The U.S. Military in the Vietnam and Desert Storm
The Vietnam and Desert Storm are potent illustration of wars that enhanced a significant contribution to the development of the U.S. military. It is indisputable that, the two conflicts shaped a particular branch of the military that was ready and strong to respond to other wars that emerged in the American history. Vietnam War was one of the most divisive and controversial wars in the United States. It was one of the longest wars in the American history. From 1954 to 1973, the United States was directly involved politically and military in Vietnam wars (Buzzanco, 2006). The war had tremendous effects on the American history. Desert storm, which was fought in 1990, was a gruesome event in the American history. The United States participated in the war with Iraq in attempt to fight Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship. Saddam’s Hussein who by then was the president of Iraq demanded to get 10% of the world’s supply in Kuwait. After obtaining the oil, Saddam hoped to unite and develop his country with the oil sales. Iraq had a big debt with Kuwait thus, the president wanted to fight the country to cancel the debt. To achieve his goal, he ordered his troops to invade Kuwait. He ordered his military to terrorize and kill many people. With this concern, the American government established the need to intervene and fight for human rights in the small country, Kuwait. The research paper that follows provides a comprehensive analysis of how Vietnam and desert storm contributed to the growth and development of the U.S military.
According to Buzzanco (2006), Vietnam War played a crucial role in developing the U.S. military. For the past years, there have been contentious issues on whether the U.S. military achieved its goals and objectives in the Vietnam. To respond to this subject, it is crucial to understand the combat mission of the US military in the Vietnam War. First, the US Military’s role was to create a safe and peaceful environment in, which the people from South Vietnam could have a government that was freely elected, stable, and independent. Intrinsically, the US military purposed to establish a secure environment free from terrorism and human exploitation. The army was also to conduct a strong and aggressive combat operation that would destroy Northern Vietnam Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) (Abdul, 2011). They were also to support Vietnamese people to obtain secure areas with medical care, sanitation, and construction. Although the U.S army had a strong and committed team to succeed in the war, the NVA and VC were scattered throughout the country. Despite the American soldiers embracing the high technology tactics, they ended up killing and demoralizing the wrong people. The NVA and VC used appropriate tactics and technology based on the nature of the war. The American soldiers lacked morale to fight the battle. They took drugs and killed their own officers. However, the NVA and VC army were determined to work hard and fight the U.S. The American government ignored the advice given by Charles De Gaulle that Vietnam would fight the American soldiers (Abdul, 2011). John Kennedy believed that the US military had adequate skills and knowledge to succeed in the Vietnam War.
The Vietnam War had a precise implication to the development of the U.S military. By 1990s, men like Norman Schwartzkopf and Colin Powell who participated in Vietnam War had attained top positions in the military (Schwenkel & Kwon, 2009). Such people equipped themselves with adequate knowledge, skills, and tactics to improve in their duties. The U.S. military developed tremendously in that, many embraced opportunities that would make them better to succeed in future wars. Specifically, the war encouraged troops who witnessed their fellow troops killed to embrace better strategies to succeed in the war. After the Vietnam War, the top leaders of the U.S military purposed that they would never participate in a war without having adequate skills, tactics, and knowledge of how to succeed. The U.S. military also purposed to never push or force themselves into a war they could not succeed since this could produce trauma as that experienced during Vietnam War. The military was reorganized and so equipped that certain guidelines were set to ensure that the team was ready for action. The American government emphasized that its army could longer participate in war without informing and calling the Reserves (Mets, 2007). Additionally, the Defense Secretary of U.S. army documented important criteria that the military could accomplish before engaging into war.
