Warfighting CINCs in a New Era
Abstract
Shortly after the passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Act in 1986, Admiral Ronald J. Hays, commander in chief, U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), called the law a "profound document." In his view, it codified "relationships, procedures, and authority that every unified commander ought to have had even before the act was passed." He praised the legislation for clearly putting unified commanders in charge of designated areas of responsibility and making them accountable. Congress drafted the reorganization legislation with a Cold War paradigm as the backdrop. It expected the act to strengthen the ability of the Pentagon to deter and defeat Soviet aggression. However, the payoff of Goldwater-Nichols came about in a different security environment. Today the geographic CINCs confront less stable, more dynamic regions in which the range and pace of military operations have increased. Furthermore, the pace and importance of peacetime activities have placed added burdens on unified command staffs and forces. Despite these myriad changes, the Goldwater-Nichols prescriptions for unified commands fit this new era as well as they did the old one. Jointness is strongly rooted in PACOM planning and actions. For PACOM, the demise of the Soviet threat over the last decade has not diminished the fundamental significance of the Goldwater-Nichols Act as joint operators and relations with other service staffs evolve to the right level.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA529147
Entities
People
- Joseph W. Prueher
Organizations
- National Defense University