"Keeping the PEACE?" Can the United States Military Balance the Need to Train for War and Peace?
Abstract
Since 1989 the United States has participated in eleven peace operations not including humanitarian or relief actions. With the end of the Cold War came a proliferation of local wars by smaller countries. Before the end of the Cold War the superpowers had exerted some control over their client states. Now, especially since 1989, a plethora of smaller independent countries seek their own space, boundaries, and a new way of life. The United Nations has therefore been under undo stress to deal both politically and militarily with these warring states. The United States has been a leader on the world stage by participating in its fair share of peace operations. Because of this unusual genre of military involvement, it has been said by American politicians, theorists, and military experts that peace operations are successfully diminishing the United States' ability to fight nearly two simultaneous conflicts due to lack of combat readiness. However, studies and surveys conducted on returning units have shown that it is very difficult to categorize all units as being combat ineffective or less trained due to previous peace operations. In fact some studies do not show a dramatic decrease in combat readiness as once thought. The military has made great strides over the last decade to deal with numerous varieties of warfare. Personnel at the lower level units (squad-company size) tend to receive equitable skills training compared to home based training. Larger units tend to have their skills diminished depending on what type of unit is participating. An%or and infantry units tend to lose skills because many times while executing peace operations, their troops are functioning in a military police capacity vice war fighter. In contrast, support units such as military police and combat service support units receive extensive training because they are conducting actual maneuvers in support of a genuine mission.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA403970
Entities
People
- Gregory F. Bond
Organizations
- Marine Corps University