White Paper Lauds Army’s Eye Toward Future

The Army has taken a necessary step forward with the establishment of its Futures Command, according to the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington, D.C.-based think tank. If the command is to succeed at its mission, however, several conditions should be met, the organization believes.
“To its credit, the Army has recognized is challenges in modernization,” wrote the paper’s author, retired Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Spoehr, who supervises research on defense matters for Heritage.
Spoehr believes the new command, which is based in Austin, Texas, would not be hindered as past unification efforts were due to “lack of unity.” He offered several suggestions to ensure its success:
* Stable funding for modernization. Spoehr attributes previous failures to “massive budget cuts imposed by the Budget Control Act and the actions of the previous [Obama] administration.”
* Commitment from Army Leadership. Gen. Mark Milley, the Army chief of staff, is big proponent of the new command. But Milley is due to retire next year. “Successors must maintain this similar level of interest for Army modernization to succeed,” Spoehr wrote.
* Staffing with the “right leaders.” Spoehr also believes that holders of key positions within the command should remain in their jobs for “no less than two to three years.”
* A long-term view. “Key modernization decisions must be based on a view of the long-term strategic challenges, extending decades into the future, encompassing multiple options, and resisting the temptation to make decisions based on current operational challenges, no matter how pressing,” Spoehr wrote.
He also urged Congress to provide the necessary stable function, support the Army’s efforts, and play a key and active role in selecting general officers “for service in the Army modernization enterprise.”
The Army, meanwhile, should focus on integrating the command with other organizations below headquarters level. It is essential, Spoehr believes, that the service create a clear career path for soldiers who specialize in modernization.