Growing Down-Increasing Diversity as the Army Gets Smaller

As defense budget allocations get smaller and congressional mandates reduce the total number of active Army and Reserve Component Soldiers and civilians, this strategy research project (SRP) offers a comprehensive review of how the Army downsized in the 1970s after the Vietnam War and the subsequent drawdown following the Cold War arms race, which ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union. The lessons learned from previous military draw downs may be beneficial in effectively reducing the current number of Army personnel. In particular, this SRP considers the effect of downsizing on the Army's efforts to maintain diversity in the force.