National Guard State Partnership Program: A Means for Statecraft
Abstract
The United States must re-emphasize engagement operations in the world by building and cultivating the sources of its strength and influence to enhance partnership capacity to maintain international order and balance. The challenge is to fulfill persistent requirements for engagement forces with a range of military and civilian skills, local knowledge, and relationships that are sustainable and affordable over time. This paper discusses a little known program, the National Guard State Partnership Program (NG-SPP), that is tailored to meet this challenge and to assist the United States in achieving a favorable system of order (ends) through phase zero "engagement" operations (ways) to create a "Woven System of Order" (means). The paper also points out that the NG-SPP is sustainable, cost effective, capable, and connected. Lastly, the paper will evaluate and compare phase zero operation enablers and suggest networking, commonality theory, and connectedness as new means of statecraft and instruments of national power.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 24, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA560100
Entities
People
- Christopher F. Lawson
Organizations
- United States Army War College