The Nineties and Beyond
Abstract
America is faced with the exciting prospect of existing in a world environment without the offensive threat of Soviet conventional warfighting dominance. While many military professionals are deeply concerned that the nation is reacting to political hyperbole, the Congress is preparing to dismantle the fighting machine we now have and spend the money elsewhere. The military must understand this historic national proclivity to eliminate standing forces after a war has been won (the Cold War), and develop reasonable force structure proposals for our civilian leaders to consider and then, hopefully, to fund. Two such proposals are offered: One for the Nineties and one for the 21st Century. Key to the analysis is forecasting the threat environment so that each can be countered while maintaining a proper mix of active and reserve forces. The drawdown is inevitable, as Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union itself move to greater democratization. It is for military professionals to propose an appropriate array of forces to counter current and future threats so that American maintains the ability to operate freely in the international community. (sdw)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 12, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA223248
Entities
People
- Ivan F. Lamb
Organizations
- United States Army War College