AFRICOM: A Unique Opportunity to Reshape Civil/Military Relationships

摘要

The concept of operations for the evolving U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) primarily focuses on developing security through the non-military elements of U.S. national power. Accordingly, interagency civilian participation is being planned into the new organization. In this first interagency command, senior U.S. officials involved in standing up the new command have announced AFRICOM's deputy commander position will be filled by a senior official from the U.S. Department of State. Unfortunately, in limiting the senior civilian leadership to deputy status, the United States is not going far enough in its efforts to reorganize its combatant command leadership structure to deal best with its assumed role in Africa. Lessons applied from other interagency models suggest alternative leadership roles among civilian and military officers can be effective. Based upon AFRICOM's mission set, its Director should be a senior U.S. State Department civilian, with a 4-star military officer serving as the Deputy Director. Significant changes to existing law are required to implement the organizational and budgetary changes required for change of this magnitude to occur.