Using Army National Guard Combat Battalions for Peace Operations: A Viable Alternative for the Future.

Since the end of the Cold War, defense spending has declined as well as active Army force structure, requiring more reliance on the Total Force the Army Reserve and the National Guard ARNG,to accomplish ever growing multinational peace time engagement missions. Additionally, National Military Strategy requires a much smaller Active Component AC to prepare for and be capable of fighting two near simultaneous Major Theater Wars MTW. Although the Army has relied on its Reserve Components RC to fill critical shortages in Combat Service Support CSS and Combat Support CS for peace operations, since DESERT STORM, the Army has only deployed two RC combat units to such operations. With a decreasing AC combat force and new and increasing challenges, the Army National Guard divisions combat battalions provide a tremendous untapped resource to help relieve AC operational tempo OPTEMPO and personnel tempo PERSTEMPO and free AC combat forces conducting peacekeeping missions, enabling them to train and prepare for their wartime missions. In order to realize the efficiencies of this option, Department of Defense and Army planners must properly, program, train and adequately fund these battalions to assume selected peacekeeping missions.