OS - 502 -- Roles and Missions of the US Armed Forces

LESSON OBJECTIVES

502.1 Comprehend the capabilities and limitations of US military forces

502.11 Summarize the capabilities and limitations within each of the Services identified in the Roles and Missions Report to Congress.

Military operations are performed by geographic and functional CINCs under the authority and direction of the president and the secretary of defense. The CINCshave a role in determining the capabilities that are available. It also requires close cooperation of the military departments and the services, support agencies and decision-makers in DoD. The department has strengthened its capabilities for unified operations since Department of defense reorganization Act 1986, but the job is not done. Each service is responsible for preparing the forces and establishing reserves of manpower equipment and supplies.

502.12 Describe the major issues involving the roles and missions.

Since the Cold War, the future is marked by rapid change, diverse contingencies, limited budgets and a broad range of missions to support the evolving national security policies. Providing military capabilities that operate effectively together to meet future challenges is the common purpose of the military departments, the services the defense agencies and other DoD elements. All must focus on effective military operations. Efforts to ensure the effectiveness of joint operations are essential to a successful secure future. There is need to design a better focus DOD's traditional military functions, management and decision-making processes, and support elements more directly in unified military operations. Military operations are planned and conducted by joint forces under the direction of the CINCs, not by the military services, defense agencies or Pentagon staffs.

502.13 Describe possible solutions to current issues in the roles and missions debate.

To better provide unified strategic and programmatic direction to the DoD:

• Expand the role of the chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the CINCs in ensuring better joint doctrine, training, weapons planning and support.
• Focus the military departments on providing the right mix of capabilities for unified military operations
• Improve capabilities to deal with the new challenges of the post-Cold War world
• Reduce the cost of the support infrastructure through increased outsourcing and better management---while increasing responsiveness to the needs of the CINCs.

502.2 Comprehend how the US military is organized to plan, execute, sustain, and train for joint and multinational operations.

502.21 Explain how the US military is organized to plan, execute, sustain, and train for joint multinational operations.

The US military is organized to promote National Military Objectives. To promote stability through regional cooperation and constructive interaction, and thwart aggression through credible deterrence and robust war fighting capabilities. These efforts are grouped into Peacetime Engagements, Deterrence and conflict Prevention and Fight and Win capabilities. Such efforts include national and security assistance, humanitarian operations, crisis response sanctions enforcement wartime power projection and win information war.

The National Command Authority exercise authority and control of the Armed Forces through a single chain of command with two distinct branches. ( Combatant Commands & Military Depts)

The Combatant Commanders are responsible for fighting our Nation's wars. The services are responsible for training and equipping.

502.22 Describe the basic organization of the US military.

The chain of command and control is headed by the President, whose direct advisors are the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff and the Secretary of Defense.

Directly under the CJCS is the Joint task Force and the Service Component Forces. The Military Depts are directly responsible for the Service Forces and the Service Component Commands. The Functional Component The Service Component Commands and the subordinate Unified Command are directed by the Combatant Commands. (Power Point #5)

502.3 Comprehend how joint and individual Service systems are integrated at operational level of war.

502.31 Explain how Unified Commands integrate joint and individual service systems at the operational level.

The Unified Commands are composed of Joint (multi-service) Forces. The Specified Commands are typically composed of forces from only one service. Presently, no Specified commands exists.

The Unified Commands are established on either a geographic or functional basis. The geographic areas are the most common method to assign responsibility. The Functional is based solely on military functions without respect to a specific geographical region. For example: US transportation Command, US Space Command, US Strategic Command & US Special Ops Cmd. ( Power Point #9)

LESSON OUTLINE

Main Point 1: Comprehend the DOD structure.

Main Point 11: The issues facing the military's roles and missions today will shape tomorrow's Force Structure.

Main Point 111: Each service must adapt and be proactive, instead of reactive, to remain effective.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. Comprehend the capabilities and limitations of the US military forces across the range of military operations, to include command relationships, force development and organization, and the concepts of deployment, employment, sustainment, and redeployment ( OPMEP Learning Area 1).
2. Comprehend the systems and understand the processes supporting 21st century battlespace and how they are integrated to achieve operational -level joint force missions (OPMEP Learning Area 5).
   

READING RATIONALE

National Military Strategy describes the role which the Armed Forces will play in helping to achieve our Nation's objectives, and thus provides the doctrinal and conceptual foundation for the Operational Structure Course. The Roles and Missions Commission Report to Congress, clearly identifies the charge to the armed forces of the 21st century: every DOD element must focus on supporting the operations of the unified commanders in chief. Andrew Krepinevich's " Recasting Military Roles suggests the Pentagon undertake a major, even radical restructuring of the defense establishment. These include a new VISION due to the geopolitical revolution that is taking place. Information dominance, space control, long range precision strike capability, and ballistic missile and air defense instead of enhancing long-term flexibility of the defense establishment. Cost efficiencies say nothing of the plans to retain the long-term effectiveness of the armed forces. One means of preserving mission capability is to form strategic alliances, eliminate excess infrastructure and improve the existing processes, to encompass strategic outsourcing and introduce competition in mission areas. The Tool book provides the organizational structure of the US armed Forces and describes the roles and missions of each command.