Command, Control, and the Common Defense

In broad and largely abstract terms, Allard defines the characteristics of the American military structure--its traditions, history and organization--as they affect the evolution of high-level command and control in the ``information age.'' He analyzes the conflicting pressures faced by the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines in modernizing command and control structures to accommodate electronic warfare, precision-guided munitions and combat intelligence. This sweeping study will interest defense specialists and informed students despite its lack of focus and think-tank/Pentagonese prose (``A general strategic paradigm must clearly be capable of unifying perspective of the operational environments''). The author, an Army lieutenant colonel, is a special assistant to the Army chief of staff. (June)