A kinder, gentler Army?

Profile of the 2014 Army Strategic Planning Guide

Quantified Perception

If you are planning to sell new product and services to the U.S. Army in FY16, you should begin with an overall understanding of what is important to the Army.

Time to do your homework.

For an overall perspective, read the 2014 Army Strategic Planning Guidance. The Secretary and the Chief of Staff said this document “… reminds us of the Army's purpose and details our vision , direction, and strategic objectives.” The ASPG details the five strategic priorities for the Army and is essential reading for an Army sales strategy.

Quantified Perception has done a textual profile and analysis of the ASPG.

There are some vocabulary nuances in the ASPG. QPL suggests that an Army strategy be cognizant and sensitive to the language of the Army, to align your messaging to their psyche. One new word and uncommon word in the ASPG vernacular is “compellence”, not seen any common usage (including the 2013 ASPG) but appearing in a half dozen places in the 2014 document. “Compellence” is a seldom used noun form of “compel” and has its antecedents within nuclear strategy analysis. Use it judiciously.

More conventional language from the ASPG is in the table below, which shows the frequency of significant words and phrases in found in the ASPG. QPL weights multi-word phrases to normalize for the carrying length of the phrases and allow comparison to single words. Highlights indicate the vocabulary of the ASPG, while the other phrases represent themes and concepts that are emphasized by repetition in the ASPG. “Total Army,” for example, is an inclusive global collective that markets the concept of a “big tent” for Army that includes civilians and families. “Force(s)” more specifically refer to operational (and reserve) military assets. “Mission tailored forces” appeared in the 2013 ASPG four times, and has ten occurrences in the 2014 plan. This is a trend in Army organization, structure, and philosophy to be attended to. Similarly, “Force 2025 and beyond” signals upcoming changes in Army philosophy. “Expeditionary strategically adaptive and campaign-quality,” another new catchphrase, confirms the emergence of a post-Iraq Army leadership determined to adapt to the lessons of a new worldview.

The Budget Control Act, shorthand for sequestration of funding, is cited seven times. While not an Army catchphrase, repeated reference confirms that Army leadership has not missed the point that spending cuts are mandated as far out as 2023 budgets.

Army Strategic Planning Guide 2014

Phrase Frequency Table

Phrase	Occurs	Weighted Value
force(s)	226	226
range of military operations	16	160
countering weapons of mass destruction	6	90
force 2025 and beyond	8	80
weapons of mass destruction	8	80
total army	26	78
globally responsive and regionally engaged	5	75
joint force	21	63
under the budget control act	4	60
expeditionary strategically adaptive and campaign-quality	4	60
readiness modernization and end strength	4	60
full range of military operations	4	60
mission tailored forces	10	60
with the capability and capacity	4	60
leaders for a complex world	4	60
joint	51	51
training and leader development	5	50
globally responsive and regionally	5	50
support	49	49
partners and allies	8	48
budget control act	7	42

The ASPG has a profile of ESFJ, which indicates more accommodating language than the typical ESTJ. Words like “inform,” “contemporary,” “talent,” and “versatility,” and phrases like “fighting spirit” suggest that the Army is searching for its feminine side, at least in terms of the language in the ASPG. This is an additional harbinger of change in senior level philosophy, if not psyche.