Synopses & Reviews
This 2-volume reference set is a unique and thorough introduction to U.S. Geographic Combat Commands. Joint in nature, consisting of staff and directing forces from all the military services, Geographic Combat Commands are vital to national security. The author begins with a description of the 6 different commands--Northern Command, Pacific Command, Central Command, Southern Command, European Command, and Africa Command--explaining how they fit into the current national security establishment. The author also provides a history of the evolution of these joint combatant commands, from the deployment system of World War I through the Asian and European theater structure of World War II to the containment schemas of the Cold War. Each command is detailed in depth, with discussions of the areas of responsibility, the particular challenges, and the commanders of each. The set also includes excerpts from primary documents outlining the legal bases for the creation of combat commands. The result is a one-stop reference source for information about U.S. military commands and their organizations.
Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S. military has focused on becoming more joint-that is, the different branches of the military (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps) are required to work in tandem; commanders from any branch can oversee a mix of forces; and command staff are selected based upon skill and not upon service branch. The Global War on Terror has underscored the need to take down barriers between the armed services so that the best force can be brought to bear upon the threat at hand. Thus, instead of overlapping Army or Navy or Air Force commands, six geographic commands consisting of forces from each military branch have been established. An understanding of the command structure, the benefits and pitfalls of this system, the areas of responsibility, and the day-to-day operations of the command staff is vital to anyone seeking to understand the story of current U.S. combat operations around the globe.
Review
"… a unique introduction to the geographic commands that are now at the heart of the U.S. military deployment abroad. … Geographic combatant commands are vital to national security. By understanding how they work, readers will better understand where our military is today and where it may be headed." - Joint Forces Journal
Review
"Combatant Commands: Origins, Structure, and EngagementS≪/i> is a close study of the six geographic combatant commands that form the core of the U.S. military deployment worldwide . . . Notes, a glossary and an index round out this meticulous work of modern-day military scholarship" - Midwest Book Review
Review
"Summing Up: Recommended." - Choice
Synopsis
A one-stop resource for information about U.S. military commands and their organizations, this book describes the six geographic combat commands and analyzes their contributions to national security.
Synopsis
• Explains how the different branches of the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps are now required to work in tandem so that commanders are selected based upon skill, not upon service branch, and can oversee a mix of forces
• Discusses each of the six current combatant commands, as well as how they link to the Joint Staff and the Chairman's office and how their structure works with that of the individual services
• Overviews the history of joint combatant commands throughout the 20th century and into the 21st
Synopsis
• Citation of original documents such as laws on national security
• A bibliography at the end of each chapter as well as a separate resource chapter
• A glossary of key terms
Synopsis
Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S. military has focused on breaking down barriers between the different branches, an effort that has become more urgent in the face of the Global War on Terror. Six geographic combatant commands now have responsibility for U.S. defense outreach to the rest of the world. How, exactly, do they function?
Synopsis
The first book on the topic, Combatant Commands: Origins, Structure, and EngagementS≪/i> is a unique introduction to the geographic commands that are now at the heart of the U.S. military deployment abroad. The book begins with a description of the six commands—Northern Command, Pacific Command, Central Command, Southern Command, European Command, and Africa Command—explaining how they fit into the current national security establishment. Each command is discussed in depth, including areas of responsibility, subcommands, priorities, threats faced, and engagement institutions.
The history of joint combatant commands is outlined as well, particularly the impact of the Root Reforms of the early 20th century, the push for the 1947 National Security Act, and the 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Military Reform Act. In this way, the evolution of combatant commands becomes a window through which to view changes in the U.S. military. Geographic combatant commands are vital to national security. By understanding how they work, readers will better understand where our military is today and where it may be headed.