The Objective Force: Are We on the Right Track

On October 12,1999 at the annual Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Convention, the Secretary of the Army, the Honorable Louis Caldera, and the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Eric K. Shinseki, unveiled a vision for a more strategically responsive Army in the 21st Century. Overall, they described an Army that is deployable, agile, versatile, lethal, survivable, sustainable and dominant at every point along the spectrum of operations. In order to achieve this vision, three axes of advance have been articulated - Recapitalization, the Interim Brigade Combat Team, and the Objective Force. The principle focus of Army Transformation is on the development and fielding of the Objective Force, yet questions remain as to the overall feasibility and executability of this effort. To be successful, the Objective Force development must have a strong analytical underpinning and a sound technological foundation. This paper considers whether the current development path of the Objective Force will eventually lead to the successful transformation of the Army.