Report on the Bottom-Up Review

Abstract : In March 1993, Secretary of Defense Aspin initiated a comprehensive review of the nation's defense strategy, force structure, modernization, infrastructure, and foundations. He felt that a department-wide review needed to be conducted the bottom up because of the dramatic changes that have occurred in the world as a result of the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. These changes in the international security environment have fundamentally altered America's security needs. Thus, the underlying premise of the Bottom-Up Review was that we needed to reassess all of our defense concepts, plans, and programs from the ground up. This final report on the Bottom-Up Review provides the results of that unprecedented and collaborative effort. It represents the product of hundreds of individuals' labor and dedication. It describes the extensive analysis that went into the review and the recommendations and decisions that emerged.