The National Military Strategyof theUnited States of America
2015

The United States Military’s
Contribution To National Security
June 2015

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Chairman’s Foreword
Today’s global security environment is the most unpredictable I have seen in 40 years ofservice. Since the last National Military Strategy was published in 2011, global disorder has
significantly increased while some of our comparative military advantage has begun to erode.
We now face multiple, simultaneous security challenges from traditional state actors andtransregional networks of sub-state groups – all taking advantage of rapid technological change.
Future conflicts will come more rapidly, last longer, and take place on a much more technicallychallenging battlefield. They will have increasing implications to the U.S. homeland.
This National Military Strategy describes how we will employ our military forces toprotect and advance our national interests. We must be able to rapidly adapt to new threats
while maintaining comparative advantage over traditional ones. Success will increasingly
depend on how well our military instrument can support the other instruments of power andenable our network of allies and partners.
The 2015 NMS continues the call for greater agility, innovation, and integration. It
reinforces the need for the U.S. military to remain globally engaged to shape the security
environment and to preserve our network of alliances. It echoes previous documents in noting
the imperative within our profession to develop leaders of competence, character, andconsequence.
But it also asserts that the application of the military instrument of power against state
threats is very different than the application of military power against non-state threats. We are
more likely to face prolonged campaigns than conflicts that are resolved quickly…that controlof escalation is becoming more difficult and more important…and that as a hedge against
unpredictability with reduced resources, we may have to adjust our global posture.
Despite what is likely to be a difficult future, we are blessed to be able to count on theyoung Americans who choose to serve, to live an uncommon life, and to defend their fellow
citizens. Our focus must remain that they are the best-led and best-equipped force in the world.
The 2015 National Military Strategy of the United States offers a blueprint towards that end.

iThis 2015 National Military Strategy addresses the need to counter revisionist states that arechallenging international norms as well as violent extremist organizations (VEOs) that areundermining transregional security. We are working with allies and partners to deter, deny,and – when necessary – defeat potential state adversaries. Concurrently, we are leading
multiple coalition efforts to disrupt, degrade, and defeat VEOs. Central to these efforts isstrengthening our global network of allies and partners. This integrated strategy requires us
to conduct synchronized operations around the globe, implement institutional reforms at
home, and sustain the capabilities, capacity, and readiness required to prevail in conflicts
that may differ significantly in scope, scale, and duration.
I. The Strategic Environment
Complexity and rapid change characterize today’s strategic environment, driven by
globalization, the diffusion of technology, and demographic shifts.
Globalization is impacting nearly every aspect of human activity. People, products, andinformation are flowing across borders at unprecedented speed and volume, acting as catalysts
for economic development while also increasing societal tensions, competition for resources,
and political instability.
Central to globalization is the spread of new technologies that enable a global
information environment and empower people to see more, share more, create more, andorganize faster than ever before. Individuals and groups today have access to more information
than entire governments once possessed. They can swiftly organize and act on what they learn,sometimes leading to violent change. States, meanwhile,
KEY FACTORS
are using information sharing to develop advanced Globalization
capabilities of their own. When applied to military Diffusion of technology
systems, this diffusion of technology is challenging
 Demographic shifts
competitive advantages long held by the United Statessuch as early warning and precision strike.
These changes are amplified by shifting demographics. Youth populations are rapidly
growing in Africa and the Middle East, regions that face resource shortages, struggling
economies, and deep social fissures. Meanwhile, populations in Europe and across northern
Asia are set to decline and get older. Around the world, millions of people are flowing from thecountryside into cities in search of work where they are exposed to cultural differences,alienation, and disease. They also are moving across borders and seas in growing numbers,
accepting great risk and placing strain on nations that receive them.

