Dissonance Discussion

Strategic dissonance does occur and will continue to occur in the United States Army. All of the branches of the United States Armed Forces are currently experiencing some form of dissonance. Army General Martin Dempsey is currently the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the most senior ranking member of the Armed Forces and is responsible for advising the President of the United of the United States and the Secretary of Defense. GEN Dempsey recently stated that he believes the United States Armed Forces currently have to re-examine themselves as a result of a strategic inflection point. This inflection point is forcing the Armed Forces to reconsider their roles, core competencies, and missions as a force. There are complications associated with strategic inflection points. The current state of the US economy is a complication to this strategic inflection point. Top military leaders are pushing new capabilities while the cultural change to reduce troop numbers and costs is causing top-driven dissonance within the Armed Forces. It is difficult to accomplish both of those at the same time.

It is certain the US Armed Forces will experience strategic dissonance in the future. History shows that it is inevitable. The Army alone has faced numerous strategic inflection points over the last few decades. The Army was forced to implement new procedures to respond to the increased demand for ground forces to meet the current operational tempo of multiple world-wide military operations. The Army implemented the Army Forces Generation Process (ARFORGEN) as a result of a strategic inflection point due to increased demand for mobilizing soldiers since 2006. The strategic inflection point was the result of continued operations in an environment of prolonged conflict against constantly changing threats.

Top military officials have stated numerous times over the last couple of years the military is changing....