United States Peacekeeping Operations: The Need for Policy and Procedures

The appeals to the collective conscience of the American public inherent in daily media coverage of horrors abroad have exerted powerful pressures on the military to intervene under the aegis of the United Nations. At the same time, it appears that little reflection has been given as to precisely the form and extent of such intervention and its consequences for a military which has little experience and less preparation in this arena. Whether the United States embarks on a policy emphasizing the role of the United Nations as the focal point for resolving these situations or decides to act on a case-by- case basis, the United States must educate itself on how to carry out peacekeeping operations. The challenges facing the Armed Forces include the need to expand individual and unit training to include peacekeeping techniques gain experience in peacekeeping heighten coordination of military activity with diplomatic arrangements and emphasize the requirement for dialogue between the deployed Joint Task Force and indigenous leadership. This paper recommends. clear policy governing the relationship between the U.N. and the U.S. on peacekeeping operations increased education and training of U.S. military personnel clearly stated objectives capable of addressal by military means and clearly articulated conflict termination objectives prior to force deployment.