U.S. Army Shakes Up Old Systems with General George’s ‘Army Transforming in Contract Initiative’

The U.S. Army is actively pursuing the 『Army Transforming in Contract Initiative』 proposed by General Randy A. George, who assumed office as the 41st Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army on September 21, 2023.

General George introduced the Army Transforming in Contract Initiative to integrate rapidly changing battlefield environments, advancements in cutting-edge military science and technology every two years, the need for structural reforms in existing Army units, and evolving ground operation concepts. This initiative marks a significant departure from past approaches.

This initiative marks a shift towards bottom-up transformation, contrasting with the Army’s historical top-down reform strategy, in which incoming Chiefs of Staff would typically dictate leadership philosophies and policy guidelines.

However, upon assuming his position, General George immediately designated four focus areas—combat power, combat readiness, operational unit improvement, and professional development—to be integrated with dual-technology advanced military science and technology, adapting to the constantly evolving ground operational environment. To validate these integrations, he authorized three units within the U.S. Army to conduct combat experiments, assessing how advanced military technologies are adopted and applied to ground operations and battlefield tactics.

General George authorized three combat brigades— the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division, and the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division—to form specialized teams for identifying new capabilities, operating next-generation weapon systems, and advancing command and control systems. These brigades were tasked with conducting various next-generation combat experiments at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, Louisiana, USA, leveraging advancements in military science and technology.

These units have been granted authority to share lessons learned, tactical improvements, and the pros and cons of adopting advanced military technologies within their respective divisions and across the Army. This cross-unit collaboration ensures that insights from these experiments are synthesized into actionable strategies.

The 101st Airborne Division conducted experiments assuming scenarios within the U.S. mainland theater, the 10th Mountain Division in the European theater, and the 25th Infantry Division in the Indo-Pacific theater. These experiments aimed to prepare the U.S. Army to deploy rapidly, flexibly, and efficiently to any global ground operation based on the results of these trials.

General George emphasized the importance of identifying shortcomings rather than solely focusing on the strengths of adopting advanced military science and technology. Unlike in the past, he highlighted that future operational environments will vary significantly by theater, and the missions assigned to units will differ accordingly. Moreover, once a mission is completed, units may need to transition to a different theater. Therefore, identifying theater-specific shortcomings in unit operations is critical for effective deployment.

General George also noted that the results of these combat experiments would be applied not only to the active-duty Army but also to the National Guard and reserve units. He revealed that these units were already conducting joint training with the active-duty Army at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Louisiana.

The U.S. Army is pursuing a “Total Army” concept that integrates the active-duty Army, National Guard, and reserve units. This approach involves focusing on advanced next-generation weapons, equipment, and systems and deliberating on how to organize these units efficiently, assign them specific missions, and ensure seamless integration between them. This strategy reflects the Army’s commitment to eliminating disparities between active and reserve forces.

Beyond the experiments conducted by the three combat brigades, the Army is also exploring how to integrate small Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) into tactical units and develop field solutions to counter enemy UAS attacks using tools such as 3D printers. These initiatives are part of a 20-year innovative blueprint.

General George pointed out that while the Army’s formations are becoming increasingly smaller, the operational environments within each theater are expanding. He stressed the importance of focusing on how the Army will adapt to these evolving challenges in the future.