Combat Service Support and the Total Force

This study determined the minimum essential active Army Total Force Combat Service Support structure required for Contingency Force CF operations to provide the Army with the necessary organization for a response to a national crisis. A model called MICROFASTALS, used in combination with LOTUS 1-2-3 software, developed these forces. A literature search provided background information describing the history of the Total Force Policy to the present how the Department of Defense and the Army was organized to meet the Total Force initiatives, including an in depth description of the Army CSS structure the latest National Security and Military Strategy that has been developed to meet the World Changing Strategic Environment including an explanation of the four forces. The results showed a positive relationship between the size of the force, the intra-theater location length, and the CSS structure. It is recommended that the Army compare this proposed CSS structure against all plans for force draw-down to ensure that units identified as Contingency Forces meet this established minimum, that units labeled as CF receive special mobilization attention.