From the Preamble to the Foxhole

Abstract

Defense policy formulation has evolved significantly since 1940, yet these processes have a constitutional foundation. This study described the process that the U.S. government uses to meet its security challenges. This study examined the interdependent relationships between the Joint Strategic Planning System (JSPS) and the Army Force Management System (AFMS); it analyzed the process the Army uses to determine the forces and equipment needed to meet the civilian leadership's guidance for national security. It explored this process "From the Preamble to the Foxhole". This study chronicled how Lieutenant General Richard G. Trefry (retired) was instrumental in the development of a systematic approach to managing change across the Army in the 1980s. The histories of many independent projects are portrayed in this study which comprised this effort. Chief among these were the development of: the Army Force Management System (AFMS), the U.S. Army Force Management School (USAFMS), the Mother of All Charts (MOAC), and the role of the Inspector General of the Army. This study demonstrated how civil-military relations are critical to defense policy determination. Lastly, it provided some future policy considerations that demonstrate the interrelationships between force management and national security policy development.