A Return to Principled Realism and the US Armys Support to the Application of National Power in the USINDOPACOM AOR

Abstract

This monograph is designed to provide operational planners a framework to link strategic guidance to operational operations. The NSS and NDS provide policy guidance that drives the employment of national power in pursuit of strategic aims. The linkage of military means to policy aims is a critical, if underappreciated, role of operational planners. Understanding the linkage between military operations and strategic guidance is crucial as the United States returns to an emphasis on great power competition. If war is an extension of policy, operational planners must have a basic understanding of the "work of politics," and the methods politicians may use to influence the international system. International relations theory provides operational planners a framework to understand great power interaction within an international system devoid of formal hierarchy. This monograph addresses China's rise in the Indo-Pacific region from the views of both US and Chinese writers. Both views see the shift of power in the region through different lenses. Examining how these views shape policy will help planners connect means and ways to political ends. Next, this monograph examines how Army operations may support a whole-of-government approach in the Indo-Pacific region. The Army is addressing the possibility of conflict in the region through the publication on multi-domain operations. This monograph provides additional focus on potential areas where operational planners can use take guidance from the National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy to focus operational efforts that will support a whole-of-government approach. The monograph focuses on Vietnam and India to assess regional tensions and identify areas for the Army to prepare for the likelihood of future conflict.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 23, 2019
Accession Number
AD1083546

Entities

People

  • Joel A. Martinez

Organizations

  • School of Advanced Military Studies

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Employment
  • Geography
  • Globalization
  • Governments
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Law
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • Multi-Domain Operations
  • National Security
  • Navies (Foreign)
  • Political Systems
  • Recreation
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Systems Analysis and Design