Overland Combat Search and Rescue: A Real Fix to an Old Problem
Abstract
An historical analysis of overland combat search and rescue (CSAR) reveals many trends that persist today. U.S. warfighting Commanders still face severe limitations in CSAR organization, capabilities and procedures because of a flawed doctrine (JCS Publication 3-50.2) doomed the CSAR effort by assigning primary responsibility to individual services instead of a joint agency. That resulted in a doctrine counter to the principles of unified action, and undesirable duplication of effort and the misallocation of resources. A combat- coded and mobility-capable Joint CSAR Unit under the Commander of SOCOM would solve current problems by redressing the key issues of common doctrine, centralized direction, unity of effort and interoperability at the joint level. Operational control of the Joint CSAR unit would be passed to the theater Joint Force Commander in wartime which would guarantee him a minimum acceptable overland CSAR capability. That thought process has precedent in many concepts like the Unified Command structure, the establishment of a theatre Joint Forces Air Component Commander and the formation of the Joint Special Operations Command. It is both desirable and feasible.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 16, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA236670
Entities
People
- John E. Watkins
Organizations
- Naval War College