A Time to Build: An Expanded Role for United States Reserve Forces in Central America and the Caribbean

Abstract

Central America and the Caribbean Basin, long in the breakwater of United States foreign policy priorities, has now moved to center stage. Revolutionary changes are sweeping the area, changes with profound consequences. This paper attempts to identify the strategic interests of the United States in the region, examine the phenomena and causes of regional instability, review past United States policies in the area, outline the parameters of a developing United States doctrine for Low Intensity Conflict, and propose an expanded, strategic military humanitarian/civic assistance mission for United States National Guard and Reserve forces, a mission of calculated compassion to alleviate the root causes of Latin American insurgency--poverty, social injustice, ignorance and disease. Keywords: Low intensity conflict; Latin America; Central America; Caribbean basin; U.S. foreign policy; Reserve components; Civic action; Insurgency.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1988
Accession Number
ADA198432

Entities

People

  • Paul W. Gosnell

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Business Administration
  • Central America
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Doctrine
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Health Services
  • International Relations
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Science
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Political Systems
  • United States
  • United States Southern Command
  • Warfare

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Military Mobilization and Reserve Forces Studies.