ASSESSMENT OF THE STRUCTURE AND MIX OF ACTIVE AND RESERVE FORCES.

SEC. 402. ASSESSMENT OF THE STRUCTURE AND MIX OF ACTIVE AND RESERVE FORCES. (a) Requirement for Assessment.—The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report containing an assessment of a wide range of alternatives relating to the structure and mix of active and reserve forces appropriate for carrying out assigned missions in the mid-to late-1990s. (b) Concept for Assessment.—(1) The assessment shall consist of two parts. (2)(A) The first part shall consist of a study conducted by a federally funded research and development center that is independent of the military departments. The study shall provide comprehensive analytical information about the matters set out in subsection (c). (B) The Secretary shall ensure that the study group established by the federally funded research and development center to conduct the study has full access to the Department of Defense information necessary for the conduct of the study, including information on the performance of active and reserve forces during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The study group shall examine all active and reserve component missions, with particular emphasis on missions carried out by land forces. (C) The study group shall be assisted by a panel of experts who, by reason of their background, experience, and knowledge, are particularly qualified in the areas covered by the study. (3) The second part of the assessment shall consist of an evaluation by the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the independent analysis, assumptions, findings, 105 STAT. 1350and recommendations of the study group under paragraph (1). The Secretary and the Chairman shall determine, on the basis of the evaluation, the mix or mixes of reserve and active forces included in the independent study that are considered acceptable to carry out expected future military missions. (c) Matters To Be Included.—(1) The study conducted pursuant to subsection (b)(2) shall include the following: (A) An assessment of the existing policies and practices for implementing the Total Force Policy of the Department of Defense, including— (i) the methodology used by the Department of Defense in assigning missions between the active and reserve components; and (ii) the methodology used by the Department of Defense to determine how force reductions are distributed within and between active and reserve components. (B) An assessment of the effectiveness of the Total Force Policy during the Persian Gulf conflict. (C) An assessment of a range of possible mixes of active and reserve forces, assuming a range of manning levels and declining funding levels. (D) An assessment of the costs associated with alternative active and reserve force mixes and structures. (2) In making the assessment referred to in paragraph (1)(0, the study group referred to in subsection (b)(2) shall— (A) for each active forces manning level considered in the range of possible mixes of active and reserve forces, consider the levels provided for the Selected Reserve in this Act for fiscal year 1993, levels significantly higher than those levels, and levels significantly lower than those levels; (B) for each mix of active and reserve forces, conduct an analysis of the ability of the resulting alternative base-forces to successfully prosecute a range of military operations and focus on the time that would be required to prepare such forces for combat, the cost of training and maintaining such forces in peacetime, and the sustainability of reserve recruiting and retention; and (C) in analyzing various active and reserve mix options, consider possible revisions in the missions assigned to some active and reserve units, possible changes in training practices, and possible changes in the organizational structure of active and reserve components. (d) Commencement of Assessment.—The assessment shall be initiated not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. (e) Reports.—The study group referred to in subsection (b)(2) shall submit to the Secretary of Defense an interim report on the matters set out in subsection (c) not later than May 1, 1992, and a final report on such matters not later than December 1, 1992. The Secretary shall submit each such report to the committees within 15 days after receiving the report. The Secretary shall submit the evaluation required in subsection (b)(3) to such committees not later than February 15, 1993. (f) Funding.—Of the amount appropriated for fiscal year 1992 pursuant to title II and made available for federally funded research and development centers, not more than $2,000,000 shall be available for the conduct of the study under this section.