Description

An examination of how military forces are dealing with the changing roles of their missions The old problems of men at war and people in conflict still demand the application and reinforcement of customary and proven ways to accomplish new peacekeeping and other missions Military commanders and their soldiers have been asked over the last ten years to tackle a wider range of missions than most were prepared for during the cold war era. Soldiers and sailors are today engaged in operations variously termed peacekeeping, peace support operations, humanitarian operations, and traditional combat missions in a variety of circumstances and environments. In most cases they have adopted to these missions very well, employing inventive ways to deal with situations short of combat, the arrival of non-governmental organizations in the defence and security arena, and the demand that military personnel assume civil duties in support of governments. Nevertheless, they have also come to understand that the old problems of men at war and people in conflict still demand the application and reinforcement of customary and proven ways to accomplish these new missions.