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Burden sharing is back. Indeed many observers of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO) Alliance would claim that it never went
away. This is because, from its inception in 1949, NATO has never
been an alliance of equals. The United States has always made the
overwhelmingly larger contribution, not only for the defense of
Europe under Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, but also in the numerous
operations that the Alliance has carried out beyond Europe since
the end of the Cold War. At one stage in the late-1950s, the United
States had nearly 400,000 troops and 7,000 nuclear weapons deployed
in Western Europe. It also maintained large stocks of
pre-positioned equipment and sent thousands of more troops back to
Europe every year for reinforcement and exercises.
This monograph focuses upon "regional alignment," viewed by many as
critical if the Army is to remain both relevant and effective in
the 21st century security environment. Despite its title, the
monograph is part of the Strategic Studies Institute's ongoing
"talent management" series. In fact, the authors argue that world
class talent management is a necessary pre-condition to creating an
effective regional alignment strategy for the Army. They identify
several serious challenges to creating a workable regional
alignment of Army units, most of which hinge upon understanding and
liberating the unique talents of individual soldiers and civilians.
They also argue that the Army's current Force Generation Model is
not conducive to creating and maintaining regionally expert units
and must be adjusted accordingly.
In November 2012, Russia's Caspian Flotilla celebrated its 290th
anniversary. Established by Peter the Great in 1722, the Flotilla
was a key component of the Russian Empire's expansion into the
Caspian region, and nearly 300 years later, it remains a vital
element of continued Russian influence in its "south." The Russian
Ministry of Defense (MOD) describes the Caspian Flotilla as "not
only the southernmost outpost of Russia, but also the guarantor of
the integrity of maritime boundaries and the most important foreign
policy tool of the state in the Caspian Sea."1 The Flotilla has
recovered from the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics (USSR) in 1991 and its subsequent redeployment from Baku
to Astrakhan. Unlike other Russian fleets, it has not been reduced
in size, but has been the focus of significant investment in recent
years.
Today we continue to face an uncertain, complicated and rapidly
changing international security environment. At the same time, the
Army has been asked to rapidly draw down force levels, in light of
domestic fiscal challenges. In the face of continuing international
tensions and budget austerity, the Army's greatest challenge is to
provide steadfast support to worldwide operational commitments, to
include Afghanistan, while simultaneously preparing a smaller force
to conduct a wider array of security missions to counter present
and future threats. We are committed to ensure the U.S. Army
remains the most highly trained and professional land force in the
world.
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