The Unified Command Plan: Does it Impede Global Agility?
Abstract
The future joint force will engage in an operating environment that is a complex mixture of uncertainty, change, and conflict. This paper analyzes a newly developed paradigm governing future joint operations which the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) describes in the Capstone Concept for Joint Operations (CCJO). The CJCS promotes the concept of Globally Integrated Operations (GIO) as the model upon which the future joint force should be grounded. Global agility is identified as a critical element of GIO, and is the central focus. The Unified Command Plan (UCP) is the governing document that describes the way the US military is organized to fight and sets forth basic guidance to all Geographic and Functional Combatant Commanders (CCDRs). This paper will focus on the UCP history, provide a better understanding of global agility, and argue why the UCP and its imposed geographic boundaries impede global agility, It will also highlight some challenges that inhibit progress for the future joint force such as parochialism between the services, ambiguity surrounding the global agility concept, and problems in the UCP adjudication process, Finally, this paper will propose potential solutions to deal with the challenges the future joint force will face.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 15, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1176206
Entities
People
- Mark D. Morgan
Organizations
- Marine Corps University