America Promises to Come Back: Our New National Security Strategy

Abstract

An analysis of President Bush's new national security strategy first unveiled in Aspen, Colorado on August 2, 1990, involving a mix of active, reserve, and reconstitutable forces, and General Colin Powell's Base Force. If implemented, the new strategy and force structure would return significant U.S. ground and air forces to the continental U.S. where most would be demobilized. In the event of a major crisis, the U.S. would rely on active and reserve forces for a contingency response, much as was done for Operation DESERT SHIELD. The new national security strategy is based upon the 25% budget cut negotiated with Congress, and a revised Soviet threat and new international security environment which assumes two-years warning of a European-centered global war with the USSR. During this period, the U.S. and NATO would reconstitute additional military capability. Outline of the sources of new strategy and force structure, the Base Force, transportation requirements, and whether or not the U.S. will retain a unilateral capability for overseas intervention. The new strategy is not simply an adjustment to existing defense doctrine or strategy but rather a fundamental revision to the way the U.S. has approached defense since 1945.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 23, 1991
Accession Number
ADA243177

Entities

People

  • James John Tritten

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Employment
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • Military Force Levels
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Science
  • National Governments
  • National Security
  • Naval Operations
  • Naval Warfare
  • Navy
  • Recreation
  • Second World War
  • Students
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Military Mobilization and Reserve Forces Studies.