Huntsville, AL, March 26, 2018 – Dr. Mark T. Esper, Secretary of the Army, speaking at the Global Force Symposium in Huntsville this morning, outlined plans to create a “new army”.
In 1973, the Army was revamped to meet the coming decades of U.S. defense and has worked well. Now, it’s time to move the U.S. Army into the 21st century. The next 10 years will see the new Army come to fruition and the focus to achieve these objectives will be all-encompassing, from top brass to the front-line soldiers.
One of the biggest and most important changes will be the creation of the Army Futures Command (AFC). The AFC will be similar to a corporate headquarters. The AFC will consist of about 400 military and civilian personnel who will command a streamlined process of modernization of weapons, systems, and acquisitions. With a concentrated group of decision makers, Army requirements can be determined faster and brought to the battlefield faster.
“To ensure our soldiers never enter a fair fight, the Army is now increasing its investment in modernizing the force. Our modernization strategy is focused on one goal: make soldiers and units far more lethal and effective than any other adversary,” stated Esper.
The Army will establish the Army Futures Command in a selected city to be announced later this year.