Transformation Concepts for National Security in the 21st Century

The famous Confederate General Stonewall Jackson noted that "To move swiftly, strike vigorously, and secure all the fruits of the victory is the secret of successful war." This observation is at the very heart of the current discussion and experimentation on how the transformed joint services of the United States should employ force in the 21st century. The services are exploring concepts such as Effects Based Operations and Rapid Decisive Operations to move swiftly and strike vigorously to secure victory in the coming decades. At the same time the nation and its armed forces are developing new concepts of homeland security to defend the country in the war on terrorism. The following chapters represent some of the thinking by students at the U.S. Army War College, considering the nature and direction of transformation concepts that deal with these issues.