Analysis of QDR and QDR Independent Panel Qualitative Research

Effective Guidance to Improving DOD Mission Accomplishment

Quadrennial Defense Review

The Quadrennial Defense Review is a document providing the parties concerned with a thorough analysis of actions that should be made within the Department of Defense during the period of four years. However, the document focuses more on what has been already done in this area and gives certain analysis of priorities for future years.

Nevertheless, this document provides effective guidance to improving unified directions and unified actions towards Department of Defense mission accomplishment. The Department of Defense is sure to accomplish its mission effectively if following the guidelines suggested in this report. The document can be considered a result of effective cooperation of all departments because all areas of the defense are involved.

Besides, it is possible to outline the measures to be taken by the US defense department within nearest twenty years which can be treated as the long-term perspectives. It is certainly necessary to forecast the international situation for future and use appropriate methods to deter terrorists’ attacks and other threats that come from all over the world.

Quadrennial Defense Review Independent Panel

The independent panel provides effective guidance to improving unified directions and unified actions towards Department of Defense mission accomplishment as well as the Quadrennial Defense Review. However, this document is aimed more at analyzing and comparing the information introduced in the review. Presentation of data seems to be more adequate in the independent panel.

Besides, one can easily follow the independent panel because it contains processed information about needs, expectations, and objectives of the US defense system for the nearest future including forces and teams of different levels, equipment and training resources. The only thing that can be considered less effective about the independent panel compared to the review is that the panel includes interpreted information.

In addition, “Gates disputes the panel’s assertion that the QDR did not provide a 20-year vision for the force and an accompanying long-term force planning construct” (Castelli n.pag.). In this respect, the independent panel questions the main themes raised in the review as reported by Hadley and Perry:

rebalancing American defense priorities to better support U.S. forces engaged in today‘s wars while building the capabilities needed to deal with future threats …[and] reforming the way the Pentagon does business, fixing the Defense institutions and processes to enable better support for the urgent needs of the warfighter (95).

Thereby, I think that the most effective guidance is provided by the QDR because it enables the parties concerned to see the needs of the defense system and take appropriate measures to improve the defense methods.

Major Recommendations/Initiatives of Highest Priority

Collaboration of civilians and military forces

Collaboration of ordinary civil population and representatives of military forces of different levels can contribute greatly to the improvement of defense measures on national level and regarding the international community level.

In this respect, this major recommendation of highest priority can be logically divided into few more initiatives such as cyberspace development (“Develop greater cyberspace expertise and awareness” (United States 38)), protective measures against terrorist attacks (“Protecting the nation and its people from such threats [terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001] requires close synchronization between civilian and military efforts” (Hadley and Perry 18)) and other measures that can be beneficial for the national and international security.

Moreover, Defense Secretary Robert Gates characterizes the panel as the one that is worth being supported, “I strongly endorse many of the panel’s key findings, in particular the need to implement a more comprehensive approach to U.S. national security” (in Castelli n.pag.).

One of the peculiar traits of these recommendations is that it can be targeted at population of the United States as well as at the population of allies and partner-countries.

Preserve and enhance the all-volunteer force

The main aspects of the defense system of every country are resources including adequately trained people and mechanisms that are designed to decrease risk and losses of population. As stated in the Quadrennial Defense Review preservation and enhancement of the all-volunteer force is essential because “increased levels of suicide and divorce—are cause for concern” (United States 16).

In this respect, it turns out to be even more important to facilitate and encourage collaboration between the civilians and military forces because mechanisms do not work without trained personnel. Moreover, the all-volunteer force is at risk because of the increased number of attempts and threats after the terrorist attack that took place September 11, 2001.

However, this also means that high-end technologies should be used to protect people from mass destruction weapons and other potentially dangerous means of mass destruction and terrorist attacks.

In other words, it is necessary to take appropriate measures to protect people which should be done within a framework of the highest priority recommendation concerning the all-volunteer force and providing it with corresponding measures of defense.

Cyberspace and terrorism

As reported in the independent panel by Hadley and Perry, “Deter and defeat aggression in anti-access environments” and “Operate effectively in cyberspace” (17) can be considered other highest priority recommendations that should be used to improve unified actions by Department of Defense.

