SUPPORT AND DEFEND: Maintaining the momentum and Shaping the future of the United States Army. JOINT POSTURE STATEMENT For Fiscal Year 1989 by THE HONORABLE JOHN O. MARSH, JR and GENERAL CARL E. VUONO The most fundamental responsibility of this Nation is to assure the safety and security of its citizens. To further this end, the United States must maintain military forces strong enough to deter, or if necessary, combat aggression or coercion directed against the United States or its allies. A strong conventional deterrent requires modern, ready ground forces, trained for joint and combined operations across the range of potential conflicts. To field this ready force and properly shape the future our Nation must have: High quality, retainable soldiers; Superb, realistic training and progressive leader development; An up-to-date doctrine which guides the leader development, organization, training, and modernization of the force; High quality materiel systems for close, deep, and rear operations that meet the requirements of the unified and specified commanders-in-chief and emphasize placing U.S. strengths against exploitable threat vulnerabilities; and A research and development establishment that can extract maximum benefit from modern technologies to assure the Army's qualitative edge over potential enemies in the future. These are not just goals; they are national imperatives. The FY 89 Budget will allow the Army to meet its highest priority needs, but will cause delays and cancellations in initiatives which would have increased our capability and reduced the risk to our national security. The demands of fiscal responsibility will require us to make the best use of our resources, but cannot obviate the need to meet the security requirements fundamental to the welfare of the Republic. "The deterrence of war is the primary objective of the armed I. THE ARMY'S STRATEGIC A. The Army's Role World history teaches that international diplomacy and goodwill have their limits. In the face of aggression or intimidation, nations must be prepared to defend their interests by force if they are to retain their national sovereignty. In the modern world, U.S. security interests extend far beyond our own national boundaries. In spite of our size and strength, we cannot stand alone. Without those nations who share our concerns and fundamental values, we would find this a hostile world indeed. The threats to our interests extend throughout the world as well. With a variety of forces ranging from individual terrorists to massed armies, our adversaries constantly challenge our resolve. The U.S. strategy to achieve a free and secure world is to DETER WAR by fielding sufficient force to FIGHT and WIN, should deterrence fail. In most areas of the world the threat to our interests and our allies stems primarily from land forces. Our best deterrent to that threat lies in trained and ready land forces of our own. No other action conveys a nation's resolve so clearly as placing soldiers on the ground in a disputed location. Only ground combat forces can seize or hold ground, or deny it to the enemy. In every U.S. war, the forces on the ground have dictated the timing and conditions for peace. A strong land force is an integral part of a sound national strategy. B. The Missions The Army's strategic role is determined by the worldwide nature of the United States' interest and the type, location, and intensity of the threats to those interests. To accomplish its strategic role, the Army must be able to project ground combat power worldwide to symbolize the national resolve and execute the national will. Moreover, the day has long passed when any military service might pursue an independent strategy. Our nation depends on joint service planning and unified action to secure its interests and achieve its national security objectives. The major combat forces of the United States are grouped under the command of Unified and Specified Commanders-in-Chief (CINCs). Assigned forces are tailored to the unique problems and threats of each geographic area. The CINCS control combat operations, receiving their guidance directly from the President and the Secretary of Defense through the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). For the execution of their orders they depend upon component commanders from each of the military services represented in the command. These component commanders look to One of the needs identified by Army plans and addressed by the Army budget is a system to replace the aging Lance missile. their parent services for forces, resources, and administrative support. While specific tasks are assigned by the Secretary of Defense in the biennial Defense Guidance, the Army's fundamental mission is to provide the CINCS with adequate Army forces which are ready, trained, led, equipped, and able to fight and win in sustained combat. C. Army Vision To be prepared for such eventualities and fulfill its missions according to our national security strategy, the Army must build a carefully tailored mix of force capabilities with the resources available. The Army must design and field an optimal combination of forces (heavy, light, and special operations), properly postured for the best deterrent effect (forwarddeployed and U.S.-based), and taking the best advantage of our considerable reserve capacity (Army Reserve and Army National Guard). In creating this total force the Army's leadership must take into account the current needs of the commanders responsible for our deterrent forces, as well as the obligation to properly shape the Army our Nation will need for the future. The force that the Army builds to counter the threat to our interests must be able to fight and win in joint and combined operations across the spectrum of conflict, throughout the world. Not so that we become the world's policemen, but so that our potential enemies will know that we have the capability and the national will to defend challenges to our vital interests anywhere. The characteristics that the Army must have to field a ready force today and properly shape the future include: High quality, retainable soldiers; Superb, realistic training and progressive leader development; An up-to-date doctrine which guides the leader development, organization, training, and modernization of the force; High quality materiel systems for close, deep, and rear operations that meet the requirements of the unified and specified commanders-in-chief and emphasize placing U.S. strengths against exploitable threat vulnerabilities; and A research and development establishment that can extract maximum benefit from modern technologies to assure the Army's qualitative edge over potential enemies in the future. |