The U.S. Army is facing a time of great change. The security environment is becoming increasingly complex and uncertain, with defense challenges multiplying. At the same time, the Army is adjusting to rapidly diminishing operational demands, falling endstrength, reorganization, and tightening budgets. Despite this churn, the Army has continued its long-standing emphasis on the centrality of the soldier and squad as the cornerstone of future operations. Chiefs of Staff going back decades or more have reiterated the theme that soldiers (and more recently, squads) remain the fundamental essence of the institution. Given these new realities, this report examines the current state of the soldier/squad system and how it might be best advanced in the face of constrained budgets.

"April 2014"--T.p. "A report of the CSIS Harold Brown Chair in Defense Policy Studies"--T.p.

Introduction / The soldier/squad as a system. Background -- The soldier/squad portfolio -- Portfolio attributes -- Requirements: where it all began / Integration: the key to a systems approach. Achieving unity of effort -- Conceptual and practical challenges -- A system for what? / Meeting future needs / Summary and recommendations. Item-based, highly specific requirements -- Governance challenges -- Shared scope and vision -- Continued innovation / Appendix A: Soldier load and cost baselines -- Appendix B: study participants.