U.S. Military Policy for Third World Conflicts: Is It Working in El Salvador?
Abstract
Since World War II all conflicts in which the United States has been involved have occurred in the Third World. Vietnam caused the United States to seriously question and limit the direction use of American combat forces in small wars . El Salvador represents the first major test of a military policy that stresses military support of friendly threatened nations without direct U. S. combat involvement. As such, the evolving military policy is the model that wll be applied in future U.S. interventions. This study examines the development of this indirect strategy and its application in El Salvador. The author argues that the present U.S. defense structure is poorly organized to carry out an indirect strategy; that U.S. preoccupation with the operational dimensions of warfare diminishes the attention to the basic support mission; that important logistical factors are ignored; and that current security assistance legislation and procedural constraints inhibit successful implementation of policy. The final chapter offers an assessment of U.S. policy and makes specific recommendations to improve U.S. military efforts in El Salvador and future small wars.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA217353
Entities
People
- Paul J. Lambert
Organizations
- Air War College