Considering a Cadre Augmented Army - RAND Corporation

-178- An Operational Analysis of Cadre
3.2.2—RC Units with Surplus Personnel (RC+)
Another way to organize a peacetime cadre force without separate cadre units is to
have cadre leaders assigned to RC units near their homes. Officers and NCOs leaving the
AC could be offered the option of affiliating with a reserve unit near their home. They
would join the unit with the understanding that they would be affiliated with that unit only
for training purposes and that in wartime they would be expected to serve as a full-time
leader in a cadre unit. 58
This type of unit has many of the same advantages as the AC units with surplus
personnel. It addresses the low proficiency issue to a lesser extent than AC units with surplus
personnel because there are fewer training opportunities in the RC. However, it is still better
than the maintenance cadre unit. This cadre force configuration has the additional benefit of
not affecting active duty personnel assignments. Whereas additional AC personnel would
need to be assigned to AC units to serve as cadre leaders, RC units with surplus personnel
would recruit only those individuals separating from service to serve as the leaders of cadre
units. These personnel would need to have had relevant leadership experience in the AC.
Lastly, this type of cadre organization would cost less than AC units with surplus personnel.
There are three disadvantages to this type of cadre force. First, this alternative
assumes that there are enough officers and NCOs leaving active duty to fill all of the
additional positions in RC units with surplus personnel. This would depend on the demand
(how many cadre units) and the supply (how many officers and NCOs are separating and
their interest in alternate forms of service). Second, like AC units with surplus personnel,
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58 This is similar to the filling option discussed in Chapter Five that offers bonuses to junior RC personnel to
serve in cadre units. Both of these options require maintaining a RC larger than needed for RC units so that
some RC personnel could be called upon to serve in cadre units during wartime without affecting RC
deployments.