The Army Of Excellence The Development Of The 1980s Army

The Army of Excellence summarizes the completed Army 86 designs and examines the origins and development of the so-called AOE during 1983, including the conceptual formulation of the new light infantry division. John L. Romjue records the strategic and planning basis for the Army's major tactical reorganization to meet its global challenges in the 1980s: the defense of NATO Europe, and the provision of rapidly deployable light infantry for force packages needed to defend U.S. interests. The study shows that the AOE design moved Army tactical organization more fully into consonance with doctrine and supported the operational level of war. It is full of key insights and useful lessons that Army planners, action officers, and training researchers will find invaluable.

This work provides an organizational history of the maneuver brigade and case studies of its employment throughout the various wars. Apart from the text, the appendices at the end of the work provide a ready reference to all brigade organizations used in the Army since 1917 and the history of the brigade colors.

This book looks at several troop categories based on primary function and analyzes the ratio between these categories to develop a general historical ratio. This ratio is called the Tooth-to-Tail Ratio. McGrath's study finds that this ratio, among types of deployed US forces, has steadily declined since World War II, just as the nature of warfare itself has changed. At the same time, the percentage of deployed forces devoted to logistics functions and to base and life support functions have increased, especially with the advent of the large-scale of use of civilian contractors. This work provides a unique analysis of the size and composition of military forces as found in historical patterns. Extensively illustrated with charts, diagrams, and tables. (Originally published by the Combat Studies Institute Press)