year 1973 was a turning point for the American army. The force was in bad shape after the Vietnam War. The end of conscription was announced in January, and two months later, the last combat troops left Vietnam. However, the Arab-Israeli war in October of that year laid the groundwork for a revival. The lessons learned from that war helped transform the US Army into the modern and professional force that would later defeat Iraq in 1991.
Today’s generals, who experienced this transformation, are acutely aware of its significance. General James Rainey, who leads the army’s Future Command, draws parallels between the army of Desert Storm and the army that invaded Iraq in the early 2000s, and where they need to be in 2040. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq took a toll on troops, equipment, and ideas, and recruitment shortages persist. The rise of China and the lessons from the war in Ukraine have led to introspection, renewal, and reform.
There are three major unresolved questions among army civilian and military leaders. One of them is whether significant changes in the nature of war, as seen in Ukraine, could make ground forces less important, if not irrelevant.
2024-02-19 13:00:14
Link from www.economist.com