Abstract

Since the 1991 Gulf War, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the subsequently celebrated end of the Cold War, and the several, extended, and overlapping wars against terrorism, many changes have occurred which affect the requirements for the design and operation of our military forces. The often-expressed post-Cold War hopes for a more peaceful existence across the family of nations have been tempered by a continuation of armed conflicts and terrorism, across a broad spectrum of intensity, in many spots in the world. In concert with the presumed decrease in the threat to our national existence since our victory in the Cold War, our military forces have been systematically decreased in size in direct proportion to decreases in resources, by nearly 50 percent in some cases. However, reflective of the amount of conflict in the world deemed politically to impact upon our national interests, diplomatic and public demand for the services of the military forces continues steadily to grow, along with their operational tempo.