U.S. Army's Combat Readiness in Question After Decades of Downsizing

The U.S. Army faces growing concerns over its readiness for large-scale combat. Retired officers and analysts warn that decades of focus on smaller conflicts may have weakened its ability to fight a major war. Since the Cold War ended, the military has shifted priorities and scaled back key training exercises.

The Army last tested its full combat capabilities during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. That conflict validated the AirLand Battle doctrine, designed in 1982 to counter a potential Soviet invasion of Western Europe. But since then, no large-scale exercises like REFORGER have taken place.

Live-fire training at home bases rarely exceeds company-level drills. Combat Training Centers have only recently started running brigade-sized live-fire events. Meanwhile, no major new combat systems have entered service in nearly 20 years, except for the Stryker and MRAP vehicles. The Army is now transitioning from counterinsurgency to traditional combat manoeuvre training. Yet, planners still rely on assumptions to address gaps in war planning. Retired Lt. Gen. David Barno and defence expert Dr. Nora Bensahel argue that these trends raise doubts about the military's ability to handle a large-scale conflict.

The Army's current focus includes preparing for potential counterinsurgency and counterterrorism missions. However, its last major rebuild followed the Vietnam War, when institutional reforms and new equipment restored readiness. Without recent large-scale exercises or major system upgrades, questions remain about its capacity for high-intensity warfare.