The Army Budget Fiscal Year 2010 an Analysis
The Army Budget Fiscal Year 2010 an Analysis
The U.S. Army is engaged in a multifaceted battle; Soldiers are in combat with enemies in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world, while at home Army leaders are fighting to get Soldiers the funding they need to continue the warfight and strengthen national security. To maintain its status as the best fighting force in the world, the U.S. Army must have the best equipment, technology and, most important, personnel—all of which requires full funding from the federal government.The new year brought a new administration with its own strategy for pursuing the war on terrorism (now known as overseas contingency operations, or OCOs), but the Army cannot afford to assume that funding will automatically be kept at current levels. The current warfight and those of the future are unpredictable; defense funding must provide a hedge against risks and contingencies. To execute current operations, reset our forces while maintaining a high operational tempo, and develop future capabilities to sustain the highest-quality force, timely, predictable and comprehensive funding is crucial.The size of the Army, and indeed the defense force as a whole, must be sufficient to accomplish our national security goals; the active Army must be at least 700,000 Soldiers strong, and defense spending must be at least 5 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. In addition, the radically changed role of the reserve component must result in redesigned structures, pay and benefits (including retirement) that reflect the way that component of the U.S. armed forces is now used.Fiscal Year 2010 Army Budget—An Analysis details the resources required for the Army to accomplish its missions today and tomorrow. It examines the Army’s proposed budget in the context of the federal and Department of Defense budgets and breaks down requests—from Soldiers’ pay to research and development—according to funding authority and programs. The analysis explains budget terminology and procedures, including the OCO funding process that is necessary for the Army to sustain the current level of operations and provide for Soldiers and their families.The Association of the United States Army fully supports the Army—active Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Army civilians and the families and communities who stand behind them all—as it faces its many challenges. Fiscal Year 2010 Army Budget—An Analysis is just one of many ways we speak out on issues important to the American Soldier, American landpower and the security of the nation and the world.