Executive Summary
This primer outlines the U.S. Army's five-phase Force Development (FD) process, which translates strategic security requirements into trained and ready forces. It details how the Army designs, authorizes, and resources its units, considering national security strategies, new technologies, and budgetary factors. The process involves determining capabilities, designing organizations, developing models, determining authorizations, and documenting them.
Why It Matters
Understanding the U.S. Army's force structure development process is crucial for defense analysts to comprehend how military capabilities are shaped, funded, and adapted to evolving threats and strategic requirements.
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. Army employs a five-phase Force Development (FD) process, guided by national security strategies, to design and authorize its units.
Source evidence · PDF page 1
The Army uses an iterative, five-phase Force Development (FD) process (Figure 1) to design and authorize its units. This process is usually guided by the National Security Strategy (NSS), the National Defense Strategy (NDS), Army Strategy, and Army senior leader guidance.
- The Total Army Analysis (TAA) process is central to aligning Army force structure with congressional end strength guidance and Department of Defense objectives.
Source evidence · PDF page 2
Total Army Analysis (TAA) is a process intended to keep the Army within congressional end strength guidance while fulfilling DOD objectives. The Operational Force (OF) TAA shapes the force structure required to meet mission needs.
- The final phase of force development involves documenting organizational authorizations, which define unit missions, functions, and structures for personnel and equipment requisition.
Source evidence · PDF page 2
The final phase of the FD process captures decisions by integrating the organizational models with the actual authorizations determined by resource limitations. Each unit in the Army has an authorization document that identifies their mission, function, and structure.
Strategic Relevance
This document provides insight into the foundational processes by which the U.S. Army adapts its organizational structure and capabilities to meet current and future national security requirements, directly impacting strategic planning and resource allocation.