Assignment 4 Analysis Of The Future Operational Environment

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REQUIREMENT 4: Analysis of the Future Operational Environment [30 points]. As we continue to deal with the fallout from decisions made during the Cold War and nations seek to gain economic and intellectual wealth, military prowess and influence within the world arena, the United States can expect many changes in the operational environment if policy fails to address the root causes of disagreements. Although the operating environment created during protracted operations Iraq and Afghanistan directly exposed the gaps and seams in the US Defense Strategy, the overall utility of the US military has not changed; however, the need for an adaptive, diverse and culturally aware force has never been greater. As nations strive to make an impact on the world stage, the divergence between the perceived “haves and have nots” will only grow and in specific circumstances escalate into armed conflict as “…violent conflicts between groups in different …show more content…
Likewise, we must also prepare our forces for “accidental contact” that could helix into armed conflict. For example, as humanitarian issues grow within the pacific region and accidental encounters between China, Japan and the United States become more frequent, the potential for conflict increases. To date, as China attempts to “…acquire the wealth, technology, skills, machines and weapons that are part of being modern” along with the prowess of a world actor, conflicts between the regional and world powers are inevitable. (Huntington 1993, 113) Unlike, the conflicts in the Middle-East and African which are generally motivated by religious-minority, the US will need to deal with a much greater threat and ultimately face a possible