America Promises to Come Back: A New National Strategy

Abstract

Provides an analysis of President Bush's new national security strategy first unveiled in Aspen, Colorado on August 2,1990, involving a mix of active, reserve, and reconstitutable forces, and General Colin Powell's 'base force.' If implemented, the new strategy and force structure would return the bulk of U.S. ground and air forces to the continental U.S. where a significant number would be demobilized. In the event of a major war with the USSR, the U.S. would rely on active and reserve forces for a response to a major contingency and, if necessary, reconstitute additional military capability for a major war. The new strategy is based upon a revised Soviet threat and a new international security environment which allows us to assume two years warning of a major ground war in Europe