Review of Security Cooperation Mechanisms Combatant Commands Utilize to Build Partner Capacity
Abstract
Security cooperation (SC) has long been an important instrument of the U.S. government and the Department of Defense (DoD) for advancing national security objectives vis- -vis allies and partner countries, including building critical relationships, securing peacetime and contingency access, and building partner capacity (BPC), the focus of this report. One of the key challenges for policymakers and combatant commands (CCMDs) is gaining a more complete understanding of the real value of BPC activities. Assessments of prior and ongoing BPC activities, in particular, have become increasingly important given the current fiscal climate and budgetary limitations and the need for decisionmakers to know precisely where to continue, cut, or change the allocation of security cooperation resources, and why. Moreover, the strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region contained in the 2012 strategic guidance underlines the need to identify areas of greatest BPC opportunity in the region in ways that best serve U.S. interests,1 and this requires an assessment of BPC utility for particular Asian partners. This is easier said than done. Assessing the value of what are essentially qualitative activities, and where the correlation among activities is not always apparent, is difficult. Data limitations, for example, severely hinder assessments. And it is not a straightforward endeavor to link BPC-related upgrades for indigenous forces to a reduced likelihood that U.S. combat forces would have to intervene in a conflict, a key goal of building those indigenous forces. Further, the CCMDs do not always know the results of their BPC activities in detail. As a longterm endeavor, results of BPC efforts often emerge over a relatively long period of time. Following up after the fact to gather the necessary data requires dedicated time and effort.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA589630
Entities
People
- David E. Thaler
- Jennifer D.P. Moroney
- Joe Hogler
Organizations
- RAND Corporation