Standing Joint Forces

The purpose of this study is to introduce an operating concept and an organizational structure that will empower US joint military forces to adapt to changes faster in the global security environment. Further, it proposes that the United States conduct Global Operational Maneuver (GOM) and field Standing Joint Forces (SJF) to better meet national military objectives. GOM is an operating concept with National Military Objectives (NMO) as the ends, GOM as the way, and SJFs as the means for achieving the nation's military objectives. Finally, this study is based on historical analysis and a practical application of military power to balance the need for innovation and technology with the human element in war. The events of 11 September 2001 served as a wakeup call for the United States. Even as DoD sought to perfect execution in a Cold War, digitized battle-space, entities from nation-states to terror groups clamored to fill the vacuum left by a defunct Soviet Union. Many groups pragmatically avoided the conventional spectrum dominated by the US and instead focused their efforts in other areas, such as information. A few, such as Al-Qaeda, established themselves in both the physical and virtual worlds, effectively avoided the collective security apparatus of the civilized world, and achieved a stunning victory. Since 911, the United States' military has been embroiled in two wars, executor of a policy of preemption, and transformation. This "perfect storm" has created a tremendous demand for expeditionary operations on a force traditionally designed for containment and conventional regional conflict. The result has been a disproportionate use of select individual service forces and inefficient utilization of the force as a whole. As the military struggles to adjust, the time for "jointness" has never been greater. Further, the need for jointness demands an operational concept based on proven military theory, doctrine, and history fused with cutting edge technology and