Geographic Unified Commands (GUCs): A Necessary Step Towards Achieving Unified Action

摘要

President Clinton signed Presidential Decision Directive (PDD) 56 in 1997 directing the Pentagon, State Department, CIA and other agencies to establish 'management practices to achieve unity of effort among U.S. Government agencies and international organizations engaged in complex contingency operations'. PDD 56 was superseded by National Security Presidential Directive (NSPD) 44 signed by President Bush in 2005, which directed the Secretary of State to 'coordinate and lead integrated United States Government efforts, involving all U.S. Departments and Agencies with relevant capabilities, to prepare, plan for, and conduct stabilization and reconstruction activities.' Although significant advances have been made in response to NSPD 44, an enduring whole-of-government approach has yet to be established to effectively synchronize, coordinate and integrate governmental and nongovernmental activities to achieve unity of effort. Diminishing resources and disaggregated adversaries fighting unconventional warfare require unified action across the full range of engagement, security cooperation and deterrence operations in which military forces and civilian counterparts are engaged. The Geographic Combatant Commander functioning in a Geographic Unified Commander role is the best option to synchronize all instruments of national power in order to achieve unified regional priorities that are in support of national strategic objectives. The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) approach to unified action; integrating interagency members in positions where their expertise can be most utilized, is the best practice to optimally synchronize instruments of national power and achieve unity of effort.