Regional Engagement: Over-Optimizing and ARSOF Capability

Abstract

The present National Military Strategy establishes the military's role of Shaping, Preparing, and Responding in support of US interests outlined in the National Security Strategy. The defense strategy calls for a selectively engaged military positioned to prevent the spread of violence, deter threats, and fight and win should deterrence fail. The challenge for the military is to meet these near term requirements while transforming combat capabilities to meet future, uncertain challenges. The Regional Engagement concept is an Army Special Operations model that addresses ARSOF's relevancy for the future. This paper critiques the concept by reviewing the evolution of Peacetime Engagement (the basis for the concept), the Theater Engagement Plan, and numerous future documents. The paper finds the suggested force structure for the Regional Engagement Force problematic and concludes with recommendations for future ARSOF initiatives.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 08, 1999
Accession Number
ADA364120

Entities

People

  • Roy Hawkins

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Command And Control
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Governments
  • Humanitarian Assistance
  • Military Operations
  • Military Science
  • Military Strategy
  • National Security
  • Special Operations Forces
  • Students
  • Training
  • Unconventional Warfare
  • Unified Combatant Commands
  • United States
  • United States Special Operations Command
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Strategic Security Studies