Considering a Cadre Augmented Army - RAND Corporation

-238- An Operational Analysis of Cadre
variety of different types of “reserve” units (cadre and RC). 164 Using these cost estimates, we
find that the percentage difference in cost for each of the reserve forces relative to an AC
BCT is almost equal for each of the cost components (military pay, operations and
maintenance, and other). Table B.1 shows the relative cost for each cost component and
each of the reserve forces examined in Bailey (1991). 165
Table B.1—Cost of “Reserve” Forces in Bailey (1991) Relative to AC BCT
Unit Type Military Operations and Other Total
Pay Maintenance
RC 22% 22% 31% 22%
AC Leadership 18% 21% 13% 19%
RC Leadership 4% 3% 3% 4%
AC Full Structure 30 % 34% 28% 31%
RC Full Structure 6 % 6% 6% 6%
For each of the reserve forces examined in Bailey (1991), the relative military pay
costs are almost exactly the same as the relative total costs. The only unit structures that do
not have exactly the same ratio for military pay and total cost are AC Full Structure (30 vs.
31 percent) and AC Leadership (18 vs. 19 percent). These differences are minor. Based on
this, we think it is fair to assume that changes in the overall cost of a cadre unit relative to an
AC unit will be proportional to changes in the personnel costs. 166 The following subsection
shows how we calculate relative personnel costs for different cadre unit structures.
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164 Bailey (1991), p. C-2
165 Bailey (1991) examines five types of “reserve” units: a RC unit and four types of cadre units. The four types
of cadre units are defined by two factors: the status of cadre leaders in peacetime (AC/RC) and the distribution
of cadre leaders. The AC and RC leadership cadre units “retain a large number of the senior personnel of the
division to preserve skills and experience” while the AC and RC full structure cadre units “retain some of the
critical leadership positions and some of the soldier positions to facilitate realistic training and maintenance.”
[Bailey (1991), p. 13]
166 This assumption would also fail if other cost components varied disproportionately to military pay by grade.