1Despite these changes, states remain the international system’s dominant actors. They
are preeminent in their capability to harness power, focus human endeavors, and provide
security. Most states today — led by the United States, its allies, and partners — support theestablished institutions and processes dedicated to preventing conflict, respecting sovereignty,
and furthering human rights. Some states, however, are attempting to revise key aspects of theinternational order and are acting in a manner that threatens our national security interests.
While Russia has contributed in select security areas, such as counternarcotics andcounterterrorism, it also has repeatedly demonstrated that it does not respect the sovereignty of
its neighbors and it is willing to use force to achieve its goals. Russia’s military actions areundermining regional security directly and through proxy forces. These actions violate
numerous agreements that Russia has signed in which it committed to act in accordance withinternational norms, including the UN Charter, Helsinki Accords, Russia-NATO Founding Act,
Budapest Memorandum, and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
Iran also poses strategic challenges to the international community. It is pursuing
nuclear and missile delivery technologies despite repeated United Nations Security Council
resolutions demanding that it cease such efforts. It is a state-sponsor of terrorism that has
undermined stability in many nations, including Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
Iran’s actions have destabilized the region and brought misery to countless people while
denying the Iranian people the prospect of a prosperous future.
North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technologies also
contradicts repeated demands by the international community to cease such efforts. These
capabilities directly threaten its neighbors, especially the Republic of Korea and Japan. In
time, they will threaten the U.S. homeland as well. North Korea also has conducted cyberattacks, including causing major damage to a U.S. corporation.
We support China’s rise and encourage it to become a partner for greater international
security. However, China’s actions are adding tension to the Asia-Pacific region. For example,
its claims to nearly the entire South China Sea are inconsistent with international law. Theinternational community continues to call on China to settle such issues cooperatively andwithout coercion. China has responded with aggressive land reclamation efforts that will allow
it to position military forces astride vital international sea lanes.
None of these nations are believed to be seeking direct military conflict with the UnitedStates or our allies. Nonetheless, they each pose serious security concerns which theinternational community is working to collectively address by way of common policies, shared
messages, and coordinated action.

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As part of that effort, we remain committed to engagement with all nations tocommunicate our values, promote transparency, and reduce the potential for miscalculation.
Accordingly, we continue to invest in a substantial military-to-military relationship with China
and we remain ready to engage Russia in areas of common interest, while urging both nations tosettle their disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law.
Concurrent with state challenges, violent extremist organizations (VEOs) — led by al
Qaida and the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) — are working toundermine transregional security, especially in the Middle East and North Africa. Such groups
are dedicated to radicalizing populations, spreading violence, and leveraging terror to impose
their visions of societal organization. They are strongest where governments are weakest,
exploiting people trapped in fragile or failed states. In many locations, VEOs coexist withtransnational criminal organizations, where they conduct illicit trade and spread corruption,
further undermining security and stability.
In this complex strategic security environment, the U.S. military does not have theluxury of focusing on one challenge to the exclusion of others. It must provide a full range ofmilitary options for addressing both revisionist states and VEOs. Failure to do so will result ingreater risk to our country and the international order.
II. The Military Environment
The United States is the world’s strongest nation, enjoying unique advantages intechnology, energy, alliances and partnerships, and demographics. However, these advantages
are being challenged.
For the past decade, our military campaigns primarily have consisted of operations
against violent extremist networks. But today, and into the foreseeable future, we must pay
greater attention to challenges posed by state actors. They increasingly have the capability tocontest regional freedom of movement and threaten our homeland. Of particular concern are
the proliferation of ballistic missiles, precision strike technologies, unmanned systems, spaceand cyber capabilities, and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) – technologies designed tocounter U.S. military advantages and curtail access to the global commons.
Emerging technologies are impacting the calculus of deterrence and conflict
management by increasing uncertainty and compressing decision space. For example, attacks
on our communications and sensing systems could occur with little to no warning, impacting
our ability to assess, coordinate, communicate, and respond. As a result, future conflicts
between states may prove to be unpredictable, costly, and difficult to control.

