Strategic Implications of The Department of Defense Personnel Recovery System.
Abstract
Congress and the Department of Defense have recently taken unprecedented steps to establish a Department of Defense-wide personnel recovery capability. This is in response to the high steady-state demands of military operations today and the historic difficulty the Services have experienced in developing and sustaining combat rescue capabilities in peacetime. This study examines the strategic implications of these policy initiatives by looking at what the personnel recovery system is and why it is needed, from both historical and contemporary perspectives. The study examines the role that national leadership and oversight has played thus far in providing lasting solutions to the chronic deficiencies of combat rescue, a problem which the Services alone have not solved. The study argues that, while Congress and the Defense Department have created a sound framework for lasting change, key challenges remain. The personnel recovery system presently exists only in concept and must now be implemented to become a reality. And to achieve its full potential, the concept must be expanded beyond the Department of Defense and integrated into the interagency process and National Security Council.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA309795
Entities
People
- John W. Zahrt
Organizations
- United States Army War College