The U.S. Military’s Force Structure: A Primer

CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE

CBO

The U.S. Military's Force Structure:

A Primer

JULY 2016

Notes

Unless otherwise indicated, all years referred to in this study are federal fiscal years (which run from October 1 to September 30 and are designated by the calendar year in which they end). In addition, all costs apply to fiscal years and are expressed in fiscal year 2017 dollars of total obligational authority, and all growth rates are measured in real terms (with the adjustments for inflation made using the Congressional Budget Office's projection of the gross domestic product price index).

Numbers in the text and tables may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Supplemental information for this analysis is available on CBO's website ( publication/51535).

CBO

publication/51535

Contents

Summary

1

What Are the Major Elements of the Military's Force Structure?

1

What Does This Analysis Indicate About the Budgetary Effects of

Altering the Force Structure?

4

How Is This Report Organized?

5

1

Introduction What Is Force Structure?

7 8

BOX 1-1. DEFINING SUPPORT UNITS

10

How CBO Estimated the Costs of the Military's Force Structure

10

How Changes in the Force Structure Would Affect Costs

12

BOX 1-2. WHY CBO PROJECTS THAT MOST OF DOD'S OPERATION AND

SUPPORT COSTS ARE PROPORTIONAL TO THE FORCE STRUCTURE

14

Costs Not Included in This Analysis

15

Guide to Reading This Report

16

2

Department of the Army Overview

17 17

BOX 2-1. COMMAND LEVELS OF U.S. GROUND FORCES

19

Major Elements of the Force Structure

Army Armored Brigade Combat Teams

22

Army Stryker Brigade Combat Teams

28

Army Infantry Brigade Combat Teams

32

Other Department of the Army Units and Activities

36

Special Topics

Integration of the Army's Active and Reserve Components

38

Manning Levels, Readiness, and Deployability of Units

40

Deployment Times and Rotation Ratios

42

CBO

II THE U.S. MILITARY'S FORCE STRUCTURE: A PRIMER

3

Department of the Navy Overview

Major Elements of the Force Structure Aircraft Carriers Surface Combatants Attack Submarines Amphibious Ships Marine Corps Infantry Battalions Other Department of the Navy Units and Activities

Special Topics Integration of the Navy and Marine Corps Forcible-Entry Capability Naval Shipborne Aviation Marine Corps Aviation

4

Department of the Air Force Overview Major Elements of the Force Structure

Air Force Tactical Aviation Squadrons Air Force Bomber Squadrons Air Force Airlift Squadrons Air Force Air Refueling Squadrons Air Force Unmanned Air System Squadrons Other Department of the Air Force Units and Activities

Special Topic The U.S. Military's Strike Capability

5

Defensewide Activities Overview

Major Elements of the Force Structure Special Operations Defense Health Program Other Defensewide Units and Activities Nuclear Forces Missile Defense

CBO

JULY 2016

45 45

52 56 59 61 65 68

70 72 74 77

81 81

86 89 92 96 100 103

105

109 109

111 114 116 117 120

CONTENTS

A

Size, Costs, and Number of U.S. Forces

THE U.S. MILITARY'S FORCE STRUCTURE: A PRIMER III

123

B

Reconciling CBO's and DoD's Five-Year Tallies of Funding and Personnel

127

C

Military Operations and Planning Scenarios Referred to in This Report

135

List of Tables and Figures

139

About This Document

140

CBO

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