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VEOs are taking advantage of emergent technologies as well, using information tools to
propagate destructive ideologies, recruit and incite violence, and amplify the perceived powerof their movements. They advertise their actions to strike fear in opponents and generate
support for their causes. They use improvised explosive devices (IED), suicide vests, andtailored cyber tools to spread terror while seeking ever more sophisticated capabilities,
including WMD.
Today, the probability of U.S. involvement in interstate war with a major power isassessed to be low but growing. Should one occur, however, the consequences would be
immense. VEOs, in contrast, pose an immediate threat to transregional security by coupling
readily available technologies with extremist ideologies. Overlapping state and non-state
violence, there exists an area of conflict where actors blend techniques, capabilities, andresources to achieve their objectives. Such “hybrid” conflicts may consist of military forces
assuming a non-state identity, as Russia did in the Crimea, or involve a VEO fielding
rudimentary combined arms capabilities, as ISIL has demonstrated in Iraq and Syria. Hybrid
conflicts also may be comprised of state and non-state actors working together toward sharedobjectives, employing a wide range of weapons such as we have witnessed in eastern Ukraine.
Hybrid conflicts serve to increase ambiguity, complicate decision-making, and slow thecoordination of effective responses. Due to these advantages to the aggressor, it is likely that
this form of conflict will persist well into the future.

Figure 1. Continuum of Conflict4III. An Integrated Military Strategy
The U.S. military’s purpose is to protect our Nation and win our wars. We do thisthrough military operations to defend the homeland, build security globally, and project power
and win decisively. Our
U.S. ENDURING NATIONAL INTERESTS
military supports
 The security of the United States, its citizens, and U.S. allies
diplomatic, informational,
and partners.
and economic activities that
 A strong, innovative, and growing U.S. economy in an open
promote our enduring
international economic system that promotes opportunity andnational interests. As
prosperity.
detailed in the 2015
National Security Strategy,  Respect for universal values at home and around the world.
our enduring national A rules-based international order advanced by U.S.
interests are: the security ofleadership that promotes peace, security, and opportunity
the United States, its
through stronger cooperation to meet global challenges.
citizens, and U.S. allies andpartners; a strong,
NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS
innovative, and growing The survival of the Nation.
U.S. economy in an open The prevention of catastrophic attack against U.S. territory.
international economic
 The security of the global economic system.
system that promotes The security, confidence, and reliability of our allies.
opportunity and prosperity;  The protection of American citizens abroad.
respect for universal values  The preservation and extension of universal values.
at home and around theworld; and a rules-based
NATIONAL MILITARY OBJECTIVES
international order advanced  Deter, deny, and defeat state adversaries.
by U.S. leadership that
 Disrupt, degrade, and defeat violent extremist organizations.
promotes peace, security,
 Strengthen our global network of allies and partners.
and opportunity throughstronger cooperation to meetglobal challenges.
From the enduring national interests, the U.S. military has derived National Security
Interests (NSIs) to prioritize its missions. The NSIs are: the survival of the Nation; theprevention of catastrophic attack against U.S. territory; the security of the global economic
system; the security, confidence, and reliability of our allies; the protection of American citizens
abroad; and the preservation and extension of universal values. NSIs guide military leaders inproviding recommendations on when and where our Nation should use military force, the typeand degree of force to employ, and at what cost.

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To secure these interests, this National Military Strategy provides an integrated
approach composed of three National Military Objectives: to deter, deny, and defeat state
adversaries; to disrupt, degrade, and defeat VEOs; and to strengthen our global network ofallies and partners. The U.S. military pursues these objectives by conducting globally
integrated operations, implementing institutional reforms at home, and sustaining thecapabilities, capacity, and readiness required to prevail in conflicts that may differ significantly
in scope, scale, and duration.
These NMOs support the force planning guidance prescribed in the 2014 Quadrennial
Defense Review. It states that our Nation requires a U.S. military with the capacity, capability,
and readiness to simultaneously defend the homeland; conduct sustained, distributed
counterterrorist operations; and, in multiple regions, deter aggression and assure allies throughforward presence and engagement. If deterrence fails, at any given time, our military will becapable of defeating a regional adversary in a large-scale, multi-phased campaign while
denying the objectives of — or imposing unacceptable costs on — another aggressor in adifferent region.

