ABSTRACT
The triumphant United States emerged from the Spanish-American War and the PhilippineAmerican War as a member of the great power fraternity. With this elevated status came new territories in the Caribbean and the Pacifi c Ocean and requirements of administering those possessions. The United States was poised on the threshold of what would become the American Century. These strategic and political realities meant that the U.S. military would need to adjust its plans, missions, and forces to protect the nation’s interests.
