USA Military Transformation - Research Paper Example

U.S. MILITARY TRANSFORMATION TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction……………………………………4 2. DOTMLPF………………………………………4 2.1) Doctrine………………………………4 2.2) Organization…………………………5 2.3) Training……………………………….5 2.4) Material………………………………..5 2.5) Leadership and Education………..6 2.6) Personnel…………………………….6 2.7) Facilities………………………………6 3. The Big Five Strategy…………………………6 4. Conclusion……………………………………...7 5. References………………………………………9 Abstract The essay compares and contrasts the US military’s transformation efforts. The primary factors which have led the US military to invoke transformations in its setup are discussed and two transformation strategies of the military- the DOTMLPF and the Big Five Combat Strategy, are detailed in the paper. Finally, the lessons that the soldiers need to learn in order to help the US military implement these two strategies are briefly discussed in the paper. 1. Introduction Throughout history, the US Military has attempted to bring about changes in the military; some of these changes were successful, while some were unsuccessful. The military always tries to have tools to ward off unpredictable enemies and hence transformation tools and strategies are imperative for dealing with emerging challenges such as the ensuing war on terror or WOT. DOTMLPF and the Big Five Combat Strategy are the transformation tools incorporated in the military, which promises to augment the US military operations prodigiously. 2. DOTMLPF DOTMLPF is an abbreviation for a tool which essentially stands for Doctrine, Organization, Training, Material, Leadership and Education, People and Facilities (Robinson, 2005). This is a tool that the US Military is using to bring about change in the US military structure. 2.1) Doctrine This era can be defined as an era which has heightened conflicts, and hence the military has recognized the need for modifying the doctrines which are applicable to the spheres of techniques, tactics, the procedure units, and the strategies used for defeating the enemies in the battlefield. This doctrine is very different and contrasting to the doctrines which were used during the World War I and World War II. During those times, the military was a fighting force with a structure which was essentially top down (Lamb et al, 2005). What’s more, the battalion level and the brigade level commanders were hardly allowed to be creative thinkers (Matsumura et al, 2001). The current doctrine is poles apart as it stresses on the importance of battle commands to move into mission commands. This kind of change therefore will empower the subordinate commanders. Additionally, the new doctrine will give more flexibility during the operation orders. The change in doctrine is a crucial change, since the enemies of the present are highly unpredictable. 2.2) Organization The U.S. military is capable of organizing itself so as to be prepared for future threats from enemies. One of the complex challenges for the US Military is during the peacetime operations, since the budgets during this period is very restrictive. For making the US military more efficient, a modular design has been incorporated in the force (Matsumura et al, 2001). Moreover, for making the force package more responsive strategically, the military has transformed to a brigade structure from a divisional structure fighting force. This transformation helps in creating a force package which is much more responsive. 2.3) Training For preparing soldiers for battlefield combat, training is necessary. It was during the Vietnam War and the advent of the Cold War, that the US economy realized the significance of training soldiers. Presently, with the recent transformations in the training of the U.S. military, there has been a change in the way the fighting force trains on the whole operational spectrum (Robinson, 2005). This type of training is necessary for coping with the threats of unpredictable enemies. 2.4) Material In the US Military, supplying the fighting force with the appropriate equipments was not always efficient. Two new programs have however made a huge change in the way the equipment process is carried on. These two processes are called the Rapid Equipping Force Program and the Rapid Fielding Initiative (Robinson, 2005). The Rapid Fielding Initiative is one of the transformational programs which help the soldiers in fulfilling the equipment requirements. It does so by utilizing technology which is off-the-shelf, rather than relying on standard programs of acquisition which address the shortages of equipments for the soldiers (Lamb et al, 2005). On the other hand, the Rapid Equipping Force Program utilizes solutions which are field engineered and commercial. Both these programs could improve the operational needs of the U.S. Military and moreover, most of these programs make the US military more responsive to the imminent contingencies and threats from the enemies. 