Figure 2. The Integrated Approach6

A. Deter, Deny, and Defeat State Adversaries
The U.S. military is the world’s preeminent Joint Force. It supports the Nation by
providing a full range of options to protect the homeland and our interests while assuring thesecurity of our allies. The U.S. military deters aggression by maintaining a credible nuclear
capability that is safe, secure, and effective; conducting forward engagement and operations;and maintaining Active, National Guard, and Reserve forces prepared to deploy and conduct
operations of sufficient scale and duration to accomplish their missions. Forward deployed,rotational, and globally responsive forces regularly demonstrate the capability and will to act.
Should deterrence fail to prevent aggression, the U.S. military stands ready to project power todeny an adversary’s objectives and decisively defeat any actor that threatens the U.S.
homeland, our national interests, or our allies and partners.
Deterring a direct attack on the United States and our allies is a priority mission,requiring homeland and regional defenses tied to secure conventional and nuclear strikecapabilities. Thus U.S. strategic forces remain always ready. U.S. military defenses areenhanced by our North American Aerospace Defense Command Agreement with Canada andclose cooperation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. These homeland defense
partnerships are complemented by growing investments in the cyber realm designed to protect
vital networks and infrastructure.
In case of aggression, denying adversaries their goals will be an immediate objective.
This places special emphasis on maintaining highly-ready forces forward, as well aswell trained and equipped surge forces at home, resilient logistics and transportation
infrastructures, networked intelligence, strong communications links, and interoperability withallies and partners. Timely interagency planning and coordination also will be leveraged todevelop holistic options that serve to integrate all elements of national power.
Should any actor directly attack the United States or our interests, the U.S. military willtake action to defend our Nation. We are prepared to project power across all domains to stopaggression and win our Nation’s wars by decisively defeating adversaries. While we prefer toact in concert with others, we will act unilaterally if the situation demands. In the event of an
attack, the U.S. military will respond by inflicting damage of such magnitude as to compel theadversary to cease hostilities or render it incapable of further aggression. War against a major
adversary would require the full mobilization of all instruments of national power and, to do so,
the United States sustains a full-spectrum military that includes strong Reserve and National
Guard forces. They provide the force depth needed to achieve victory while simultaneously
deterring other threats.

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B. Disrupt, Degrade, and Defeat VEOs
Today, the United States is leading a broad coalition of nations to defeat VEOs in
multiple regions by applying pressure across the full extent of their networks.
In concert with all elements of national power and international partnerships, these
efforts aim to disrupt VEO planning and operations, degrade support structures, remove
leadership, interdict finances, impede the flow of foreign fighters, counter malign influences,liberate captured territory, and ultimately defeat them. In support of these efforts, we arewidely distributing U.S. military forces and leveraging globally integrated command andcontrol processes to enable transregional operations.
Credible regional partners are vital to sustaining counter-VEO campaigns. The U.S.
military contributes select combat forces, enabling technologies, and training in support of local
partners that provide the majority of forces necessary to restore and secure their homelands.
Timelines for these campaigns generally are long. Therefore, they must be conducted in apolitically, financially, and militarily sustainable manner that optimizes the power of coalitions,as we are demonstrating in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In Afghanistan, the United States and our NATO partners are teaming with the National
Unity Government to provide security by way of the Resolute Support mission, working toward
establishing a long-term counterterrorism partnership. Similarly, in Iraq a broad coalition ofover 60 nations is providing security assistance, training, airlift, and strike support in its
struggle against ISIL.
Defeating VEOs also requires an appreciation of the nexus between such groups andtransnational criminal organizations. A fuller understanding of that relationship will allow us to
disrupt illicit funds, weapons, and fighters that are flowing into conflict-ridden regions. Suchknowledge also will allow us to work with law enforcement officials to more effectively protect
our homeland from terrorists.
Defeating VEOs ultimately requires providing security and economic opportunities to
at-risk populations. Thus counter-VEO campaigns demand that our military, in close
coordination with other U.S. agencies and international organizations, assist local governments
in addressing the root causes of conflict. As part of that effort, the U.S. military regularly
contributes to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief endeavors aimed at alleviating
suffering and restoring hope.

