Pace Urges Coalition, Interagency Processes Study

[SWJED]

11 August Armed Forces Press Service - Pace Urges Students to Study Coalition, Interagency Processes (http://www.defenselink.mil/news/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=426) by Jim Garamone.


The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff this week urged students at the National War College to examine ways to make interagency processes work better and to get to know international members of the school.

The National War College is part of the National Defense University at Fort Lesley J. McNair here. The college prepares lieutenant colonels and commanders for higher responsibilities. Marine Gen. Peter Pace spoke to the class of 2007 during a convocation ceremony at the school Aug. 9.

Pace told the 32 foreign officers in the class they are the best their countries have to offer. “Historically, officers who attend this go on to be chiefs of defense, chiefs of service,” he said. “We appreciate who you are and your countries’ investments in time.”

Pace said the world is in a war against extremists who would crush freedom and that he appreciates contributions countries around the world are making to the battle. “No country is so big that it can do it all by itself, and no country is so small that it cannot contribute significantly and strategically,” he said.

The general encouraged U.S. military members of the class to reach out and become friends with the international officers. He urged the American officers to understand how others view the fight against terrorism, understand how other militaries work, and understand how others look at the United States and why.

The course also includes students from non-military agencies of the U.S. government. The chairman charged them and the military officers to examine ways to make interagency processes work better. He said national security experts do a good job of “teeing up” the issues and devising courses of action and recommendations for presidential decision. However, he said, cooperation isn’t as strong once decisions on courses of action are made.

Pace told the students to apply the example of the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 -- which mandated stronger cross-service cooperation within DoD -- and see how that thinking might apply to interagency cooperation. “Given the current war, we cannot afford for the decision-making process to take weeks or months,” he said.

Time spent studying coalition and interagency operations would be well spent, Pace said.

[sgmgrumpy]

I don't think this is posted anywhere yet. Sorry if repeat.

A Common Interagency Regional Framework
Joint Forces Staff College, Joint and Combined Warfighting School
Class 7-01, November 2006

http://www.jfsc.ndu.edu/current_students/documents_policies/documents/jca_cca_awsp/A_Common_Interagency_Regional_Framework.doc


“The most urgent task of our government is getting interagency coordination & cooperation right. The interagency process was largely a failure prior to September 11, 2001, but has only marginally improved since that time in effecting successful planning and action for accomplishing specific U.S. policy objectives overseas.”

-- Ambassador William Bellamy, Senior VP, National Defense University


To enable increased interagency cooperation and synergy, U.S. governmental agencies must align regional areas of responsibility based on a common (geopolitical, demographic, economic, infrastructural, and environmental) frame of reference in order to enhance the flow of information and increase the unity of effort. Subsequent to the release of the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense (DOD) Reorganization Act of 1986 and mission execution during Operation DESERT STORM, the U.S. government successfully addressed problems inherent in joint military operations. Unfortunately, September 11, 2001, highlighted the need for an interagency transformation of the same magnitude that the joint world went through ten years earlier. Interagency initiatives, although founded on laudable principles, will remain ineffective unless the entire interagency community realigns their regions to one common operating picture. While the recommended realignment will not in itself solve the interagency problem set, it will provide a solid foundation, that first step, to support current and future improvement initiatives. This paper will first provide a background on how different agencies, representing different aspects of the national instruments of power; Diplomacy, Information, Military, Economic (DIME); currently divide the globe. The argument will then be built defending the need for common divisions, and finally, a methodology and recommended implementation plan will be proposed.

[SWJED]

... in our very own library - SWJ Interagency Operations Page (http://smallwarsjournal.com/reference/interagency.php).

[Jedburgh]

GAO, 31 May 07:

Actions Needed to Improve DOD’s Stability Operations Approach and Enhance Interagency Planning (http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07549.pdf)

Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has frequently been involved in stability and/or reconstruction operations that typically last 5 to 8 years and surpass combat operations in the cost of human lives and dollars. A 2005 presidential directive requires DOD and State to integrate stability activities with military contingency plans. GAO was asked to address:

(1) DOD's approach to enhance stability operations capabilities, and challenges that have emerged in implementing its approach;

(2) DOD planning for stability operations and the extent of interagency involvement; and

(3) the extent to which DOD is applying lessons learned in future plans.

To address these issues, GAO assessed DOD policy and planning documents, reviewed planning efforts at three combatant commands, and evaluated DOD’s use of lessons learned. GAO is also conducting a related study of the Department of State’s efforts to lead and coordinate stability operations....