"Joint Qualified" Flag Officer Development: Is Production Broken?

Abstract

Given the timeframe which has passed since the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986, we are beginning to see the first generation of "joint qualified" Flag officers produced with respect to the by-products, or intent, of that and subsequent legislation. Due to training and experience requirements set forth, one could assume that the leaders of the United States Armed Forces are not only well versed in Joint Doctrine, but that they are capitalizing on the varied and valuable virtues of "Jointness"... or are they? This paper is a case study examination of Operation Anaconda, its commander MG Franklin L. Hagenbeck, his qualifications, existing Flag Officer requirements, and whether there is a systemic problem inherent in developing future joint force commanders. This thesis will show that the building blocks necessary for developing a future joint commander are present and are generally capable of producing the desired qualifications needed in a leader, however enhancements to the process should be formalized in order to help guarantee future successes. Enhancements which include working with USJFCOM to further institutionalize joint training from pre-commissioning throughout an individual's military career, reorganizing the Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, expanding the Joint Operations Module within the CAPSTONE curriculum, and integrating new training concepts like the Standing Joint Force Headquarters will increase future joint force commander efficiency.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 03, 2003
Accession Number
ADA415361

Entities

People

  • Archibald E. Bruns

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Power
  • Artillery
  • Department Of Defense
  • Doctrine
  • Education
  • Lessons Learned
  • Military Education
  • Military Operations
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Precision-Guided Munitions
  • Students
  • Task Forces
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.