8C. Strengthen Our Global Network of Allies and Partners
America’s global network of allies and partners is a unique strength that provides thefoundation for international security and stability. These partnerships also facilitate the growthof prosperity around the world, from which all nations benefit.
As we look to the future, the U.S. military and its allies and partners will continue toprotect and promote shared interests. We will preserve our alliances, expand partnerships,
maintain a global stabilizing presence, and conduct training, exercises, security cooperation
activities, and military-to-military engagement. Such activities increase the capabilities andcapacity of partners, thereby enhancing our collective ability to deter aggression and defeat
extremists.
The presence of U.S. military forces in key locations around the world underpins theinternational order and provides opportunities to engage with other countries while positioning
forces to respond to crises. Therefore we will press forward with the rebalance to the AsiaPacific region, placing our most advanced capabilities and greater capacity in that vital theater.
We will strengthen our alliances with Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines,
and Thailand. We also will deepen our security relationship with India and build upon ourpartnerships with New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.
Such efforts are essential to maintaining regional peace and building capabilities to provide formissile defense, cyber security, maritime security, and disaster relief.
In Europe, we remain steadfast in our commitment to our NATO allies. NATOprovides vital collective security guarantees and is strategically important for deterring conflict,particularly in light of recent Russian aggression on its periphery. U.S. Operation ATLANTICRESOLVE, our European Reassurance Initiative, NATO’s Readiness Action Plan, and themany activities, exercises, and investments contained in them serve to underline our dedication
to alliance solidarity, unity, and security. We also will continue to support our NATO partners
to increase their interoperability with U.S. forces and to provide for their own defense.
In the Middle East, we remain fully committed to Israel’s security and Qualitative
Military Edge. We also are helping other vital partners in that region increase their defenses,
including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Egypt, and Pakistan.
Additionally, we are working to strengthen institutions across Africa, aimed at fosteringstability, building peacekeeping capacity, and countering transregional extremism. And the
U.S. military is supporting interagency efforts with Latin American and Caribbean states topromote regional stability and counter transnational criminal organizations.

9Combined training and exercises increase the readiness of our allies and partners while
enhancing the interoperability and responsiveness of U.S. forces. With advanced partners like
NATO, Australia, Japan, and Korea, our exercises emphasize sophisticated capabilities such as
assuring access to contested environments and deterring and responding to hybrid conflicts.
With other partners, training often focuses on improving skills in counterterrorism,
peacekeeping, disaster relief, support to law enforcement, and search and rescue.
Security cooperation activities are at the heart of our efforts to provide a stabilizing
presence in forward theaters. These build relationships that serve mutual security interests.
They also develop partner military capabilities for self-defense and support to multinational
operations. Through such activities, we coordinate with other U.S. agencies and mission
partners to build cultural awareness and affirm relationships that increase regional stability.
D. Advance Globally Integrated Operations
The execution of integrated operations requires a Joint Force capable of swift anddecisive force projection around the world. As detailed in the “Capstone Concept for Joint
Operations: Joint Force 2020,” globally integrated operations emphasize eight key components:
employing mission command; seizing, retaining, and exploiting the initiative; leveraging global
agility; partnering; demonstrating flexibility in establishing joint forces; improving crossdomain synergy; using flexible, low-signature capabilities; and being increasingly discriminate
to minimize unintended consequences. Such operations rely upon a global logistics andtransportation network, secure communications, and integrated joint and partner intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.
In executing globally integrated operations, U.S. military forces work closely withinternational and interagency partners to generate strategic options for our Nation. In doing so,
military commanders use the following prioritization of military missions to advise our national
leaders:
Maintain a Secure and Effective Nuclear Deterrent. U.S. strategic forces are kept at thehighest state of readiness, always prepared to respond to threats to the homeland and our vitalinterests. Accordingly, we are investing to sustain and modernize our nuclear enterprise. We
continue to implement the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review and 2011 New START Treaty while
ensuring our national defense needs are met. Concurrently, we are enhancing our commandand control capabilities for strategic and regional nuclear forces.

