U.S. global defense posture, 1783-2011 / / Stacie L. Pettyjohn.

• Author: Pettyjohn, Stacie L.
• Place / Publishing House: Santa Monica, CA : : RAND Corporation,, 2012.
• Year of Publication: 2012
• Language: English
• Series: Gale eBooks
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (xx, 124 pages) :; illustrations (some color), maps (some color)
• Notes: "Prepared for the United States Air Force."; "Approved for public release; distribution unlimited."

This monograph describes the evolution of the U.S. global defense posture from 1783 to the present as the nation grew from a relatively weak and insular regional power into the preeminent global power. As new and unpredictable threats emerge, alliance relationships are revised, and resources decline, past efforts at dealing with similar problems yield important lessons for future decisions.

Table of Contents

Framework for U.S. posture -- Extent of the U.S. overseas military presence -- Operational orientation of American forces -- Continental defense, 1783-1815 -- Continental defense and commercialism, 1815-1898 -- Transition period, 1898-1905 -- Oceanic posture -- Hemispheric defense (hemispheric anti-access/area denial) -- Perimeter defense in-depth, 1943-1949 -- Consolidated defense-in-depth -- Transitioning from perimeter defense-in-depth to consolidated defense-in-depth -- Expeditionary defense-in-depth -- Comparing the GDPR to perimeter defense-in-depth -- Findings and recommendations -- Recommendations -- Concluding thoughts.