Army to match processes to budget reality, says top official

The Army will revise its developmental model and make other adjustments to successfully counter adversaries around the globe and adjust to changing fiscal circumstances at home, Army Secretary John M. McHugh said today at the opening session of the AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C.

To respond to threats around the globe, the Army must change its institutions to counter adversaries who are no longer only nation-states, McHugh said. "Our generating force must not only be an engine of change, it must be designed for change," he said.

He observed that large institutions change slowly, but the need for change will be driven by 'harsh realities' such as looming defense budget cuts. In his first year on the job, McHugh said that he has begun a process change how the Army does business, switching to a "smaller, smarter, cheaper, better" model. This process was kicked off with a series of capability portfolio reviews designed to align the service onto a new path. The results of the reviews will be ready this February, he said.

Among the areas under review are the Army's force structure and training processes. McHugh noted that he has also launched a commission to examine Army acquisition processes. However, he added that the Army and other military services have attempted to control fiscal spending in the past. The service requires new efficiencies that are ultimately responsible to the taxpayer. "Institutional change is not merely about pinching pennies and pushing pens," he said.

But people remain the Army's core strength, and any changes must always be balanced to provide services to Army personnel and their families, he said. McHugh closed his address by noting that major institutional change will be a long process that will require leadership from across the service.