Considering a Cadre Augmented Army - RAND Corporation

-73- A Budgetary Analysis of Cadre
guidance to use AC units less intensively in the future. 84 We can explore the impact of
changes to rotation guidance by representing each set of rotation guidance policies as the
number of units per deployed BCT. 85 The number of units per deployed BCT depends on
the deployment length and dwell time (time at home between deployments) specified by the
rotation guidance policy. Different rotation guidance policies can have the same number of
units per deployed BCT. For instance, a rotation policy that specifies eight-month
deployments followed by 24 months of dwell time requires the same number of units per
deployed BCT (four) as a policy that specifies 12 month deployments followed by 36
months of dwell time. Figure 6.1 shows the number of units per deployed AC BCT for
various combinations of dwell times and deployment lengths.
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84 In April of 2008, Eric Schoomaker, the Surgeon General of the Army testified before the United States
Senate that “the optimal tour in Afghanistan and Iraq to reduce combat stress should be six to nine months
with 18 months at home.” [Brewin (2008)] A Nine month deployment with 18 months at home is the same as
existing rotation guidance (1:2) which requires three units at home for every one deployed. Six month
deployments would mean using the AC less intensively than the current rotation guidance; it would increase the
number of AC units needed at home to four for every unit deployed.
85 The number of units per deployed BCT is the number of units required to sustain one BCT deployed
continuously. It is calculated by dividing the sum of mobilization length and dwell time by deployment length.
For instance, for the 2007 AC rotation guidance of one year deployed followed by two years at home (1:2), the
number of AC units per deployed BCT is 3 ([2+1]/1). Appendix A contains more detail on calculating this
parameter.