Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986
The Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 is a significant piece of legislation in U.S. military history, aimed at enhancing coordination among the various branches of the armed forces. Co-sponsored by Senator Barry Goldwater and Representative William Flynt Nichols, the Act was motivated by the need for a more efficient military structure following concerns raised by the 1983 invasion of Grenada, which highlighted coordination issues. One of its key reforms was to elevate the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from a largely ceremonial role to the principal military adviser to the president, thereby consolidating military leadership.
Additionally, the Act established unified command structures for military operations in various regions, assigning regional commanders with comprehensive responsibility for U.S. military actions across branches. This change sought to eliminate redundancy and confusion in command, allowing for more streamlined planning and execution of military strategies. The unification also extended to logistics, with the goal of optimizing resource allocation and technological access across military branches. The implementation of the Goldwater-Nichols Act significantly influenced U.S. military operations in the following decades, most notably during the Persian Gulf War, showcasing its lasting impact on military organization and effectiveness.
Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986
Identification Law to reorganize the United States’ military command structure
Date Signed into law on October 1, 1986
The act was the first major overhaul of the top U.S. military command in about forty years. It was an attempt to centralize authority in the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff rather than continue the separation of the uniformed services’ command.
Senator Barry Goldwater and Representative William Flynt Nichols cosponsored the piece of legislation officially known as the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986, which was passed as Public Law 433 of the Ninety-ninth U.S. Congress. The intent of the law was to force more coordination between the various branches of the U.S. armed forces in order to encourage a more efficient military. To accomplish this coordination, the law strengthened the position of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Previously, this position was basically a figurehead responsible for formal communications between the Joint Chiefs and the secretary of defense or sometimes the president. Under the Goldwater-Nichols Act, the chairman was designated as the principal military adviser to the president. While the leaders of the various branches of the military might still give advice, their role was clearly subordinated to that of the chairman.
The same type of unified command structure was also established for each of the various areas of military operation. Thus, U.S. troops throughout the world were assigned regional commanders. Within each region, one person became responsible for coordinating all U.S. military actions, regardless of the branches of service involved. As at the top level, the new structure replaced one in which each region had had separate commanders for each branch of the armed forces, with no clear chain of command among the branches. The new structure unified not only command and control but also planning, as the unified regional commanders assumed responsibility for making contingency plans to respond to any possible situation with their regions.
As an outgrowth of the mandate to unify planning, the procurement and distribution of supplies were also unified. It was hoped that this development would reduce competition among the branches, as resources would be allocated to whichever units needed them most, regardless of branch, and new technologies would be made available to all military branches, regardless of which brand had funded their development.
Impact
While the 1983 U.S. invasion of Grenada had been successful, it also produced evidence of a significant lack of coordination among the armed forces that concerned leaders in Washington. The Goldwater-Nichols Act was one of the responses to this situation. It sought to eliminate potential problems in the command structure before the United States became embroiled in a more serious conflict. By the beginning of the 1990’s, the new structure was in place, and it directly affected the military operations of that decade, most notably the Persian Gulf War.
Bibliography
Lederman, Gordon Nathaniel. Reorganizing the Joint Chiefs of Staff: The Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1999.
Locher, James R. Victory on the Potomac: The Goldwater-Nichols Act Unifies the Pentagon. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2004.