With the approval of UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973, authorizing states to protect Libyan civilians from the regime and otherwise ensure the public welfare, U.S. Africa Command stood up Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn. In coordination with coalition forces, the command successfully carried out its first major contingency operation. A variety of factors are discussed that either retarded or advanced the mission. A major contributor was the joint experience, training, and education of the joint task force headquarters staff as well as longstanding relationships formed during previous joint and combined assignments. The result was that despite the operation’s complexity, the coalition went “from nothing to kinetic strike operations in three weeks” and controlled the pace of events for many weeks to follow.

The Joint Enabling Capabilities Command (JECC) has assisted with all major military operations since 9/11. As part of its successful history, in the midst of the frantic pace that has included contingency missions in Afghanistan and Iraq and disaster relief in Haiti and Pakistan, the Secretary of Defense announced assignment of the command to U.S. Transportation Command, where the same vision will underpin its global responsibilities: providing short-notice scalable, employable, and deployable capabilities to joint force commanders. JECC recruits skilled Active and Reserve personnel to increase the arsenal of talent that it can offer to commanders, enabling rapid and effective global response by employing the whole range of capabilities to the full spectrum of military operations.

The Commandant describes accomplishments of the U.S. Marine Corps under his leadership and calls the Service “America’s expeditionary crisis response force.” Also, progress in Afghanistan has been substantial, but there remains the danger of reversal. His optimism is tempered by the further caution that the Afghan system is tribal and will not mirror the American model. The Marines stay ready to deploy without the tiered approach of other Services—an expeditionary force in constant readiness. Amos believes the variety of engagements and economies in recent months are proof that the Corps can do anything. This befits the vision of the Marine Corps as a middleweight force that can arrive quickly and prevail in an age of fourth-generation warfare despite constricted resources.