Considering a Cadre Augmented Army - RAND Corporation

-302- A Historical Analysis of Cadre
opposition to his cadre-like system as Millis writes: “it had become evident, as Root put it,
that the National Guard lobby would be able ‘to defeat any measure’ for a reserve system
‘which did not commend itself to them;’ so the Secretary had to abandon his ideas for
incorporating the Guard into a Federally controlled reserve.” 105 Root compromised in order
to have some of his other reforms adopted by dropping the requirement for a federally
controlled reserve and Congress passed the Dick Act of 1903. 106 This act asserted that the
National Guard (militia) would be the primary expansion force of the U.S. Army.
The Dick Act of 1903 created two classes of militia: “the organized militia, to be
known as the National Guard … and the remainder to be known as the Reserve Militia.” 107
The Act specified that the National Guard “was to be organized, trained and equipped
uniformly with the regular Army; the Federal government assumed responsibility for
providing weapons and equipment as well as regular Army officers as instructors.” 108 This
was the first time that the government had taken responsibility for training and equipping
the militia (henceforth referred to as the National Guard). The Act also required National
Guard units to hold at least twenty-four drills plus a “summer” encampment of not less than
five consecutive days. 109 Weigley argues that “the Dick Act … laid a foundation for
cooperation of a continually improving kind between the Regular Army and the only reserve
force that in 1903 was feasible.” 110
detailed reform proposals.” [Weigley (1984), p. 315] Nonetheless, it is hard not to see the components of
Upton’s reform proposals in Root’s recommendations.
105 Millis (1956), p. 177
106 Root’s other major concern was creating a general staff in order to have continuity in war planning.
107 United States Congress (1903)
108 Millis (1956), p. 179
109 Weigley (1984), p. 321
110 Weigley (1984), p. 322