4035-E-sheet1.pdf

Instructions

This spreadsheet is for the use of the Defense Team during Exercise Tighter Fist.

It allows you to determine the cost of the force structure formed as a result of the strategy and plans you have developed for modifications to the existing force structure. This means that you can, for example, see how much you could save by reducing forces, or how much it would cost to finance a build up of forces, or what the costs would be to change from conscript to completely professional military forces. Your task is to modify the force structure existing in the current year (2008) to meet the security and fiscal challenges that appear to be emerging for the next year (2009).

To use the spreadsheet click on “Force” at the bottom of this sheet and enter your decisions on force structure and equipment replacement for the next fiscal year. Note that the 2008 force structure is used as the initial force structure for 2009. No procurement expenditures are yet shown for 2009.

Changes in force structure involving an increase in forces or a replacement of forces will incur unit costs indicated in the Procurement section on the “Unit Costs” spreadsheet. No financial credit is provided for force reductions, though any eliminated forces will obviously no longer require Personnel or O&M costs. Note that old and new force units incur different O&M costs. Equipment replacement numbers obviously cannot exceed numbers in existing force structure. Note too that you may increase or decrease annual pay rates for all classes of service.

Headquarters units may be reduced or increased proportionately. Reducing a headquarters unit by one-half, for example, will reduce the headquarters manpower requirements (but not the overhead costs) by one-half.

Increases and reductions in force structure will have Personnel and O&M implications that are automatically computed for you.

You may only change values appearing in those cells highlighted in yellow. When you enter your choices, the manpower and budgetary implications of these choices are immediately computed. Detailed budgetary implications are indicated on the sheet marked “Budget” at the bottom of this page.

It is advisable to save your work under a new file name each time that you wish to evaluate an alternative force structure. Printing out the results of each run will make it easier to assess and to compare the budget implications of these alternatives.

4035-E-Tighter-Fist-Def-6ed.xls