The end of the Cold War ushered in a new strategic era for the United States. As a consequence, the roles and missions of the United States armed forces have been revised, or at least, are in a transition period where new roles and missions are being assessed (9:1). One of the most controversial of the roles and missions being considered and, in some instances, implemented for the United States armed forces in this transition period is the conduct of Military Operations Other Than War, or MOOTW (4:1). MOOTW is not a new concept for United States armed forces, as the Berlin Airlift in the 1948-1949 period will attest (4:1). The framework of MOOTW in the contemporary period, however, includes such activities as peacekeeping, peacemaking, and humanitarian operations that, in the view of some analysts, detract from the primary roles and missions of the United States armed forces (7:2).
This paper assesses the policies providing for the use of United States armed forces in peacekeeping, peacemaking, and humanitarian operations. The position of this writer is that the use of United States armed forces in such roles should be a last resort, as opposed to a first choice. This position is developed and justified through a presentation of background information on the topic, a discussion of the issues involved, and evaluation of policies, and a statement of conclusions.
The end of the Cold War also marked an end to the bipolar character of international relations that existed for 50 years. During this 50-year period, international relations was dominated by relations between the two superpowersùthe Soviet Union and the United States. "Superpower" was a special sub-set of the "great power" designation that reflected the military and political dominance of the two nations (3:4).
The end of the bipolar character of international relations is leading to what former American President George Bush referred to as the "new world order....