Commanders-in-Chief, USSOUTHCOM (1987-1991): Reflections and Insights on Full Spectrum Operations

摘要

The focus of this paper is on the thoughts and recollections of two dynamic leaders, General Frederick Frank Woerner, Jr. and Maxwell Reid Thurman. It examines their ideas and visions that subsequently shaped U.S. military operations in Panama, 1989-1991. This paper concentrates on actual first person documentation -- taped archived interviews -- by the CINCs as opposed to inferential accounts made by others. A steadfast effort has been made to capture, in their own words, the considerations, viewpoints and intent they had in shaping the planning and execution of U.S. military operations in Panama. This paper first looks at some of the key historical conditions that shaped the nature of the U.S. military presence in Panama. Second and thirdly, it focuses on capturing and examining the backgrounds of and recollections made by Woerner and Thurman respectively. Implications and conclusions of the leadership experience are then scrutinized to identify lessons learned in order to enhance and contribute to the institutional body of literature regarding the full spectrum of U.S. military operations. This study emphasizes that the commander's vision is the essential element in translating cognitive ideas into tangible action; it is the driving force behind creative, responsive and relevant application of combat power. By envisioning a Panamanian solution to the Panamanian problem this paper illustrates how both leaders ultimately contributed to the emerging stability of the Panamanian infrastructure and ability for U.S. forces to gradually disengage from the country. The purpose of this monograph is to illustrate that the legacy left behind by Generals Woerner and Thurman remains timeless and applicable to future U.S. military interventions.