Scott W Conrad

Moving the Force: Desert Storm and Beyond: Institute for National Strategic Studies Mcnair Paper 32 Scott W Conrad

Publisher Marketing: Without oil, no engine can run. Movement is the oil that enables America's military forces to sustain an operation, and nothing happens until something moves! As America's military priorities are reordered, the ability to move quickly, sustain forces anywhere in the world, and pre-position equipment and material near likely areas of crisis is more important than ever. Because of the apparent ease of movement during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, however, decision makers may, in the afterglow of the Desert Store victory, be prone to misinterpret the lessons of the Gulf War and fail t address movement capabilities properly for the Future. A good example is a recent Congressional decision to divert funds from salted improvement to the Army's afloat pre-positioning capability to the building of an amphibious assault ship. The capacity to foster global stability and defend our national interests depends upon correct long-range planning for transport. Logistics - especially mobility - has long been a bill payer for combat equipment, so perhaps a reappraisal is in order. Lessons of the Gulf War can help reshape America's defense transportation system for the post-Cold War era. Commitment to a balanced and unified mobility strategy should provide the most cost effective, rapidly deployable, and sustainable combat capability. Regional focus - particularly in a multiple-conflict scenario - and reduced forward presence will significantly increase America's reliance on movement in the future. Careful restructuring of military movement capabilities will lessen the risks of distance and time in an unstable world and contribute to the economic well-being of the nation. To do less might invite confrontation with adversaries willing to test the substance and purpose of our reach. Contributor Bio:  University, National Defense Alexander Woodcock is currently Principal Operations Research Analyst at MITRE Corporation, a consultant to the National Defense University, and an Affiliate Professor at the School of Public Policy, George Mason University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences, and a full member of Sigma Xi. He was a consultant to the Institute for Defense Analyses, the Naval Research Laboratory, and the intelligence community. He was also a Senior Research Professor and Director of the Societal Dynamics Research Center at the School of Public Policy, George Mason University. Dr. Woodcock was Chief Scientist, Vice President, and Director of the Advanced Mathematics Program, BAE SYSTEMS-Portal Solutions (formerly Synectics Corporation), a Guest Professor at the Swedish National Defence College, and a Visiting Professor at The Royal Military College of Science, England. He is the author of Assessing Iraq's Future, published by the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences and co-editor with John Dockery of The Military Landscape: Mathematical Models of Combat. Dr. Woodcock has a PhD in biology and an MSc in biophysics from the University of East Anglia, England, and a BSc with Honours in physics from Exeter University, England. Samuel Musa is a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Technology and National Security Policy (CTNSP) of the National Defense University. He has held the Homeland Security Science and Technology Chair at CTNSP. He was previously Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northwestern University. He has served in various positions in academia, government, and industry, including University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, Institute for Defense Analysis, and Office of the Secretary of Defense. Dr. Musa served on the Defense Intelligence Advisory Board, Arm y Science Board, and Air Force Scientific Advisory Board. He was Executive Secretary of Defense Science Board Summer Studies and Task Forces, and a member of the Scientific and Technical Intelligence Committee of the Director of Central Intelligence. Dr. Musa received his BA and BS degrees in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University, and MS and PhD degrees in Applied Physics from Harvard University.