War Termination: A Theater CINCs Responsibility

War must have an end point. A typical view of this end point might simply be that combatants met on the field of battle, an armed clash ensued, the dominant side won, and the war was over. In reality, this is typically what takes place. The critical task of making sure that the end of the war arrives on terms most favorable to the victor should be a significant area in the victor's planning. This task becomes more of a process rather than an event. As such, it must be planned for well in advance of the end being reached. For the purposes of this paper, the end point for war will be called "war termination." The definition of war termination that I believe to be most accurate given the way in which the United States plans and executes its wars can be attributed to James L. Foster and Garry D. Brewer in And the Clock Strikes Thirteen. The Termination of War, (Santa Monica, CA, The Rand Corporation, 1976). They define war termination as cessation of armed hostilities by political choice. The individual on the ground when war termination takes place is the theater CINC. What are his responsibilities as they apply to war termination? In an effort to answer this question, this paper will examine war termination as it applies to strategy, assess existing doctrinal guidance concerning war termination, and discuss war termination planning in joint planning.