Our current National Security Strategy (NSS), National Military Strategy (NMS) and existing Army force structure were ill conceived for the future of the Army. As a result of the Bottom-Up Review (BUR), the Army was right sized and structured to meet the requirements to fight and win two major theater wars (MTWs). However, this force structure was never intended to support current deployment levels for military operations other than war (MOOTW). In fact, the BUR warned that, "protracted commitments to peace operations could lower the overall readiness of US active duty forces over time, and in turn, reduce our ability to fulfill our strategy to be able to win two nearly simultaneous major regional conflicts (US Department of Defense, 1993, p.94)."
Increased MOOTW deployments such as Somalia, Haiti and Bosnia have driven the Army's operational tempo (OPTEMPO) to historically high levels. As prophesied by the BUR, the Army's overall readiness is declining. Moreover, given our current NSS, a turbulent international community ripe with MOOTW opportunities and continuing fiscal
pressures, it is unlikely the Army can expect a reduction to OPTEMPO in the near future. …
