In an important step toward better enabling the Army to fulfill the growing array of military-to-military requirements, General Odierno unveiled the new Regionally Aligned Forces (RAF) concept last year. By aligning its units to particular U.S. military commands, such as the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) or the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), the Army will help to ensure it’s as responsive and engaged as possible.

The RAF initiative is an important element of the evolving vision of the future U.S. Army, one where credible deterrence provided by a robust, best-in-class ground force is married with frequent, focused, dynamic military-to-military activities—all designed to shape the security environment and prevent conflict. A robust, formidable U.S. Army is necessary to build capacity in regional partners, maintain interoperability with America’s most capable allies, and promote their expeditionary capabilities. In the event that our crystal balls aren’t as good as we think, a robust Army is the best insurance against major threats to U.S. interests.

John R. Deni is a research professor at the U.S. Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute. You can follow him on Twitter at @JohnRDeni. The views expressed are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Army.