The New Unified Command Plan

This study of the Unified Command Plan UCP reviews pertinent strategic and structural trends in the evolution of the concept of unity of command for joint forces, discusses some imperatives for change, and examines the relevancy of current command structures. The Unified Command Plan is an evolutionary document that has been shaped over time by forces of action -- military strategy and Congressional reforms -- and by forces of inaction, such as Service parochialism and personality conflicts. An appreciation of the forces shaping this structure within the historical context of the nations activities in peace and war is more critical today than at any time since the beginning of the Cold War. The UCP as it is known today emerged as part of a significantly larger effort to reorganize the Defense Department at the conclusion of World War II. The UCP assigned geographic responsibilities to theater CINCs and established the basic organizational structures for force planning and employment. Changes occurred in the UCP in response to anti-Soviet containment strategies as well as theater-specific issues in Korea and Vietnam. In 1986, the Goldwater-Nichols Defense Reorganization Act mandated a biennial review of the UCP by the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. The last review was completed in the summer of 1991 following the coalition successes in Desert Storm. The national security establishment is now engaged in a traditional ends-ways-means debate. This occurs as the basic strategic and structural underpinnings of the Cold War defense establishment are being challenged and the U.S. role in shaping a New World Order is under intense debate. This study examines the relevancy of current command structures to the new National Military Strategy. The author sets forth his recommendation for a new UCP that bridges the gap between the Base Force concept and an emerging National Military Strategy that fits the post-Cold War world order.