Is the future of the American army in Europe or Asia?
The year 1973 was a turning point for the American army. After the Vietnam War, the force was in disarray. 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 sparked a renewal. The lessons learned from that war helped transform America’s army into the modern and professional force that would later defeat Iraq in 1991.
Today’s generals, who witnessed 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. After two decades of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, the army faces recruitment shortages and the need for renewal and reform, driven by the rise of China and lessons from the war in Ukraine.
There are three major unresolved questions among army leaders, including 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
Post from www.economist.com