October 22, 2020
The Army’s New Regionally Aligned Readiness and
Modernization Model
Why Is Army Readiness Important
can deal with a lot of tempo, but unpredictability
to Congress?
results in an incredible amount of stress on the
The Army defines readiness as the capability of its forces to
force.
conduct the full range of military operations, including the
Past and Current Army
defeat of all enemies regardless of the threats they pose.
Readiness Models
Readiness, then, is a function of how well units are manned,
The term “
equipped, trained, and led. Congress, in its lawmaking,
Readiness Models” refers to a process by which
oversight, and authorization and appropriations roles, plays
the Army generates ready forces that are made available to
a vital role in ensuring the Army is capable of conducting
Combatant Commanders for operations. From the 1980s
its full range of military operations.
until 2006, the Army employed a Tiered Readiness Model
with units manned, equipped, and trained at different levels
The Army’s Proposed Regionally Aligned or tiers (often referred to as “C” ratings or levels) focused
Readiness and Modernization Model
on fighting potential overseas adversaries. Reserve
(ReARMM)
Components (RC) (Army National Guard [ARNG] and
In the past, the Army has claimed it has suffered from poor
U.S. Army Reserve [USAR]) were largely relegated to the
readiness due to a number of factors, including personnel,
role of strategic reserve (i.e., to be employed in the event of
equipment, training, a high operational tempo (generally
a crisis or emergency exceeding the Regular Army’s [RA’s]
defined as a soldier’s and/or unit’s time away from home
capacity). In 2006 in the aftermath of September 11, 2001,
station for training or operations), and lack of funding. In
and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Army adopted the
October 2020, the Army announced its new Regionally
Army Force Generation Model (ARFORGEN), designed to
Aligned Readiness and Modernization Model (ReARMM),
provide fully manned, equipped, and trained forces for
which it hopes to have in place by 2022. This model is
rotational deployment for those conflicts. ARFORGEN
intended to better balance operational tempo (OPTEMPO)
consisted of three distinct annual cycles (a postdeployment
with dedicated periods for conducting missions, training,
Reset cycle, a Train and Ready cycle; and a Deploy cycle)
and modernization. The Army maintains that to correct its
through which all units progressed in order to achieve a
readiness problems, it has invested significant resources and
prescribed level of readiness. Under ARFORGEN, most
leadership to improve readiness and equipment
RA units operated on a three-year cycle and RC units were
modernization so units have the most up-to-date equipment.
on a five-year cycle (RA: two years preparation, one year
available; RC: four years preparation, one year available).
The Army admitted its past “readiness focus resulted in an
unsustainable OPTEMPO and placed significant demands
In 2014, as the United States began to decrease troop levels
on units, leaders, and soldiers and families and stress on the
in Iraq and Afghanistan and refocused on threats from
force.” The Army expects ReARMM will not only improve
Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, the Army determined
readiness and modernization but also ease the stress on both
ARFORGEN was no longer adequate for its needs. The
soldiers and their families.
Army began implementing the Sustainable Readiness
Model (SRM) in FY2017. The Army’s goal under SRM was
The Current Readiness and
to achieve two-thirds (66%) combat readiness of RA and
Modernization Challenge
ARNG brigade combat teams (BCTs) by 2023. Unlike
Lieutenant General Leopoldo Quintas, Deputy Commander
ARFORGEN, under SRM, there were no fixed progressive
of Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), describes the
cycles for RA units, and the RC was to remain on a five-
Army’s current readiness and modernization challenge as
year train up and deployment cycle. At present, the Army
follows:
employs SRM to generate forces.
Today, Army units operate in an environment of
How ReARMM Is Intended to Work
unpredictability, and arguably even instability.
