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Recommended: Transformation of the us army

Transformation: Driven by Change
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus stated, “the only thing that is constant is change” (“Goodreads”). This quote serves as an illustration of the episodic protracted and contracted nature of the Army. The events of September 11, 2001, and subsequent invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq during the global war on terror, led to expansion and force structure changes in the Army. Presently, the United States is enacting measures to become more fiscally prudent. This has led to overall decrease in the Army’s budget. Consequently, the Army has imposed force-shaping measures to support these congressionally mandated reductions. The needs and requirements of the current strategic environment drive transformation in the military. The elements of transformation consist of causation factors, supporting policies, and its overall effectiveness. Leaders at the tactical, operational, and strategic level must possess insight on all these elements.
Transformational Change after 9/11
The events of September 11, 2001, and subsequent invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq during the global war on terror set the conditions for transformational growth in the Army.
The global war on terrorism led to incremental increases to the Army budget and changes in force structure to include personnel, and equipment modernization. Correspondingly, force shaping policies and procedures supported this transformational growth.
Budget
In FY 2003, the Army’s budget was $123 billion and experienced an average annual increase of 4% over the last eleven years (Dyson & Welch, 2014). The budget increase was necessary to support the global war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq. Additionally, budget increases were necessary to support cha...

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...t trains and deploys its forces (Lopez, 2013). Luckily, the Army’s senior Officers and NCOs can recall the mistakes of the drawdown in the 1990s. This provides perspective going forward as they shape the force.
Conclusion
Similar to change, transformation is a constant evolution. Leaders at the tactical, operational, and, strategic level must anticipate the causation factors and the effects on the force. Leaders who are able to do this will be able to address the challenges associated with a buildup or drawdown of the force. It is imperative that leaders pay attention to force shaping polices and understand who, and how it affects those populations. In the 21st century, terrorist attacks, and fiscal irresponsibility, were the vehicles of change for the military. These types of events cannot be predicted, however, the one thing that can be predicted, change.

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