Other Than War Missions: What Role Should They Play in Tomorrow's Army

摘要

The probability of, and demand for using the military to execute other than warmissions, is increasing dramatically. These missions use the skills, capabilities, and resources of the military, but do not require the use of offensive force in their execution. They include theater of operations actions such as humanitarian and nation assistance, and domestic actions in response to natural disasters, and civil disturbance. The most recent addition to possible missions is support to communities to solve domestic infrastructure problems. There is significant debate in the military, government, and public sectors concerning the appropriateness of diverting military effort to other than war missions. This question is a particular concern as the nation downsizes its military. This paper addresses these missions, their impact on the readiness of the force, and their impact on force structure. It argues that there are valid other than war missions for the military and that assignment of the right unit to the right mission can benefit both the supported area/agency and the military unit executing the mission.