Reportedly, ReARMM is intended to allocate Army units to
Units are placed on rotational missions based on
different theaters for approximately one year to assist them
their availability, and these missions vary in
in developing expertise in the parts of the world to which
location, length, manning, readiness requirements
they could likely deploy during a conflict. Units would also
and equipment just to name a few. Modernization
acquire new and theater-specific equipment for potential
today occurs when we can find a window to fit it in,
operations. The model also intends to provide soldiers more
or simultaneous with other activities. Every week,
predictability so units would have time to refine doctrine,
month and year is filled with constant change and
and reorganize units if necessary based on theater-specific
high tempo for soldiers. Our soldiers and families
requirements.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
The Army’s New Regionally Aligned Readiness and Modernization Model
According to the Army, ReARMM is currently approved
meeting or not meeting the Combatant Commander’s
for planning purposes to integrate and synchronize force
expectations?
employment and modernization across the Total Army (RA,
ARNG, and USAR). Some of ReARMM’s advantages are
Does ReARMM align with or support the other
said to include the following:
Service’s readiness models, and how does this affect the
readiness of the Joint Force?
aligning units against regional priorities;
How does ReARMM fit in with existing Defense
optimizing time available to plan, train, and modernize;
Security Cooperation statutory and policy frameworks?
creating predicable windows to field capabilities to
The RC is a major source of Army forces and
units;
capabilities. What role did the RC play in developing
ReARMM? ARFORGEN and SRM had different
enabling the Army to transform into a multi-domain
“rules” and processes for the RC. Does ReARMM also
force and provide a predictable supply of ready units for
have different requirements and provisions for the RC?
the Army and the Joint Force; and
ReARMM’s goal of creating predictable six-month
building predictability for the RC, equippers, and
fielding cycles for new equipment is a significant
personnel managers.
change in the Army modernization process. What
impact will this have on Total Army modernization and
The Army claims ReARMM is designed to facilitate
does “predictable six-month fielding” also apply to the
consistent, manageable OPTEMPO, increase predictability
RC?
for training and force employment, and prioritize
modernization efforts. Under ReARMM, the Army intends
How does ReARMM intend to better manage and
to create predictable six-month cycles to field new
potentially reduce OPTEMPO for soldiers and units?
equipment to units as opposed to the current practice of
How does this differ from previous readiness/force
delivering equipment to units during their training cycle.
generation models?
Also as part of ReARMM, the Army intends to have at least
three units of the same size, type, and modernization level
Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy on October 13, 2020,
aligned against known Joint Staff requirements for forces. It
noted the Army’s readiness focus is on individual,
is to also provide rotational forces, with no overlap between
squad, platoon, and company-level training. The goal is
rotating units, for Combatant Commands. Army units
to build unit-cohesion at lower-levels to address spikes
aligned under a Combatant Command are to have the same
in suicide, sexual assault, and potential
assigned modernization level to ensure commonality of
racism/extremism issues. How specifically does
equipment and weapon systems. The Army also notes
ReARMM intend to address these issues?
ReARMM does not create additional forward stationing of
units or immediate changes to existing regional alignment
What additional resources (e.g., personnel, equipment,
of Army forces.
training, facilities) will be required to fully implement
and sustain ReARMM?
Potential Issues for Congress
While the Army has publicly stated its expectations for and
Related CRS Products
perceived benefits of its Regionally Aligned Readiness and
CRS Report R46216, The Army’s Modernization Strategy:
Modernization Model, little has been discussed about how
Congressional Oversight Considerations, by Andrew
the model actually functions. Furthermore, a change of this
Feickert and Brendan W. McGarry.
magnitude for the Total Army raises a number of potential
issues for congressional oversight, including, but not
CRS In Focus IF10831, Defense Primer: Future Years
limited to the following:
Defense Program (FYDP), by Brendan W. McGarry and
Heidi M. Peters.
ReARMM represents the Army’s third readiness model
in 14 years. Because these models significantly affect
CRS In Focus IF11409, Defense Primer: Army Multi-
the manning, equipping, and training of Army units, is it
Domain Operations (MDO), by Andrew Feickert.
possible changing readiness models every four to five
years, in and of itself, has also contributed to stress on
CRS Report R46559, The Fundamentals of Military
Army forces, soldiers, and families?
Readiness, by G. James Herrera.
What input have regional Combatant Commanders had
Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces
in the development of ReARMM and what role are they
expected to play in its day-to-day execution? Is there a
IF11670
mechanism to inform the Army if ReARMM units are
https://crsreports.congress.gov
The Army’s New Regionally Aligned Readiness and Modernization Model
Disclaimer
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11670 · VERSION 1 · NEW