U.S. Military Readiness: Taming the Dragon of Change
Abstract
This paper looks at how ignoring the dragon is impacting readiness and what should be done to change today's system to prepare for tomorrow. Current defense policies are maintaining operational readiness at the expense of future readiness. The Cold War force structure and strategies are de-capitalizing the United States military and must be abandoned to re-capitalize the force for the future. In response to the current de-capitalization, policies, programs and systems must be changed to prepare the United States Military for the future. The;readiness equation is complex and broad in scope. Military readiness is more than a measure of training or equipping forces. In actuality, it closely parallels the Department of Defense definition of military capability? Readiness spans time and is quantifiable in current and future capabilities. Today's decisions on military strategy, force structure, resources, modernization and readiness levels impact tomorrow's readiness. Readiness also requires direction and planning to be effective. The current readiness assessment program forces a myopic, near-sighted view of readiness and does not lend itself to objective long-range planning for readiness capability.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA441963
Entities
People
- Gary Rogers
Organizations
- National War College