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Accession Number:
AD1046555
Title:
Lost in Translation: Lessons from Counterterrorism for a More Proactive Weapons of Mass Destruction Strategy
Corporate Author:
NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA MONTEREY United States
Report Date:
2017-06-01
Abstract:
In August 2016, President Obama directed U.S. Special Operations Command USSOCOM to take the lead in synchronizing Department of Defense DOD plans for countering weapons of mass destruction WMD, thus orchestrating a shift in national strategy. Under this new role, USSOCOM signaled an intent to increase military efforts to identify and prevent proliferation threats from metastasizing into crises. This approach represents a turn from USSOCOMs prevailing emphasis on WMD crisis response. But what are the conditions under which military contributionsin collaboration with other U.S. government agenciesenhance the national strategy to counter WMD acquisition, development, and proliferation prior to a crisis USSOCOM offers a unique perspective in addressing this question, based on its experience synchronizing military counterterrorism plans since 2003. This study analyzes USSOCOMs role in counterterrorism strategy and evaluates the application of this experience to counter-WMD strategy. The research generates two conclusions. First, friction caused by varied meanings and understandings of organizational language can be overcome by educating the force on language already in use and emphasizing WMD threat pathways as the shared calibration point between organizations. Second, USSOCOM can improve counter-WMD strategy by replacing rigid command hierarchies with anetworked, interorganizational response unified around specific threats.
Descriptive Note:
Technical Report
Pages:
0093
Distribution Statement:
Approved For Public Release;
File Size:
1.36MB
