Initiated in 2013 by the 38th Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Raymond T. Odierno, regionally aligned forces (RAF) provide combatant commands (CCMDs),[1] scalable and tailorable Army capabilities for all requirements, including operational missions, bilateral and multilateral military exercises and security cooperation activities.
[4][5] Corps and divisions are aligned to ensure joint task force capability to every geographic combatant command (GCC).
The defense strategic guidance directs the U.S. military services to strengthen allied and partner relationships and to pursue new partnerships.
[6][11] Importantly, DOD expected Army regional alignment to improve the Army's ability to provide soldiers and capabilities to the GCCs, to help support the United States Department of State efforts to promote greater security and stability in regions and countries whose interests share a common vision of freedom and prosperity.
[6][11][12] Following Department of State direction, and at GCC request for training and mentoring capabilities, Army Forces committed to devote resources to helping improve partner capacity to provide security to their populations; to serve as part of United Nations or coalition efforts; and to build stronger military institutions that are accountable to civilian authority and that respect the rule of law.
These Army personnel attain a high degree of cultural awareness and language capability and develop specialized, regionally focused areas of expertise.
[29] Conventional forces were directed to support the geographic combatant commanders with logistics, maintenance, communication, finance, administration, military rule of law and other services critical for sustaining and maintaining security forces that can participate in multinational operations, who remain answerable to their civilian authorities, and who respect the rule of law.
In addition, the Army expected to consider how to manage, train and develop soldiers to support regional alignment and to ensure appropriate investments.