Transformation in the US Military Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Transformation in the US Military - Essay Example Transformation of US military Introduction Since the 9/11 attacks, the US military has taken an active part in the political and global military activities for the US and for the international community. Inasmuch as it is considered one of the most powerful and advanced military units in the world, its vulnerabilities have been manifest in recent years. With the trends in globalization taking the spotlight, the need to introduce changes and to transform the military has been a growing concern. Efforts to transform the military have been seen in the past years and these efforts have had various effects in the way that the US military has implemented these changes. This paper shall now consider two of these efforts to transform the US military. One of these efforts is the effort to improve diversity and multiculturalism in the military. Another effort is on improvements in the coordination and cooperation with other countries in terms of military operations and issues of unrest. This a nalysis will compare and contrast these efforts and will identify two or three key factors that led to the perceived or actual need to transform, two of three key policies enacted to effect desired transformation, and the leading forces that shaped policies pursued in order to achieve the transformation. Discussion Efforts to increase diversity and multiculturalism in the US military have been implemented by the government.... This segregation created different issues, including racial confrontations within the military between 1942 and 1945 (Canaday, 2001). Despite passage of policies against segregation after WWII, this practice was still seen during the Korean War; however gradual integration was seen towards the end of the Korean War. Through this practice, the US army saw that combat effectiveness became more effective when racial integration was applied. The Secretary of War in 1963 set forth command responsibility for civil rights issues and in order to address racial tension, the military conceptualized the Defense Race Relations Institute (Canaday, 2001). This institute performed educational, training, and research functions. This institute was renamed Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute and it broadened the readiness of military readiness in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, and religion (Canaday, 2001). Colin Powell’s rise as the premier first African-American Secretary of Stat e and his rise to his current status is a testament to effective solid efforts towards diversity within the military. A major factor affecting transformation of the US military in terms of diversity is the fact that the US military has made an effort towards integrating racial, ethnic, religious, and national groups into the military practice (Canaday, 2001). Many leaders recognized the fact that with more contact between whites and blacks, the better it was for racial integration. Moreover, the military has â€Å"a bureaucratic ethos and formality†¦that mitigated tensions arising from individual or personal feelings† (Canaday, 2001). The military was also able to hold the commanders responsible for equal