Tag archive for ‘Joint Warfighting’
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Deputy Secretary of Defense Describes Defense Plans Under the New Administration
Referring to Washington, D.C. as its own area of responsibility, Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn, cited several figures from the recently released proposed U.S. Defense Department budget that illustrate the new administration’s changing focus. “From now on, irregular warfare is a regular part of our plan,” he said.
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Many Elements Contribute to Acquisition System Woes
Views about how to improve government acquisition varied greatly during the final panel session of the Joint Warfighting Conference. While some panel members expressed confidence in the current system, admitting it needs some improvements, others stated that much more drastic changes are needed to get solutions into the field.
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Global Supply Chain Entwined With Political and Economic Stability
Recent news about piracy near the Horn of Africa is only one example of the disruptions to the global supply chain that will have expansive and far-reaching effects, according to Stephen Carmel, senior vice president, Maritime Services, Maersk Line Limited. At the opening presentation on the final day of the Joint Warfighting Conference, Carmel said that because the global supply chain depends heavily on information technology today, cyberattacks are increasing as a vulnerability to the transport of goods.
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Force Balance Requires Multifacted Approach
Members from each of the four services offered their insights into how to build a balanced joint force at Wednesday’s final panel session at the Joint Warfighting Conference. They may be coming at it from different angles, but all agreed that the need for agility requires the definition of the problems and the adoption of new concepts, platforms and technologies.
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It’s About the People
Kicking off Wednesday’s Joint Warfighting Conference’s early afternoon panel on “The Human Dimension: How Do We Develop Our People?”, moderator Vice Admiral Albert H. Konetzni, Jr., USN (Ret.), wondered aloud Lincoln would have done with a computer and a Blackberry before moving on to his view of how to develop people: that to engage fledgling leaders, they must feel empowered and have a sense of ownership, no matter their rank.
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Balanced Warfare for the New Normal
War doesn’t mean it what it used to, and as we struggle to find the right words to describe “our new normal,” terms like “asymmetrical,” “hybrid” and “irregular” warfare only paint part of the picture, according to Adm. Eric T. Olson, USN, commander, U.S. Special Operations Command. “The threats we are facing are not new,” he said. “But the specific nature of this threat is a new challenge.”
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National Security Depends on Collaboration Between Government and Nongovernmental Organizations
Experts representing a wide variety of groups took on the topic of military, agency and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) cooperation in future security efforts, pointing out that national security involves not only warfare but also the creation of good relationships among nations. At the Wednesday morning Joint Warfighting Conference panel, participants agreed that the military services have taken on many responsibilities that are not part of their traditional mission. However, the steps that need to be taken to address this issue are many and complicated, they concurred.
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Globalization Changing the Face of Conflict
In an extremely provocative speech, Dr. Thomas P.M. Barnett, author of The Pentagon’s New Map, opened Wednesday’s Joint Warfighting Conference by sharing his vision of the effect of globalization on nations and coalitions. He applauded the establishment of the U.S. Africa Command as a solid step toward moving globalization in a positive direction.
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No Matter the Name, It’s No Longer the Same
Tuesday’s early afternoon panelists agreed that the term “hybrid” may go away, but conflicts with multiple types of combatants are likely to go on long into the future. After a stimulating speech from Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, USA, the TRADOC commanding general, at the Joint Warfighting Conference luncheon today, experts with a variety of backgrounds discussed hybrid warfare and the implications for future joint force commanders.
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Complexity and Decentralization Challenge Future Operations
At Tuesday’s luncheon address to the Joint Warfighting Conference in Virginia Beach, Va., Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, USA, Commanding General, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command discussed the challenges for future operations with a balanced joint force. “We can’t expect to predict what the future holds,” Gen. Dempsey said.
