Essay Example on America faces numerous threats from both State and Non State actors North Kore

The United States of America faces numerous threats from both State and Non State actors North Korea continues to pose a major threat to global security and the United States Experts have warned that if North Korea continues to further its weapons program at the rate it achieved this year 2018 will likely see the test of a missile loaded with a live nuclear weapon Shea Cotton a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies told The Washington Post that the device which he called the Juche bird will probably be tested over the Pacific Ocean The test of a nuclear device by North Korea may be considered an act of war by the United States The United States National Military Strategy 2015 NMS 2015 provides a plan and framework to address this type of threat 

The framework within the NMS 2015 is underpinned with the tenants from Henri Jomini s theory on the art of war demonstrating that his theory remains relevant in the modern era His operational tenants can be used to address both State and Non State threats faced by the United States of America I will use three of Jomini s tenants decisive point offense and mass to demonstrate the validity of his theory and how it can be applied to meet the National Military Objectives listed in the NMS 2015 The NMS 2015 provides priorities and objectives for the United States Military clearly establishing decisive points for the protection of the United States and its allies North Korea s pursuit of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile capability threatens the security and sovereignty of the United States The first National Military Objective and decisive point of the NMS 2015 is deterring denying and defeating State adversaries across the globe In order to accomplish this the U S Military will have to maintain a credible nuclear capability as well as forward deployed forces The United States continues to employ Jomini s tenant of the decisive point in deterring State actors such as North Korea from the pursuit of nuclear weapons Non State actors such as Violent Extremist Organization VEO are a modern threat that can be addressed via Jomini s tenant of decisive point While VEO s are typically smaller than State Actors they do constitute a large and very real threat The United States views the disruption degradation and defeat of VEOs as a decisive point on the modern battlefield 

The focus of defeating State and Non State actors is critical to the success of the NMS 2015 These two decisive points for the security of the United States are crucial and prove that Jomini s theory remains relative In order to combat VEOs and counter State Actor threats the United States must be on the offense Deterring an attack on the United States is a priority of the NMS 2015 requiring the United States to sustain a full spectrum military that maintains a robust offensive capability The United States Military must be able to simultaneously defeat State aggressors as well as VEOs In order to accomplish this the United States maintains a forward deployed and highly ready force providing flexibility throughout the globe Jomini believed that offensive movements should be suitable to the end to be attained as well as should avoid causing other states support of the enemy The United States continues to implement this belief through globally integrated coalition operations that are designed to seize retain and exploit the initiative ensuring that the United States and its allies are employing Jomini s tenant of the offense The United States continues to use Jomini s tenant of the offense in the extremely complex modern battlefield proving his concepts are timeless and relative today as they have been throughout history Offensive operations focused on the decisive point with the massing of military power will ensure success The NMS 2015 states if attacked the U S Military will respond by inflicting damage of such magnitude as to compel the adversary to cease hostilities or render it incapable of further aggression In conjunction with its nuclear capability the United States military will focus its efforts on denying adversaries goals by maintaining highly ready forces forward with capability to surge forces from home when necessary Success on the modern battlefield as throughout history requires massing all elements of National Power at the decisive point Jomini s belief in massing of combat power at the right time and location applies today as it did during the Napoleonic Wars 

The methods of massing national power have changed however it is still imperative to apply overwhelming power to ensure victory The United States forward deployed forces on the Korean peninsula combined with several Naval Carrier Groups operating in the vicinity of North Korea demonstrates Jomini s tenant of mass The amount of conventional and nuclear capability that can rapidly respond to the North Korean threat proves that mass is not an outdated concept and is still required to defeat an adversary The complexity of the modern battlefield and asymmetric nature of warfare pose an extremely difficult problem for leaders today North Korea s goal to obtain offensive nuclear capabilities combined with Violent Extremist Organizations desire to destabilize global security present a constant threat to the United States and its allies The National Military Strategy 2015 provides the framework and plan to defeat these threats Throughout the NMS 2015 you can find Jomini s tenants of decisive point offense and mass The integration of Henri Jomini s theory on the art of war proves that his theory remains relevant and crucial in the modern security environment While warfare and adversaries might look and act different Jomini s tenants and theory can still be applied to win wars and defeat adversaries both State and Non State