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Provide for Military Defense of the Homeland. Emerging state and non-state capabilities
pose varied and direct threats to our homeland. Thus we are striving to interdict attack
preparations abroad, defend against limited ballistic missile attacks, and protect cyber systems
and physical infrastructure. Key homeland defense capabilities include resilient space-based
and terrestrial indications and warning systems; an integrated intelligence collection, analysis,
and dissemination architecture; a Ground-Based Interceptor force; a Cyber Mission Force; and,ready ground, air and naval forces. We also are leveraging domestic and regional partnerships
to improve information sharing and unity of effort. These capabilities will better defend us
against both high technology threats and terrorist dangers.
Defeat an Adversary. In the event of an attack against the United States or one of its
allies, the U.S. military along with allies and partners will project power across multiple
domains to decisively defeat the adversary by compelling it to cease hostilities or render its
military incapable of further aggression.
Provide a Global, Stabilizing Presence. The presence of U.S. military forces in key
locations around the world underpins the security of our allies and partners, provides stability toenhance economic growth and regional integration, and positions the Joint Force to execute
emergency actions in response to a crisis.
Combat Terrorism. Terrorism is a tactic VEOs use to advance their interests. The best
way to counter VEOs is by way of sustained pressure using local forces augmented by
specialized U.S. andJOINT FORCE PRIORITIZED MISSIONS
coalition military Maintain a secure and effective nuclear deterrent
strengths such as ISR,
 Provide for military defense of the homelandprecision strike, training, Defeat an adversary
and logistical support.
 Provide a global, stabilizing presence
Counterterrorism
 Combat terrorism
operations also involve Counter weapons of mass destruction
coordinated efforts with
 Deny an adversary’s objectives
other U.S. agencies, Respond to crisis and conduct limited contingency operations
working together to Conduct military engagement and security cooperationinterdict and disrupt
 Conduct stability and counterinsurgency operations
threats targeting the U.S.
 Provide support to civil authorities
homeland.
 Conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster responseCounter Weapons of Mass Destruction. Nuclear, chemical, and biological agents pose
uniquely destructive threats. They can empower a small group of actors with terrible destructive
potential. Thus combatting WMD as far from our homeland as possible is a key mission for the

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U.S. military. Toward that end, we team with multinational and U.S. interagency partners tolocate, track, interdict, and secure or destroy WMD, its components, and the means andfacilities needed to make it, wherever possible.
Deny an Adversary’s Objectives. Denying an adversary’s goals or imposing
unacceptable costs is central to achieving our objectives. This puts emphasis on maintaining
highly-ready, forward-deployed forces, well trained and equipped surge forces at home, robusttransportation infrastructure and assets, and reliable and resilient communications links withallies and partners. These capabilities provide the means to curtail crises before they canescalate.
Respond to Crisis and Conduct Limited Contingency Operations. Another form of
power projection is teaming with partners to conduct limited contingency operations. Such
operations may involve flowing additional U.S. forces and capabilities to a given region tostrengthen deterrence, prevent escalation, and reassure allies. Additionally, the U.S. militarysustains ready forces around the world to defend our citizens and protect diplomatic facilities.
Conduct Military Engagement and Security Cooperation. The U.S. military strengthens
regional stability by conducting security cooperation activities with foreign defense
establishments. Such activities support mutual security interests, develop partner capabilities
for self-defense, and prepare for multinational operations. Strengthening partners isfundamental to our security, building strategic depth for our national defense.
Conduct Stability and Counterinsurgency Operations. The U.S. military also remains
ready to conduct limited stability operations when required, working with interagency,
coalition, and host-nation forces. Such efforts emphasize unique elements of our forces: civilmilitary affairs teams, building partner capacity, information support teams, and cultural
outreach programs.
Provide Support to Civil Authorities. When man-made or natural disasters impact theUnited States, our military community offers support to civil authorities in concert with other
U.S. agencies. As part of that effort, we integrate military and civil capabilities through
FEMA’s National Planning System and National Exercise Program. During domestic events,
U.S. military forces — including National Guard and Reserve units — provide trained
personnel, communications capabilities, lift, and logistical and planning support. They work
alongside civilian first-responders to mitigate the impact of such incidents and keep our citizens
safe.

