Header

Sri Lanka Army

Defender of the Nation

02nd September 2016 00:59:29 Hours

US University Don Dwells on Military Diplomacy

Dr. Chuck Cushman (USA), Dean of Academics, College of International Security Affairs, National Defence University, USA contributing to the day’s final sessions in the ‘Colombo Defence Seminar - 2016’ at the BMICH on Thursday (1) presented his observations in the following manner and highlighted the  different approaches being applied by the US and other countries on the ‘Projection of Soft Power through Military Diplomacy: The Role of Military Education’ in the session chaired by Dr Mrs Sarala Fernando, Chairperson.

Here follows the brief summary of his synopsis:

Introduction

The US uses its extensive professional military education (PME) system as a key part of military diplomacy by enrolling US and international students together Goal is to improve international capacity and build US-international cooperation Focus is entirely based on US practice. Many other countries approach this challenge from a different perspective, so think of it as one model for how a country can support national strategic goals through military soft power.

Agenda

Why military soft power?

What programs support this US effort?

Does it work?

What more is to be done?

Why military soft power?

Comparing DOD and the rest of the US government

The crab dilemma

Resources, expectations, and senior leadership demands

Declining budgets, increasing missions: the need for hedges against uncertainty

Develop the capabilities of leaders (PME system)

Develop the capacity of partners (network & schools)

DOD: most resources of any US agency

Our armed services have become the one-stop shop for America’s policymakers. But asking warriors to do everything poses great dangers for our country and the military Rosa Brooks, How the Pentagon Became Walmart, foreignpolicy.com

Declining budgets, increasing missions

How do we build “hedges against uncertainty” now?

Develop the capabilities of leaders (PME)

Develop the capacity of partners (network and schools)

What programs support this US effort?

Mil to Mil contacts in the field (visits and MET)

Exercises

PME

Networking

Does it work?

Polling: responses from our alumni suggest it does

Enhancing partner capacity to devise strategy

MG Didier Dacko - CT planning for Northern Mali

MG Tariq - thesis on TTP CT plan

Enabling revision of law, authorities, and organizations: BG Mansoor Zakariyya, Maldives

Several Key Metrics of Strategic Impact

96.8 % maintain contact with fellow students and faculty

93 % say these contacts positively contribute to their ability to combat and respond to terrorism

61 % have participated in or influenced their country's CT-related policy or legislative advisory committees-of which 96.6 % credit NDU for enabling their efforts

82 % say that their participation in the program has already improved their country’s ability to respond to global terrorism

54 % report that what they learned at NDU has directly influenced strategy, policy, or legislation in their countries

What more is to be done?

Enhance the network

More US involvement

More partners

More partners in US schools and US students in partner schools

Rebalancing US instruments of power

Reexamination of US national security policies and strategies

Reallocation of responsibilities from DOD back to other agencies

Resources to improve capabilities of other agencies

Meanwhile, Mr Philip Cunliffe, Senior Lecturer in International Relations / Rutherford College, University of Kent spoke on ‘Enhancement of Peace Operations through Soft Power’ under the same session touching following topical subjects.

Importance of soft power and peace operations

- Number of armed personnel in peace operations globally

- Continued growth in peacekeeping 

Contributing Country

- Corridor diplomacy

- Image of responsibility and contribution

- Self-reinforcing: internationalized officer corps, training opportunities, career development

Peace Operations

Bangladesh / Sierra Leone

Brazil / Haiti

Chad / c. Africa

African peacekeepers

Pak / Bangladeshi / Muslim populations

Reconstruction / China

Doctrine and civil-military relations