ABSTRACT
Forces are also at work in the world that make it clear that the end of the cold war offers no respite from protracted conflict, much of it low-intensity, as the world reshapes itself. The focus of any successful strategy for the future must be on crisis management, and many of the crises with which the United States (US) will be involved in the future will start at the lower end of the conflict spectrum. The US response to the end of the cold war requires reflection on lessons learned, appreciation of the multiple dimensions of risk across the operational continuum, and the application of recent experience. US security means the survival of the US as a free and independent nation with its fundamental values intact and its institutions and people secure. Austere times and a focus on domestic issues will make the establishment of military priorities a very difficult game on a field full of competition and conflicting interests.
