Don’t Start the Revolution Without Me A Review of the Army Transformation

This study examines the course of the Army Transformation Strategy as it relates to changes in the global security environment and to Department of Defense (DOD) transformation strategy and policy. Since the 1980’s, there has been much written on the Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) and the nature of change related to the conduct of war. In large part, recent changes in warfare or RMA have been attributed to various technological developments. The security environment has changed dramatically since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Using a model borrowed from political science for examining social revolution, the transformation efforts of the Army over the past decade are explored.Changes in the political, social, economic and cultural environments have an impact on security matters. This study reviews the nature of the changes to these factors and their respective impact on the nature of war and the military transformation. Using this discussion of the changes to the global environment to set the context for the discussion, Army modernization and transformation programs are reviewed and evaluated against these changing conditions. Change and innovation are difficult within large bureaucracies. The Army emerged from the Viet Nam War determined to reinvent itself and restore its effectiveness as a military organization. These efforts led to the development of an informal model for instituting operational and structural change within the Army. The results of the Gulf War reaffirmed the effectiveness of this model in the minds of the collective Army leadership. Using a similar approach, the Army sought to implement change throughout the 1990’s as a means to address shortfalls in capability and changes to the global security requirements.The impact of a restored interest in transformation by the Secretary of Defense and DOD agencies on Army efforts were and are significant. The study concludes by discussing shifts in the direction of Army transformation because of DOD involvement. In the final analysis, the Army appears to be headed in the right direction, but must complete further transformational initiatives to position itself as a relevant future member of the joint team.