To determine whether the Army’s planned force structure for two major  theater wars would be sufficient to support these seven concurrent  contingency operations, we compared the results of Total Army Analysis  2007 with the contingency operations requirements shown in table 1. Conclusions

The Army’s force structure, which is based on a two-war scenario,  generally provides the number and types of units required to  simultaneously carry out seven illustrative contingency operations  requiring Army participation. However, it does not contain the number and  types of units needed to meet the needs of five simultaneous contingencies  lasting more than 6 months and requiring force rotations. If Army forces  continue to be called on to engage in such contingencies for extended  periods of time, as has been the case in recent years, it would seem prudent  to have a force structure that is able to meet such needs. Forces Most Heavily Used for Contingency Operations

The Army’s force structure requirements for the seven illustrative  contingency operations include units from nearly all the Army’s 26  branches.
Why GAO Did This Study

The National Military Strategy calls for U.S. forces to fight and win two nearly simultaneous major theater wars. Accordingly, the Army calculates its force structure requirements on the basis of this scenario. The strategy also calls for the Army to support operations in a series of concurrent contingencies and assumes that forces thus engaged will be withdrawn and redeployed if war occurs. The Army's difficulty in supporting contingency operations without repeatedly calling on some types of units has raised questions about whether forces structured to meet the two-war scenario can also support multiple peacetime contingency operations. GAO reviewed the Army's force planning process, known as Total Army Analysis 2007, to determine whether the Army's planned force structure will meet its contingency requirements.

What GAO Found

GAO found that the Army's force structure generally provides the number and types of units required to simultaneously carry out seven illustrative contingency operations requiring Army participation. However, it does not contain the number and types of units needed to meet the needs of five simultaneous contingencies lasting for more than six months and requiring force rotations. If Army forces continue to be called on to engage in such contingencies for long periods of time, it would seem prudent to have a force structure that is able to meet such needs.