WASHINGTON (March 12, 2015) -- With a relatively small force of just two divisions, the British army finds it most worthwhile to maintain a forward-deployed, regionally-aligned posture, said its commander of land forces, Lt. Gen. James Everard.
Everard was the featured speaker during the Kermit Roosevelt Lecture at the Pentagon. The topic was "Aligning the Planets - Integrating the Efforts of Partners."
U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Daniel B. Allyn, who spoke in London during last year's Kermit Roosevelt Lecture, introduced Everard and mentioned his appreciation for the close partnership between the two nations and their armies.
Although the British army is small - 157,000 regular and 30,000 reserves - its troops are forward deployed throughout Africa; the Middle East, including Iraq and Afghanistan; Eastern Europe and South Asia, he said, pointing to a slide of a map, showing headquarters of various brigades.
Its disposition of forces is remarkably similar to the U.S. Army's regionally aligned structure, he said - not that the United Kingdom wanted to copy the United States, but rather because it has a history of global engagements.
One of the main reasons the British army is globally engaged is that it has been downsized over the years and lacks a big budget, he said. The effect of spreading its forces out and partnering with nations in training and operations is that it has a "disproportionate effect" on enhanced security both home and abroad.
It's more than a show-the-flag effort, he added. British soldiers get to understand and value the cultures and establish personal relationships with their counterparts from other countries and the reverse is true as well.
Another similarity between the U.S. and British forces is that both are modular and scalable, meaning that units of the right size and mix can be tailored to specific missions, he said.
TRIBAL MENTALITY
Both a strength and weakness of the British army is its tribalism, Everard said.
The army receives a regular infusion of recruits not only from the United Kingdom, but also from its 53 commonwealth nations. Those nations used to be British territories but once they gained their independence, they decided to keep many of their ties and work together for democracy and prosperity.
Everard displayed a chart showing a typical battalion, which had soldiers from 26 nationalities in its ranks. These soldiers become really close-knit, he said, adding that many are related by blood.
The officers who command these units take on the esprit de corps of their units and when they transfer, it's often difficult to get them out of their tribal mentality from which their frame of reference derives, he said.
Yet, the loyalty to the tribe is a huge strength when it comes to cultivating an allegiance and fighting spirit, he added.
With soldiers from so many cultures and backgrounds, the British army is trying to instill a shared system of ethics and values, similar to what the U.S. Army has been doing. The army is trying to ensure ethical behavior becomes instinctual, both on duty and off, and leaders are emphasizing role-modeling.
U.K.-U.S. INTEROPERABILITY
The United Kingdom shares much with the United States, including its desire for peace and stability in the world, as well as cherishing democratic values and principles, Everard said. This shared sense of purpose makes it natural for the United Kingdom to partner with the United States when it comes to troop deployments.
The United Kingdom feels good that the United States is taking the lead on foreign affairs, he said.
Currently, the British army has the best interoperability that it's ever had with the U.S. Army, he pointed out, explaining that at one time, combined operations stressed "deconfliction," meaning physically separating the forces to avoid fratricide through mistaken communication.
As time went by, combined operations moved to compatibility, with better coordination and communications. Now, he said, it has moved to integration, where an American commander can integrate British soldiers into his unit and go to war with them.
Although the British army is small compared to the U.S. Army, Everard said it could offer a division if needed and a brigade for an extended period of time.
Currently, the 82nd Airborne Division and the U.K.'s analogous unit, the 16th Air Assault Brigade are partnering through training and a number of combined exercises, he said. Their efforts will pave the way for a truly integrated U.S.-U.K. force, including shared mission command, sustainment, fires and maneuver.
Gaps still remain but those are being addressed and fixed, he said.
Allyn thanked Everard and said it was remarkable that the two armies, strapped for cash and spread thin, came to similar conclusions about the importance of a regionally engaged posture. He added that the two armies are so close they're "linked at the hips."
ABOUT KERMIT ROOSEVELT LECTURES
The first Kermit Roosevelt lecture exchange between the militaries of the United States and United Kingdom took place in 1947.
The initiatives for the annual exchange of military lecturers originated with Belle, the widow of Kermit Roosevelt, who died while serving in the U.S. Army in 1943. Kermit was the son of President Theodore Roosevelt. Belle's ideas were set forth in correspondence to U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George C. Marshall, June 17, 1944.
As a result of that correspondence, the U.S. Congress in 1945 enacted legislation, which authorized the Kermit Roosevelt Fund to implement and administer the exchange program "for the purpose of fostering a better understanding and a closer relationship between the military forces of the United States and those of the United Kingdom by sponsoring lectures or courses of instruction."
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