1997 Annual Defense Report Table of Contents - Air Force Magazine

• Underwrite regional stability by dampening pressures for competition among regional powers and
by encouraging the development of democratic institutions and civilian control of the military.
• Improve U.S. forces' ability to respond quickly and effectively in crises.
• Increase the likelihood that U.S. forces will have access to the facilities they need in theater and
enroute.
• Improve the ability of U.S. forces to operate effectively with the forces of other nations.
Through foreign military interactions, including training programs, multinational exercises, military-tomilitary
contacts, defense attache offices, and security assistance programs that include judicious foreign
military sales, the United States can strengthen the self- defense capabilities of its friends and allies and
increase its access and influence in a region. Through military-to-military contacts and other exchanges,
the United States can reduce regional tensions, increase transparency, and improve bilateral and
multilateral cooperation.
By improving the defense capabilities of U.S. friends and demonstrating U.S. commitment to defend
common interests, U.S. forces abroad enhance deterrence and raise the odds that U.S. forces will find a
relatively favorable situation should a conflict arise. Working closely with friends and allies greatly
enhances the United States' ability to organize successful coalitions. The stabilizing presence of U.S.
forces also helps to prevent conflicts from escalating to the point where they threaten greater U.S.
interests at higher costs.
Contingency Operations
U.S. defense strategy also requires that military forces be prepared for a wide range of contingency
operations in support of U.S. interests. Contingency operations are military operations that go beyond the
routine deployment or stationing of U.S. forces abroad but fall short of large-scale theater warfare. Such
operations range from smaller-scale combat operations to peace operations and noncombatant
evacuations. They are an important component of U.S. strategy and, when undertaken selectively and
effectively, can protect and advance U.S. interests.
The United States will always retain the capability to intervene unilaterally when its interests are
threatened. The United States also will advance its interests and fulfill its leadership responsibilities by
providing military forces to selected allied/coalition operations, some of which may support UN Security
Council (UNSC) Resolutions (for example, U.S. participation in coalition sanctions enforcement and nofly
zone enforcement in Southwest Asia). Further, the United States will continue to participate directly in
UN peace operations when it serves U.S. interests. UN and multinational peace operations can help
prevent, contain, and resolve conflicts that affect U.S. interests. When it is appropriate to support a
multinational peace operation, participating U.S. forces benefit from the authority and support of the
international community and from sharing costs and risks with other nations.
SMALLER-SCALE COMBAT OEPRATIONS
The United States will maintain the capability to conduct smaller-scale combat operations unilaterally, or
in concert with others, when important U.S. interests are at stake. These operations generally are
undertaken to provide for regional stability (for example, U.S. operations in Grenada), promote
democracy (for example, U.S. operations in Panama and Haiti), or otherwise respond to conflicts that
affect U.S. interests.
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