The 2024 Army Force Structure Transformation Initiative (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised Aug. 21, 2024 |
| Report Number |
R47985 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Andrew Feickert |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
Since the U.S. Army’s inception in 1775, it has reorganized or transformed its force structure on
several occasions. These changes have occurred for a variety of reasons, such as shifting security
requirements; to fight the nation’s wars and conflicts; the introduction of new weapons, such as
tanks and nuclear weapons; and budgetary considerations.
The Army has transformed its force structure on four major occasions since 2000:
• 2003: The Modular Army;
• 2012: Army Drawdown and Restructuring;
• 2017: Army Force Structure Decisions; and
• 2018: Army’s AimPoint and Army 2030 Force Structure Initiatives.
On February 27, 2024, the Army publicly announced “changes to its force structure that will modernize and continue to
transform the service to better face future threats. Under the plan, the Army will reorganize over the next decade to ensure it
can deliver trained, cohesive and lethal forces to meet future challenges in increasingly complex operational environments.”
In conjunction with this announcement, the Army published Army White Paper: Army Force Structure Transformation.
As part of this transformation, the Army plans to develop new
• Multi-Domain Task Forces (MDTFs),
• Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) battalions,
• Counter-Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-sUAS) batteries, and
• Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) battalions.
To transform its force structure, the Army plans to initiate a number of force structure reductions and, at the same time,
undertake a number of actions to address recruiting challenges that directly affect the Army’s ability to populate both existing
and planned force structures. In addition to forces covered in its February 2024 white paper, the Army reportedly also plans
to make force structure changes to its Combat Aviation Brigades (CABs).
Potential considerations for Congress include the national security implications of the Army’s planned transformation; the
transformation of the Reserve Component; the total cost and duration of the transformation; and additional considerations,
such as populating, equipping, and basing the new force structure.
