Achieving Better Interface Between Land, Sea and Air Forces -- The Historical Evidence Does Not Support Legislation
Abstract
Regardless of the final outcome of the conflict in the Persian Gulf, downsizing of the US armed forces will continue. The restructuring process will undoubtedly involve a certain amount of disagreement between the arms of the Service as professionals attempt to influence the final outcome. If a new structure cannot be formulated from within the Department of Defense (DOD), legislation may well be needed to resolve the issue. The historical evidence since World War II would certainly point to such action being taken in the Congress if inter-service rivalry is allowed to spill over outside the confines of the DOD. Such rivalry is healthy if it can be controlled within the armed forces. This paper emphasizes the need for a new force with an integrated command and control structure across single service boundaries as the champion of joint warfighting for the future. The number of those formations will be reduced. What is proposed is a new formation to be known as the Joint Core Force. Forces allocated to this new formation would be under the command of one unified commander, thus simplifying the command and control arrangements and ensuring that inter-service rivalry is managed from within. The Force is also designed to take on broader, more realistic defense options for the future.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA248192
Entities
People
- David H. Milne-smith
Organizations
- Air War College