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Conduct Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response. Over the years, U.S.
Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen have quickly and effectively
delivered life-sustaining aid to desperate people all around the world. Such efforts sometimes
last only a few weeks. At other times, they last much longer. In all cases, taking action torelieve suffering reflects our professional ethos and the values in which we believe.
E. Resourcing the Strategy
We will not realize the goals of this 2015 National Military Strategy without sufficient
resources. Like those that came before it, this strategy assumes a commitment to projecting
global influence, supporting allies and partners, and maintaining the All-Volunteer Force. To
execute this strategy, the U.S. military requires a sufficient level of investment in capacity,
capabilities, and readiness so that when our Nation calls, our military remains ready to deliver
success.
IV. Joint Force Initiatives
The U.S. Joint Force combines people, processes, and programs to execute globally
integrated operations and achieve our National Military Objectives. This requires innovative
leaders, optimized decision-making, and advanced military capabilities.
A. People and the Profession of Arms: Improving Upon Our Greatest Advantage
Our military and civilian professionals are our decisive advantage. They are thefoundation of our operational excellence and our ability to successfully innovate. Therefore,
we are dedicated to building creative, adaptive professionals skilled at leading organizationalchange while operating in complexity.
FOSTERING INNOVATION
To accomplish this, we are evolving
Producing creative, adaptive leaders
our organizational culture and
Adopting efficient, dynamic processes
strengthening our leadership.

Developing flexible, interoperable capabilities
As we look to future challenges, the U.S. military will remain ready to meet
unanticipated demands. We must prepare our Service members to fight under conditions ofcomplexity and persistent danger, conditions that demand courage, toughness, adaptability, andendurance as well as an abiding commitment to our Nation’s values and professional military
ethic.
We are prioritizing leader development. To retain our warfighting edge, we arestressing innovative leader development across the All-Volunteer Force — officer, enlisted,13

and civilian — through a combination of training, education, broad experience, and opportunity.
These elements build the expertise that is the wellspring of innovation. Toward that end, ourtraining increasingly blends physical and virtual experiences to simulate contested
environments and operations in denied or degraded conditions. Our military education system
also is updating how it selects and incentivizes faculty, rewards critical thought, and promotes
our most innovative minds. Continuous, demanding education inspires new ideas and identifies
better ways to accomplish our missions.
In developing the Joint leaders of tomorrow, we emphasize six attributes. Our leaders
will:







Strive to understand the environment in which they operate and the effect of applying all
instruments of national power
Anticipate and adapt to surprise, uncertainty, and chaosWork to recognize change and lead transitions
Operate on intent through trust, empowerment, and understanding
Make ethical decisions based on the shared values of the Profession of Arms
Think critically and strategically in applying joint warfighting principles and concepts tojoint operations

We are adapting our organizational culture. To enhance our warfighting capability,
we must attract, develop, and retain the right people at every echelon. Central to this effort isunderstanding how society is changing. Today’s youth grow up in a thoroughly connectedenvironment. They are comfortable using technology and interactive social structures to solve
problems. These young men and women are tomorrow’s leaders and we need their service.
Therefore, the U.S. military must be willing to embrace social and cultural change to better
identify, cultivate, and reward such talent.
To do so, we are exploring how our personnel policies and promotion practices must
evolve to leverage 21st century skills. We are seeking new ways to attract people with valuable
civilian sector experience. We also are experimenting with giving military personnel greater
access to civilian innovation practices through flexible career options. In this effort, theReserve Components provide a critical bridge to the civilian population, infusing the Joint
Force with unique skills and diverse perspectives. Also critical to building the best military
possible are our efforts to further integrate women across the force by providing them greater
opportunities for service.
We are promoting ethical leadership. Ethical leadership is central to protecting andstrengthening our military family. This requires cultivating a professional climate that14

