A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....09-7-04....Military Monday on Tuesday

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 7, 2004 - The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
suggested a Goldwater-Nichols act for all of the federal government to improve
the way the country responds to terrorism.

Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace made his suggestion here at a Marine Corps
Association/Naval Institute forum looking at the global war on terrorism today.

The Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 strengthened the position of the chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff and created the position of vice chairman. It made
the services act more in concert and forced the services to place their best
people in joint billets.

Pace said that at the time, the service chiefs had to be forced to the
position. "In the 1980s, the service chiefs did not want to give up some of
their prerogatives," he said. "But I believe that history has shown us that by
giving up some of their service prerogatives, the service chiefs got back much
more than they gave up, as joint chiefs."

Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown how far the U.S. military has
come. He said that during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm the
battlefields were "deconflicted" - meaning the various services carved out
exclusive niches and did not have to work together.

In Iraq, "I believe the capabilities and capacities of the U.S. military on
that battlefield were finally the realization of the dream that was the
Goldwater-Nichols Act," he said. In recent actions, the U.S. military worked
together as a joint team.

But that alone will not win the war on terror, he said. "The U.S. military and
our coalition partners around the world can certainly do what militaries do: We
can take the fight to the enemy on the battlefield and we will prevail. There's
no doubt about that," Pace said. "But that is not enough. We will not defeat
terrorism as a threat to our way of life simply through the use of force."

Pace expanded on a favorite topic of defense leaders: that the United States
must address the systemic problems that cause disaffected youth to join
terrorist organizations.

He said military force has a place in the war on terrorism in providing the
security for peaceful institutions to grow. "But at the end of the day, the
victory will come in the education process, the victory will come in the
economic promise that is out there for these nations," he said.

"We need as a nation to be able to harness all of the elements of our national
power as we move forward for the next decades in fighting terrorism," he
continued.

He said in his experience serving as the operations chief on the Joint Staff
and as the vice chairman that the interagency process now in effect does a good
job of presenting the president with options. "But once the president decides
to do something, our government goes back into its stovepipes for execution -
Department of State does what they do, DoD does what we do, the Department of
Treasury etc.," he said.

There is no one underneath the president who can follow through on decisions
and order different agencies to accomplish what must be accomplished. "Do we
then need a Goldwater-Nichols-like event for the interagency?" he asked.

In the 1980s, the United States had the best Army, the best Navy, the best Air
Force and the best Marine Corps in the world. "But they did not work jointly,"
he said. "Arguably today, we have a great State Department, a great Department
of Defense a great department of Treasury," but again they do not work jointly.

Pace suggested asking cabinet officials to give up some of their day-to-day
authority. Different federal agencies, then, would be in charge of different
aspects - all under the National Security Council. So, if there is an operation
in Iraq, then the State Department might be the lead agent. If there is another
operation in Afghanistan, then DoD might be the lead. "This would give to the
cabinet officials the authority we currently give to our combatant commanders
when we assign them missions," he said.

The cabinet official would be in charge of a "Joint Interagency Task Force,"
Pace said. On a day-to-day basis this would give the individual the authority
to accomplish the mission.

Pace said this is just a proposal to start a discussion. "I don't have the
answers," he said flatly. "But this is important and we should begin the
discussion."

Texas Police Humor
Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Till the good is better and the
better is best.

GOOD:
A Richardson, TX policeman had a perfect spot to watch for speeders,
but wasn't getting much "business". Then he discovered the problem - a
12-year old boy was standing up the road with a hand painted sign, which
read, RADAR TRAP AHEAD". The officer then discovered a young accomplice
down the
road with a sign reading "TIPS", and a bucketful of money. (And we
used to just sell lemonade.)

BETTER:
A motorist was mailed a picture of his car speeding through an automated
radar post in Plano, TX. A $40 speeding ticket was enclosed. Being cute,
he sent the police department a picture of $40. The police responded with
another mailed photo of handcuffs.

BEST:
A young woman was pulled o! ver for speeding. As the TX State Trooper
officer walked to her car window, flipping open his ticket book, she
smiled and said "I bet you're going to sell me a ticket to the TX State Police
Ball."
He replied, "TX State Troopers don't have balls". There hung a moment
of silence while she smiled, and he realized just what he'd said. He
closed his ticket book, got back into his patrol car and drove off.
She was laughing too hard to start her car.

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