Conclusion

The Army has made progress in developing a sound basis for its force structure requirements. It has improved the rigor of its analysis through more realistic scenarios and the integration of Army plans and initiatives, and made the analysis more comprehensive by expanding it to include requirements for the entire Army. However, the weaknesses we identified suggest that the Army still does not have a sound basis for its institutional force requirements or the forces needed for the Strategic Reserve, Domestic Support, and Homeland Defense. Our analysis of the institutional force requirements casts doubt on their accuracy, and, by extension, the accuracy of the shortfall that the Army identified in this element of the force. By developing more accurate estimates of institutional forces, this shortfall might be entirely eliminated. A sound basis for requirements is also hampered by the lack of criteria for the Strategic Reserve, Domestic Support, and Homeland Defense element of the Army’s force structure. A clearer definition of the missions involved is needed to accurately estimate the forces needed for these missions.
What GAO Found

The Army has made progress developing a sound basis for its force structure requirements. It has improved the rigor of its analysis through more realistic scenarios and the integration of Army plans and initiatives. It has also expanded the analysis to include requirements for the entire Army. However, the weaknesses GAO identified suggest that the Army still lacks a sound basis for its institutional force requirements and the forces needed for the strategic reserve, domestic support, and homeland defense. GAO's analysis of the institutional force requirements casts doubt on their accuracy and, by extension, the accuracy of the shortfall that the Army identified in this element. By developing more accurate estimates of institutional forces, this shortfall might be entirely eliminated. A sound basis for requirements is also hampered by the lack of criteria for the strategic reserve, domestic support, and homeland defense element of the Army's force structure. A clearer definition of their missions is needed to accurately estimate the forces that will be required.