America's Armed Forces: A Handbook of Current and Future Capabilities

by Robert E. Connor, Sam C. Sarkesian

Overview

This handbook by 14 well-known experts provides an overall analysis of U.S. military strengths and weaknesses in the 1990s and needs at the turban of the century. The first part of the book covers the U.S. armed forces under the Department of Defense and the military chain of command. The second half of the book deals with the American way of war, different military conflicts, and noncombat contingencies. The introduction defines national security concepts and sets the stage for the assessments that follow; the conclusion evaluates the military challenges confronting the United States in the 21st century. Each chapter offers short lists of readings. A glossary and comprehensive index make this an easy-to-use reference for students, teachers, professionals, and general readers concerned with America's defense needs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313290121
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	01/30/1996
Pages:	488
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 1.06(d)
Lexile:	1460L (what's this?)

About the Author

SAM C. SARKESIAN is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Loyola University, Chicago. He serves as Chairman of the Academic Advisory Council of the National Strategy Forum. Sarkesian has served as chairman of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society (IUS), chairman of the Department of Political Science, Loyola University, Chicago, and chairman of the Research Committee on Armed Forces and Society of the International Political Science Association. He has published a number of books and articles on national security, unconventional conflicts, and military professionalism. Some of his most recent books include: U.S. National Security: Policymakers, Processes, and Politics, 2nd ed. (1995), Unconventional Conflicts in a New Security Era: Lessons from Malay and Vietnam (1993), and Soldiers, Society, and National Security (with John Allen Williams and Fred B. Bryant) (1995).

ROBERT E. CONNOR, JR., recently retired from the Army with over 20 years service as an infantry officer. He served in Germany as a unit commander and weapons project officer. He also was Assistant Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Boston University where he taught courses on American military history and the American defense establishment. Most recently Connor was an instructor at the Combat Studies Institute, United States Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he taught courses on modern warfare and military theory. He has published articles on military history for the Command and General Staff College Press and has contributed articles for publication in Historical Dictionary of the United States Army (forthcoming).

Table of Contents

Figures and Tables
Preface
Introduction by Sam C. Sarkesian
The Armed Forces
The Army by Dan Kaufman
The Navy by John Allen Williams
The Air Force by James Mowbray
The Marine Corps by Allen R. Millett
Total Forces: Reserves and National Guard by Charles Heller
Summary by Robert E. Connor, Jr.
Wars, Military Conflicts, and Noncombat Contingencies
The American Way of War by Stephen J. Cimbala
The Gulf War and Regional Conflicts by Douglas V. Johnson II
Peacetime Engagements by David Tucker and Christopher J. Lamb
Drug Wars and Revolutionary Groups by Cynthia Watson
Noncombat Contingencies by James B. Motley
Unconventional Conflicts by Thomas Mockaitis
Conclusion: The Twenty-First Century Military by Sam C. Sarkesian and Robert E. Connor, Jr.
Glossary
Index

Editorial Reviews

After an overview of the strategic landscape, the American political scene, and the concept of national security, contributors provide an international and domestic political context for the study of the US military. Part I addresses the different branches of the service, including the Federal Reserve and the National Guard, with attention to command structure, organization, weaponry, and the future. Part II focuses on various conflicts and contingencies including conventional and unconventional conflict, and operations other than war. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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