Thomas P.M. Barnett :: Weblog

POST: Pentagon Review Highlights Major Shift in Thinking, The Slatest, Feb. 1, 2010

Excerpt:

The Pentagon will release a new strategic outlook today that highlights a dramatic shift in how the U.S. military plans for war. For nearly a quarter-century, the Pentagon has built its strategy around a hypothetical situation that involved two conventional wars in two different locations. But, faced with a changing reality, the new hypothetical will involve a host of enemies, both physical and virtual. Military planners will now build a strategy and style of fighting that takes terrorism and cyber attacks into consideration. "It is no longer appropriate to speak of major regional conflicts as the sole or even primary template for sizing, shaping or evaluating U.S. forces," the document says. The last major review, according to CNN, was released in 2006 and "was heavily focused on the threat of a large-scale conventional war with China and that country's saber rattling over Taiwan." Obviously, things have changed in the past four years. China is still considered a threat, but, should a conflict escalate, it will likely be anything but conventional. The new review also takes the environment into account by considering climate changes; the review "suggests the military will have to plan on operations where climate (rising sea levels, reduced ice in the Arctic) would be a factor in planning," CNN reported.

Long time coming, but very nice to see.

(Thanks: Rich Jefferson)

Plus this excerpt from the QDR sent in by Aaron Krizik:

Just as maintaining America's enduring defense alliances and relationships abroad is a central facet of statecraft, so too is the need to continue improving the Department of Defense's cooperation with other U.S. departments and agencies. Years of war have proven how important it is for America's civilian agencies to possess the resources and authorities needed to operate alongside the U.S. Armed Forces during complex contingencies at home and abroad. As our experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq have shown, sustainable outcomes require civilian development and governance experts who can help build local civilian capacity. Although the U.S. military can and should have the expertise and capacity to conduct these activities, civilian leadership of humanitarian assistance, development, and governance is essential. The Department will retain capabilities designed to support civilian authorities as needed. A strong and adequately resourced cadre of civilians organized and trained to operate alongside or in lieu of U.S. military personnel during a variety of possible contingencies is an important investment for the nation's security. This is an urgent requirement for ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and will remain an enduring need in the future security environment--both to prevent crises and to respond to them.

The SysAdmin is being built, bit by bit in both the public and private sectors (and please, that's not a veiled reference to private security companies; never think so small or narrowly), because the operating environment, which I dubbed the Non-Integrated Gap, simply continues to demand it.