What, then, should the Army do differently? How can it best prepare for irregular conflicts while still maintaining a dominant capability for high-end conventional warfare? The answer lies in developing and fielding a force fully capable of conducting and, if need be, surging for irregular warfare operations, in addition to its capability to conduct and surge for large-scale conventional operations. Should either form of conflict prove protracted, the other wing of the force could, over the course of the initial 12-15 month surge, undergo training and the appropriate force structure modifications to enable it to “swing in” behind the surge force to sustain operations.
What would this dual surge force look like? First, fifteen Army IBCTs and fifteen Army National Guard IBCTs would be converted to SC BCTs. With a 3:1 rotation base, this would allow for seven and a half SC BCTs to be fielded on a sustained basis, serving as the Army’s phase 0 forward presence forces. It would also provide a pool of thirty brigades to draw upon should major stability operations contingency require a surge of forces.
Krepinevich's--"An Army at the Crossroads"
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