U.S. Participation in a Multi-National Thesis

" (Miles, 2006)

According to Norway's Department of Defense document entitled: "International Military Operations, Crisis Management - Multinational Operations" when a country is a participant in an "multinational crisis management" initiative entailed is "the ability, at short notice and in concert with allies and others, to contribute a military capability in some form for the purpose of bringing under control a given situation in which poses a threat either to international security or to other vital interests, or which is likely to have other unacceptable adverse consequences. Such crisis management may involve all kinds of security challenges, may in principle arise anywhere in the world, and may be led either by an established organization or alliance such as the UN, NATO or the EU, or conducted under the auspices of an ad hoc coalition of one kind or another." (Norway Department of Defense, 2003)

The work of Timothy D. Sisk entitled: "Democracy and Conflict Management" states of multinational conflict resolution and multinational military intervention that two benefits are derived from having participated by the U.S.:

1) Despite many trials and tribulations with democracy in today's multiethnic societies, no other form of government -- including non-democratic power sharing, party-based authoritarian control, rule by the military, or the overwhelming force of a dictatorship -- can more effectively reconcile competing social interests. For this reason, understanding how types and practices of democracy may contribute to or help exacerbate intractable conflict is a critical concern; and 2) Among the possible ways of constructing a democracy, there is no single ideal set of institutions or practices that can guarantee democracy will help manage intractable conflicts in deeply divided societies. At the same time, given deep practitioner knowledge about a particular conflict, and a keen intuitive sense about how any given democratic institution or practice may work in a setting, practitioners can help shape the choices of protagonists in today's deeply divided societies in ways that promote compromise, conciliation, and conflict management." (2003)

In a report released by the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs that the U.S. "...plays a role in the international community working close and cooperatively with nations that share its values and goals, and influencing those that can affect U.S. national interests." (Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest Joint Report to Congress, 2001) the report states that the intervention of the United States with the "armed forces of allies and friends promotes regional democratic norms and values." (Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest Joint Report to Congress, 2001 Direct benefits to U.S. services members are derived "whenever U.S. member meet with their foreign counterparts" in that it enables U.S. servicemen to "improve their understanding of the counterparts' military organizations, language, culture and political system." (Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest Joint Report to Congress, 2001) Stated as the 'operational justification' for the Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) program is the "critical contribution that U.S. Special Operation Forces (SOF) make to our national security." (Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest Joint Report to Congress, 2001)

Summary and Conclusion

This work has examined the issue of multinational participation by the U.S. military and has stated valid reasons why this participation by U.S. forces is important. Among the reasons noted in this study supporting U.S. military participation in multinational efforts is the importance of instituting the principles of democracy in weak nations undergoing transformation as well as the ability to efficiently integrate and synchronize operations with compatible doctrine, the communication and collaboration in prevention of fratricide and of exchanging data, information and intelligence as well as the sharing of consumables and providing care for casualties. Also noted is the ability to combine military equipment capabilities and increasing military efficiency through compatible support and logistics. Participation with other multinational forces relieves the stress and load of the U.S. military as the U.S. military is at time stretched very thin. It is important that the U.S. participate in such efforts not only for the stability of the countries in questions needing such assistance but also because such assistance had a direct effect on the continued stability of the U.S. economically as well as politically in many situations.

Works Cited

Miles, Donna (2006) Multinational Experiment Lessons Already Benefiting Coalition Ops. American Forces Press Service News Articles, U.S. Department of Defense. 2006. Online available at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=15246

Sharp, Walter L. (2007) Multinational Operations. U.S. Department of the Navy and U.S. Department of the Marines and U.S. Department of the Army. Online available at http://www.js.pentagon.mil/doctrine/jel/new_pubs/jp3_16.pdf

Norwegian Defense Facts and Figures 2003. Forsvarsdepartmentet. Regjeringen Stoltenberg II. 2003. Online available at http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/fd/dok/veiledninger_brosjyrer/2003/Norwegian-Defence-Facts-and-Figures-2003/4.html?id=275469

Sisk, Timothy D. (2003) Democracy and Conflict Management. August 2003. Beyond Intractability: A Free Knowledge Base on More Constructive Approaches to Destructive Conflict. Online available at http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/democ_con_manag/?nid=1353

Operational Benefits to U.S. Forces (2001) Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest. Joint Report to Congress. Released by the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. Online available at http://www.fas.org/asmp/campaigns/training/annualreport2001/2568.htm