2.5) Leadership and Education The continuation of conflict has forced the leaders of the US Military to bring about complex changes to the present leadership culture of the military. For changing the culture, the mindset of the soldiers needs to be changed as well. The military leadership has allowed flexible and creative thinking from the soldiers. In the present transformation of the U.S. Military, the senior leaders are engaged at all levels, thus ensuring that informed decisions are implemented (Lamb et al, 2005). For creating an agile organization, the leaders are also educated on the Full Spectrum Operations. Furthermore, the army leaders are dedicated to educate the soldiers about the Warrior Ethos. 2.6) Personnel Soldiers are considered as the most vital asset in the combat system of the military. Even if the technology advancements are immense, it’s of no use if the military personnel are not educated and trained enough to use the technology on the battleground (Matsumura et al, 2001). The presence of senior leaders might not guarantee success in the battlefield, if the military personnel are not capable. Therefore, to implement a successful DOTMLPF, the US military would continue to select, train and keep hold of their soldiers who are the toughest - physically and mentally. 2.7) Facilities Facilities are a key aspect of any military, as facilities offer the resources which are required for logistics, equipment and services (Robinson, 2005). The facilities that bring about a sea change in the military include skill development centers, combat training centers and soldier training centers. 3. The Big Five Strategy The U.S. Military realized that in order to fight the increasingly agile opponents, it needed to have a strategy which could transform the way the US military functions. One of the major breakthroughs came about during the Operation Desert Storm of the 1990s, during the Gulf War (Lamb et al, 2005). The US Military understood that future battles will be against opponents which have a much larger military force. Hence one of the best ways to defeat the imposing opponents was to have superior technology. The new strategy incorporates five new equipments, which replaces the old equipments used during the Vietnam War era. The equipments are M1 Abrams Tank, AH-64A Apache Attack Helicopter, M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, Patriot Air Defense Missile System and the UH-60A Black Hawk Helicopter (Robinson, 2005). The M1 Abrams Tank is faster, more resilient and is more lethal. On the other hand, the AH-64A Apache Attack Helicopter is more efficient than its predecessor AH-1 Cobra, since it can avoid aircraft fire more efficiently and is able to fly closer to the ground. The AH-64A Apache Attack Helicopter is also ideal for air missions which are close support (Robinson, 2005). The M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle serves as the best infantry transport system to rescue and transport soldiers in battlefield, and it replaces the obsolete model of the US military force - the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier. In the battleground, it is vital to have a helicopter which can help in the mission of troop evacuation as well as medical evacuation. The UH-60A Black Hawk Helicopter is the ideal for the job, as it is based on a much quieter platform, and most importantly it can lift heavy capacity. Moreover, the UH-60A Black Hawk Helicopter comprises of a sling load system and can easily transport infantry units (Lamb et al, 2005). The fifth of the Big Five Systems created by the US Military is the Patriot Air Defense Missile system. The earlier missile system, called the Homing All the Way Killer or HAWK was more expensive to maintain and was not as accurate as the Patriot Air Defense Missile system (Matsumura et al, 2001). Therefore, the transformations in form of the revolutionary defense technology used in the Big Five Combat Systems, gives the U.S. military an edge over its enemies 4. Conclusion DOTMLPF and the Big Five Strategy are the tools of transformation which the US Military is using. A few insights which soldiers can gain from military transformation endeavors such as the Big Five and the DOTMLPF is that the soldiers need to escalate their level of training and education on the latest integrated technologies and doctrines, in order to implement these transformational tools of the US military. Hence, the soldiers require to be trained in a more stringent manner, wherein they can form a 360 degree perspective of all the cogs which support the wheel of the US military. Imminent dangers such as biological weapons, the use of IT and heightened threats of global terrorist networks need to be considered seriously in the training of the US soldiers, for making them fit perfectly into the highly advanced US military outfit and thereby enabling them to effectively tackle the increasing demands of war. 5. References Lamb, C. J. et al (2005). Transforming Defense, Washington, D.C.: National Defense University Matsumura, J. et al. (2001) Lightning Over Water, Executive Summary: Sharpening America’s Light Forces for Rapid-Reaction Missions, California: Rand, M Robinson, K.W. (2005) DoD’s Transformation Efforts: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back? Strategy Research Project, PA: U.S. Army War College Read More