ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Between the end of the Vietnam War and the 11 September 2001 (9/11) terrorist attacks on the United States, the U.S. military was involved in three armed conflicts. Two of the three—Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada and Operation Just Cause in Panama—occurred in the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility (AOR). This area encompasses 31 countries and 15 special sovereignty areas across more than 15 million square miles, including all Central and South American landmass and adjacent waters south of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea and island nations.

The Army’s Organic Industrial Base (AOIB), a subset of the larger Defense Industrial Base, is critical to the support of joint warfighters and the equipment they use every day. The AOIB consists of 23 geographically dispersed government ammunition plants, manufacturing arsenals and maintenance depots that provide materiel and equipment readiness to U.S. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. Many of these installations provide one-of-a-kind capabilities that are difficult to rapidly replicate elsewhere.

America’s all-volunteer Army has prevailed during more than 12 continuous years at war in some of the most formidable missions in its history. These professional Soldiers, their families and the Army civilians who serve alongside them have faithfully answered the nation’s repeated calls to duty and accomplished sustained missions that would have decimated most forces.

Today’s all-volunteer Army, which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, is the most experienced, best trained and highest quality force in the world. Steadfast for more than 12 continuous years at war, the total Army (active, Army National Guard, Army Reserve) has repeatedly answered the nation’s call to duty, both at home and abroad. America’s sons and daughters, inspired by patriotism and opportunity, choose to volunteer to be part of something bigger than themselves.The American Soldier is the centerpiece of the premier all-volunteer Army.

The United States Army has maintained a constant presence in the Asia–Pacific theater for more than 100 years. Strategic landpower—Army, Marines and special operations forces—is the most tangible and enduring measure of America’s commitment to defend its vital interests, protect its friends and defeat its enemies. Security and war are fundamentally about people, culture and decisions—the human domain of conflict—and strategic landpower exists to shape this domain and prevail throughout it.

Today’s global security environment is defined by its complexity, unpredictability and the increasing momentum of human interaction; it is the essence of the joint and combined force to remain trained and fully ready to meet any challenge. Strategic landpower—the application of land forces (Army, Marine Corps and special operations forces) toward achieving strategic outcomes across the range of military operations—provides a critical hedge against this uncertain future.

The United States Army—the nation’s foundational force—has defended America’s freedom, prosperity and way of life for more than 239 years. Today the Army is the strategic linchpin of national defense and provides a seamless continuum of options for senior civilian and military leadership alike.

For almost 14 years, the U.S. Army has continually answered the nation’s call to protect America’s vital interests both at home and abroad. Soldiers have deployed to nearly 150 countries while conducting a range of operations from humanitarian to major combat. The Total Army—active, Guard and Reserve—has acted as a deterrent; provided unique sustained capabilities to the joint force that only the Army can provide; and pursued conflict resolution in several regions of the world.

Today’s U.S. Army—active, Guard, Reserve— faces an extremely complex and uncertain strategic operating environment. Coming decades are likely to be marked by persistent engagement and conflict— confrontation by state, nonstate and/or individual actors who use violence to achieve their political and ideological ends. Globalization and technology, radicalism, population growth, resource competition, climate change and natural disasters, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and safe havens are but some of the major trends of the 21st century security environment.

The United States Army continues to adapt to an evolving and unstable security environment. The future joint operating landscape will consist of diverse enemies who employ traditional, unconventional and hybrid strategies to threaten U.S. vital interests. Much of this complex environment is unknown— what is known is that the emergence of myriad global threats coupled with an unprecedented fiscal uncertainty poses significant challenges to national security now and in the future.