Military Humanitarian/Civic Action: The Reserve Component as An Instrument of United States Strategy in Latin America.
Abstract
Military civic action can be important in buttressing Latin American democracies against the pressures of economic depression. Not only can the application of military civic action give underprivileged citizens confidence in their government, it also can create and environment in which the education, discipline, and experience of the Reserve Components can be put to use in building the infrastructure that these citizens need if they are to help themselves out of poverty. The citizen soldier is the unique military force, having both civilian and military skills to accomplish this strategic mission. This paper analyzes the value of an enhanced relationship between the United States Reserve Components (United States Army Reserve and National Guard) and Latin America. The main focus is centered around the Joint Chief of Staff(JCS) exercises. The first half of this paper discusses the background and history of humanitarian and civic action (H/CA) in relation to the military as a whole. The second half concentrates on the background and recent developments of the Reserve Component involvement in the H/CA exercises. Also included are the criticisms and advantages of employing the Reserve Component in planing and conducting JCS exercises. The final part is conclusions and recommendations for continued use of Reserve Components for this strategic mission in Latin America.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 22, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA345896
Entities
People
- George R. Lindsey
Organizations
- United States Army War College