In other words, cyberspace should be controlled as well as all other ways of sharing and storing information as it turns to be the largest and the most common mean of informing people and misinforming different organizations about the situation in the world and in definite areas of the globe. The more people know about the attacks f terrorists, the more they can do to inform appropriate organizations about something they know.

However, this can result in flows of information that can overload the cyberspace with data that can be used as a cover. Nowadays, cyberspace can be considered the most accessible and damaging system in the world due to its overwhelming nature and ability to enter each system because all archives and databases exist within cyberspace.

Major Recommendations/Initiatives of Lowest Priority

“Defeating Al Qaeda and its allies” (United States 15)

The lowest priority recommendations include defeating Al Qaeda and its allies because this initiative is neither effective not restricted in terms of time. To be more exact, the process of fighting against Al Qaeda can take years and even decades to complete, if ever.

In other words, it is necessary to choose real goals and reach those instead of searching for some nightmares and terrorists that can use that attention from media as a method of discouraging people from collaboration with military forces.

People should not experience some discrimination because they are of different color or because they want to grow a beard. In this respect, the more people pay attention to military operations, the less they worry about national security because they are more interested in the fact whether military forces will find those terrorists whereas those dangerous people can operate in a completely different look.

If the review and independent report had at least time limits for completion of this mission, it could be considered a highest priority perspective in terms of the national and international security measures. However, a mere defeating does not stand for the recommendation for the future years.

Partner states’ security capacity

Does anyone know how many organizations support the missions of the United States’ military forces in different areas all over the globe? It is natural that the US government and the Department of Defense cannot build and support “the security capacity of partner states (Hadley and Perry 17) including every state and organization that supports the policy and measures taken by the country in definite missions.

In other words, I think that this is lowest priority initiative because the American people cannot pay taxes so that other countries felt in safe due to the encouragement and other types of help provided by the American military forces and the Department of Defense.

The more countries fight against terrorist attacks and threats that exist in the world, the safer and more friendly the world would be due to overall effective performance in terms of the security measures. I think that it is not the only country that should fight against all threats and provide help but all countries that take appropriate measures.

Conclusion

Though the forces of the United States are claimed to use ineffective weapons, as reported by Bennett, “The U.S. military continues to rely on 30-year-old combat equipment, largely because of the staggering costs of two ongoing wars, including the expense of keeping aging platforms in operational shape for those conflicts, the independent QDR study team concluded” (n.pag.), it is necessary to remember about the all-volunteer forces and other military subdivisions that work for the global security.

People should be treated accordingly when it comes to the budgeting of the military forces and Department of Defense. Moreover, different types of organizations that help the United States of America in accomplishment of its missions on the national and international levels should be treated in accordance with international acts and treaties instead of providing excessive help to allied and partner countries all over the world.

Though the review of the security objectives appeared to be the burning issue for discussion, it can be considered rather constructive and effective in providing guidance to improving unified directions and unified actions towards Department of defense mission accomplishment.

Development of military equipment should be one of the highest priority recommendations because appropriate equipment can be used in various missions conducted by military forces. Unmanned vehicles can reduce the number of victims in different intelligence service missions.

In this respect, different vehicles and machines can contribute greatly to the safety of military men during operations and in the process of certain operations aimed at exploration of unknown territories and areas. To conclude, development of equipment is as important as adequate training because both measures are aimed at saving people’s lives and protecting them from dangerous consequences.

Works Cited

Bennett, John T. “Alternate QDR: Boost Equipment Modernization, U.S. Force Size.” Defense News, 27 Jul. 2010. Web.

Castelli, Christopher J. “Gates Disputes Blue-Ribbon Panel’s Criticism of QDR.” InsideDefense.com, 16 Aug. 2010. Web.

Hadley, Stephen J., and William J. Perry. The QDR in Perspective: Meeting America’s National Security Needs In the 21st Century. The Final Report of the Quadrennial Defense Review Independent Panel. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace. July 2010. Print.

United States. Department of Defense. Quadrennial Defense Review Report. February 2010. Print.