Are Our Current Department of Defense (DOD) Strategies Forward-Looking?

The Department of Defense (DOD) will continue to face many challenges in this volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world. We live in a rapidly changing world where terrorists and other non-state actors threaten our values and our way of life. One of the most important challenges facing DOD is developing a long-term strategy to keep pace with these world changes. These world changes include increased population growth and urbanization, rapid changes in technology, shortages of natural resources, increased capabilities of commercial and non-governmental agencies in supporting DOD, and the potential for increased in conflict. As a result of these changes, DOD must develop long-term strategies that focus on improving urban warfare capabilities, developing alternate energy sources, adapting to changes in technology, enhancing the integration of commercial and non-governmental agencies while at the same time institutionalizing better controls over them, improving force structure, cultural awareness, and interagency operations, improving strategic decision making for junior officers and NCOs, and improving civil-military operations. This paper provides specifics on these changes and offers recommendations on what DOD must do to be a more relevant force in ensuring the security of our nation.