The U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released the “Preliminary Study of the Structure of U.S. Military Forces: 2021 Update” report, which aims to improve the country's decision-making understanding when considering the defense budget. This document is the Congressional Budget Office's presentation of the force structure of the U.S. Army, including the size, cost, and capabilities of individual military units, as well as an analysis of the defense budget and cost and personnel estimates of force structure changes. This report serves as a reference for planned spending by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for fiscal years 2021 through 2025. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis focuses on DoD's daily operating costs, which typically exceed $400 billion per year, excluding expenditures for purchasing weapons systems, building military facilities and conducting ongoing military operations.
The size and complexity of U.S. military forces make it difficult to determine how budgets are allocated among units. CBO's analysis examines military structure and costs from the perspective of major combat units, including Army brigades, Navy carrier strike groups, Marine Corps task forces and Air Force squadrons.
The report begins by describing the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) conceptual approach to analyzing military force structure and costs, followed by a discussion of the specific organizational structures and roles of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Each division's major combat unit has its own entry, discussing the size, cost, capabilities, strengths, weaknesses, and past use of that type of unit. The final chapter includes some of the major defense sector organizations such as Special Operations Command and the military medical system.
The main elements of the U.S. military force structure include the main combat units of the traditional armed forces (such as armored brigades, aircraft carrier strike groups, and tactical aircraft squadrons) as well as professional organizations that provide specific capabilities to the Department of Defense (such as special operations forces and missile defense). The entry for each major element provides the following information about that element:
-
Congressional Budget Office (CBO）The estimated number of military personnel and costs associated with manning, operating, and sustaining a single unit of this type;
-
The number of units of this type currently owned by the Department of Defense and whether the department plans to change that number;
-
its relative advantages and limitations;
-
Use in past military operations;
-
Where possible, a common measure of how many units of this type may be required in the United States.
This introduction also discusses some important special topics that are helpful in understandingDepartment of Defense (DOD) organizes and uses its forces, but they are not specific to a single type of unit or have direct cost implications. These discussions are usually formatted differently than the entries for major force structure elements and appear in the same section as the military service or unit type to which they are most relevant.
The document contains three appendices.The first is a quick reference that summarizesCongressional Budget Office (CBO）The size, cost, and quantity of each major force structure element included in the analysis.The second one showsDepartment of Defense (DOD）of the total budget, cost of operating and maintaining each major force structural element, andDepartment of Defense (DOD）The relationship between the number and type of force structure elements in the current program.The third is the military operations mentioned in this report andDepartment of Defense (DOD）A brief summary of the planning scenario.
in conclusion
-
Major combat units (such as armored brigades, aircraft carriers, etc.) account for approximately one-quarter of Department of Defense (DOD) costs and contain approximately one-third of military personnel.
-
Units that support the military's major combat units (such as providing transportation and maintenance services) and management activities (such as recruiting and basic training) are key components of what CBO considers to be “fully supportive” of major combat units.
-
DOD's O&S costs and military personnel are allocated primarily to major combat units in the Army, Navy (including the Marine Corps), and Air Force (including the Space Force).
-
The proposed changes to the force structure will have budget implications, but actual savings may not be as expected as reductions in support units and adjustments to management activities need to be taken into consideration.
-
This report does not include new weapons system development and acquisition costs.
air force tanker squadron
【Table of contents】
Summarize
What are the main elements of military force structure?
What does this analysis indicate about the budgetary effects of changing force structure?
How is this report organized?
Chapter 1: Introduction
What is force structure?
Define support units
How to estimate military force structure
Why the majority of Department of Defense (DoD) operations and support costs are projected to be proportional to force structure
How changes in force structure affect costs
Costs not included in this analysis
Read this reporting guide
Chapter 2: Army
Overview
U.S. Ground Forces Command Levels
Main elements of force structure
Army Armored Brigade Combat Team
Army Stryker Brigade Combat Team
Army Infantry Brigade Combat Team
Other Department of the Army units and activities
special topics
Integration of Army active duty and reserve forces
Staffing levels, readiness status, and deployability units
Deployment time and rotation ratio
Chapter 3: Navy
Overview
Main elements of force structure
aircraft carrier
ground combatant
attack submarine
amphibious vessel
Marine Corps Infantry Battalion
Other naval units and activities
special topics
Integration of the Navy and Marine Corps
Forced entry ability
Navy carrier aviation
Marine Corps Aviation
Chapter 4: Air Force
Overview
Main elements of force structure
air force tactical aviation squadron
air force bomber squadron
Air Force Airlift Squadron
air force air refueling squadron
air force unmanned aerial systems squadron
Other Air Force departments and activities
Topics
U.S. military strike capabilities
Chapter 5: Defensive Activities
Overview
Main elements of force structure
special operations
defense health plan
Other defense units and activities
special topics
nuclear power
missile defense
Appendix A: Size, Cost, and Number of U.S. Forces
Appendix B: Coordination of CBO and DOD Five-Year Funding and Personnel Statistics
Appendix C: Military operations and planning scenarios mentioned in this report
Military action
Ministry of Defense planning and vision
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings