Introduction
Army Force Management Model and Force Integration Functional Areas (FIFA) are important concepts related to the United States military force. They can help analyze the structure of the American army. First, the U. S. Army War College has initially adopted the Army Force Management Model. The model’s purpose is “to aid in examining specific force management systems and their interactions” (Department of the Army, 2020, p. 3-1). It is a systematic approach to creating trained units and preparing them for combatant commander employment. Then, FIFA presents standards for transitioning organizations to a higher capability level. Further analysis of FIFA and the war’s impact on the Army Force Management Model can promote a better understanding of the American army’s structure.
Potential War Impact on the Army Force Management Model
Such significant conflicts as the Russian invasion of Ukraine can always provoke various changes in the military strategies of the world nations, ultimately altering the political arena in military terms. The events currently taking place on the Ukrainian territory may influence The Army Force Management model, starting with its first module associated with determining strategic and operational requirements. According to the Department of the Army (2020), this module includes national and army laws, leaders, defense systems, processes, documents, and the demands of global force management. War operations on the territories in which a country is interested in a military, economic, and political sense can affect the strategic and operational requirements. In the case of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war, the resolution of this conflict is a matter of high significance for the United States, and the country’s further political course may vary depending on the war results. Therefore, the situation on the battlefield and the international conflict itself can severely affect the current strategic and operational requirements of the United States army.
There are different ways in which the ongoing invasion can impact the first module of the Army Force Management model, and an exemplifying situation may promote better understanding. Suppose Russia is victorious in this war, which would mean an immediate expansion of its spheres of influence. As it is known, Russia is one of the primary opponents of the United States in the political arena, and the cold war between them seems never to finish. The two countries in such a relationship likely want to be ready for an open armed conflict, meaning that the overall political influence of Russia will provoke alterations in the Unites States’ strategic and operational planning. The objectives of the U. S. national military strategy and potential threats define the force structuring process of the army (Department of the Army, 1995). This process involves recruiting personnel, preparing equipment, and determining the desired operational capability (Department of the Army, 2008). Therefore, the strategic and operational requirements of the United States army will be different since it will have to adjust to the newly established circumstances in the political arena.
Force Integration Functional Areas
The nine Force Integration Functional Areas (FIFA) present the standard for organizations’ transitioning to a higher capability level. The specific levels of FIFA include structuring, manning, equipping, training, sustaining, funding, deploying, stationing, and readiness. The equipping area demands an organization and its direct support and general support structures to have the most modern authorized equipment, including support equipment, instruments for tests, measurements, diagnostics, special tools, and other items (Department of the Army, 1998). For instance, if there is a more advanced machine running technical diagnostics than the one used in a specific organization, FIFA suggests that equipping area of this organization is improper.
The manning area of FIFA suggests proper organizational conditions in terms of an organization’s personnel. An organization and its support structure should have assigned all authorized personnel according to their grade and skill (Department of the Army, 1998). For example, if an organizational structure responsible for supplies does not have a qualified head of the procurement department assigned, then the manning area in this organization is inappropriate, according to FIFA.
Another significant area of FIFA is training, which also involves the organization itself and its direct and general support structures. A properly trained organization should have completed all the programs required by Army Modernization Training with particular support materials, and all training devices, courses, systems, ammunition, and facilities must be available to the organization’s units (Department of the Army, 1998). For instance, if an organization has undergone Discrete Trial Training (DTT) but has not completed Natural Environment Training (NET), FIFA suggests that the organization has not received proper training.
Funding is also an area described in FIFA, and it involves three different stages: identification, programming, and resourcing. An organization with appropriate funding should have all the costs correlated with the organizational activity identified, programmed, and resourced, and the funds should be available for activation, reorganization, and conversion (Department of the Army, 1998). For example, if an organization has received funding for personnel recruitment and training, but the identification of those costs is absent, then the funding area in that organization is improper, according to FIFA.
Conclusion
Analyzing different areas of FIFA and how war influences the Army Force Management Model can help understand the internal structure of the United States army. The war actions taking place on the Ukrainian territory might significantly affect the strategic and operational planning of the United States, though this country is factually not a participant in that war, which demonstrates the complexity of the military force. Various areas described in FIFA can also show how complicated the internal structure of the army is. The military force includes many significant elements that define its organization and effectiveness.
References
Department of the Army. (1995). Army regulation 71-11. Web.
Department of the Army. (1998). Field manual 100-11. Web.
Department of the Army (2008). Total army analysis. Web.
Department of the Army. (2020). How the army runs. Army War College.