Although Vietnam War tarnished the self image of the American government for failing to attain its stated war aims, the war brought a great integration between the top military and political leaders (Berg, 2010). Instead of drawing a line between politics and military matters, the war created the need for the American government to be fully involved in all aspects of the military operations. The U.S military learnt never to fight in a war without being adequately prepared. Most soldiers established that they were unprepared and unequipped to fight in Vietnam War. Since then, the U.S. military worked hard to attain adequate skills and knowledge to fight in the war. There is training done on the team to ensure that proper measures are taken to fight and win future wars. The Vietnam War awakened the U.S. military to embrace intelligence and strategies of attacking its enemies. In the 21st century, the U.S. military is so much equipped with skills, strategies, and intelligence to engage into war. As previously mentioned, the military has been so much reorganized and equipped that it has to abide to certain guidelines and procedures before engaging into war. Prior to the Vietnam War, the army did not fully prepare itself for actions.
The Desert Storm was a significant historical event that left a vivid legacy for the U.S. army. The war of Desert Storm began in 1990, when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. The president ordered the Iraq military to attack Kuwait since it was the major and recognized supplier of oil in the world. This was a great tragedy to the United States since Kuwait was the major country that supplied oil. Attacking Kuwait would therefore drag the American’s economy since Iraq would control and dictate world’s oil. The American government would be in a great tragedy if Iraq was to succeed in the desert storm. With this, the American government established the need to engage into war with Iraq.
The desert storm enhanced a tremendous growth in the U.S. military in that, the team established the importance of doing early preparations before engaging into war. Unlike in Vietnam War, the U.S. army adequately prepared itself for the war. Specifically, all soldiers went through a training of how they would respond to the war and succeed. President Bush ordered the U.S. army to fight hard by embracing technological tools and strategies to win. Remembering the lessons and challenges that the country faced in Vietnam War, President Bush requested the public to support the country. Although there were some people who rejected the move made by the president, the majority of Americans supported the President’s action. By September 1990, there were over 200, 000 American soldiers in Saudi Arabia to detect any attack from Iraq. The desert storm was the best period for the U.S. army to exercise what they had learnt in Vietnam War. Unlike Vietnam War where the President failed to inform the army on the information he had received on how Vietnam had prepared to attack America, there was effective communication in the desert storm. Based on what they had encountered in Vietnam, the American soldiers thought it would be wise to request for additional troops. With this, President Bush ordered over 140, 000 American soldiers to get into the war (Bolia, 2005).
According to Clifford (2005), the US military established the need to collaborate with other armies across the globe. Unlike in Vietnam War when the US army fought alone, the country collaborated with French, British, Syrian, and Egyptian forces. On November 1990, the United Nation Security Council authorized all the militaries involved in the war to use force if Iraq failed to surrender their cause of action. On January 1991, the allied forces started the first phase of the war. The American force was the first to destroy the Iraqi. After Desert storm, the US army developed gradually. Specifically, most soldiers realized that succeeding in war requires hard work, commitment, and intelligence. Unlike in Vietnam War when soldiers took drugs, the soldiers worked hard to embrace every strategy and technique to succeed in the desert storm. For instance, they attached the radar stations and major elements of the country’s aircraft network. The U.S. military attacked the key building in Iraq such as power stations, communication centers, and presidential palace. The damage and attacks done by the U.S. military were very devastating. The battle at the sea played a crucial role to the freedom of Kuwait. The U.S. army embraced high-tech strategies and tools and conducted various contingency actions such as naval gunfire launches. The American government encouraged the army to utilize technological tools to win in the desert storm.
In conclusion, the Vietnam War and Desert Storm helped the US army to grow vastly. In the 21st century, the US army has had a superb reputation of having competent soldiers and leaders. The army utilizes technological tools, intelligence, and unique strategies. In recent times, the US military functions very effective in the battle field. It is unquestionable that, the army has encountered a lot of challenges to be where it is now. Overall, the army embraced the challenges faced during the Vietnam War and worked hard to ensure it wins in the Desert Storm. The efforts made by the US army in the desert storm left a legacy in the American history. The two battles resulted into the increased use technological tools and intelligence, increased confidence, and improved communication systems among US soldiers and the government. The two wars awakened the military to gather and embrace intelligence and strategies of attacking its enemy.
References
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Schwenkel, C., & Kwon, H. (2009). Ghosts of war in vietnam. The Journal of Asian Studies, 68(4), 1343. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0021911809991495
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