reinforces our respect for core values, promotes accountability, and appreciates thecontributions of every member of our professional community. To help us meet these goals, weare moving forward with a campaign of trust that stresses mutual respect and emphasizes theimportance of a positive culture enhanced by quality programs for sexual assault prevention andresponse, suicide prevention, and high-risk behavior avoidance.
B. Processes: Capturing Innovation and Efficiencies
Agile, efficient, and focused processes are means to accomplish our strategic objectives.
Such processes include promoting greater interoperability with joint, interagency, andinternational partners while encouraging action through decentralized execution.
We are conducting resource-informed planning. For nearly a generation, we haveconsumed readiness as quickly as we have generated it. As a result, our long-term readiness has
declined. Therefore, we are taking action to better balance achieving our operational goals withsustaining ready surge forces at home. We are revising operational plans to be more flexible,
creative, and integrated across Combatant Commands. We also are providing the Services withtime to reset, modernize, and replace vital equipment. Our goal is to strengthen deterrence
while ensuring the long-term viability of our full-spectrum power projection capacity.
Additionally, we are more fully coordinating requirements, plans, and operational execution athome and abroad to maximize collective capabilities against common concerns. And we areusing tailored forces that deploy for limited timeframes to execute specific missions,recognizing that “campaign persistence” is necessary against determined adversaries.
We are improving our global agility. The ability to quickly aggregate and disaggregate
forces anywhere in the world is the essence of global agility. We are striving to increase ouragility by improving campaign planning, sustaining a resilient global posture, and implementing
dynamic force management processes that adjust presence in anticipation of events, to better
seize opportunities, deter adversaries, and assure allies and partners. We also are more fully
sharing forces among Combatant Commands to address transregional threats. We arepositioning forces where they are most needed, exemplified by our rebalance to the Asia-Pacificregion as well as our evolving presence in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa.
We also are updating international agreements to assure access and provide legal protection forour people. Such agreements allow us to strengthen the relationships that are the foundation oftrust.
We are demanding greater effectiveness and efficiencies. In a resource-constrained
environment, we are striving to be careful stewards of our resources. Programmatic disciplineby the Services has never been more important, as it is vital to generating economic

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efficiencies. We are working to sustain our industrial base while seeking savings through the
Department of Defense’s Better Buying Power 3.0 initiative. We are selectively using
contractor support when it best serves the mission. We also are reducing staffs, streamlining
functions, eliminating redundancies, and producing more integrated and effective organizations.
C. Programs: Sustaining Our Quality Edge
Effective programs enable our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast
Guardsmen to fight and win. Delivering next-generation programs on schedule and within costis vital, as our current systems increasingly are being challenged by adversary capabilities. To
win against the diverse range of state and non-state threats confronting us, we must think
innovatively, challenge assumptions, and embrace change.
We are improving joint interoperability. We are in the process of defining the next setof interoperability standards for future capabilities. In view of the anti-access/area denial(A2/AD) challenges we increasingly face, our future force will have to operate in contested
environments. Key to assuring such access will be deploying secure, interoperable systems
between Services, allies, interagency, and commercial partners. Priority efforts in that regard
are establishing a Joint Information Environment (JIE), advancing globally integrated logistics,
and building an integrated Joint ISR Enterprise. The results of these initiatives — particularly
the enhanced connectivity and cybersecurity provided by the JIE — will provide the foundation
for future interoperability.
We are investing to enhance decisive advantages. Future capabilities must sustain ourability to defend the homeland and project military power globally. Important investments tocounter A2/AD, space, cyber, and hybrid threats include: space and terrestrial-based
indications and warning systems, integrated and resilient ISR platforms, strategic lift, longrange precision strike weapons, missile defense technologies, undersea systems, remotely
operated vehicles and technologies, special operations forces, and the Cyber Mission Force,among others. We also are improving our global sustainment capabilities and upgrading ourcommand and control infrastructure to better support widely dispersed operations. We aremodernizing our nuclear enterprise and working to protect our Nation against asymmetricthreats.
To improve institutional agility, we are expanding relations with American businesses,
including many of the most innovative companies in the world, to learn their best practices.
Further, we are aligning our programmatic efforts to take advantage of insights gleaned fromthe Defense Innovation Initiative, which is aimed at identifying potential strategic andoperational advantages through wargaming, concept development, and a wide array oftechnology investments.

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As we develop new capabilities to counter threats along the continuum of conflict, we
also must procure sufficient capacity and readiness to sustain our global responsibilities. This
may include evolving traditional platforms. Or it may require developing entirely new systems
that are affordable and flexible. In all cases, our programs must allow us to quickly adapt, tocounter adversaries employing unexpected techniques or weapons.
V. Conclusion
This 2015 National Military Strategy provides an overview of our strategic challenges
and details how we will employ the Joint Force to keep our Nation, allies, and partners safe.
It is a strategy that recognizes the increasing complexity of the global environment,
driven by rapid and profound change. It also acknowledges our significant advantages, ourcommitment to international norms, the importance of our allies and partners, and the powerful
allure of freedom and human dignity.
When placed in balance against the challenges before us, these strengths will serve us
well and help us achieve a more secure future.

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