PACIFIC PATHWAYS
Second, to increase the effective operational capability for units on a Pathways deployment, a tailored array of crisis response equipment and supplies should be part of the unit’s ship mani- fest. For example, during typhoon season, the Pathways ship might also contain humanitarian crisis response equipment and supplies—such as emergency shelter supplies, food, bottled water and medical kits—in addition to the equipment necessary for the specific military exercises the unit plans to conduct.
To strengthen the ability of any Pathways unit to engage in cri- sis response, the Army must also strengthen the expeditionary mission command packages, preferably at the division level, and routinely exercise them as part of a comprehensive emergency deployment readiness exercise. Tese command-and-control elements could be structured and trained to fly on short notice for rapid deployment on a minimal number of cargo airplanes. Linking this rapidly deployable command-and-control capabil- ity with a Pathways unit could dramatically improve U.S. ability to respond to typhoons, tsunamis, other humanitarian disasters and other crises in the vast Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
CONCLUSION Despite these benefits, skeptics have raised questions about the Pathways initiative. Some have claimed it infringes on already well-defined missions executed by the Navy and Marine Corps, the Washington Post reported (“Army’s ‘Pacific Pathways’ initia- tive sets up turf battle with Marines,” Dec. 29, 2013). Others maintain that the Pathways program may be a poor allocation of Army resources during a time of shrinking defense budgets. Still others argue there are more pressing demands for Army forces around the world, in light of emerging threats in Europe and the Middle East. Te harshest critics see these moves as part of a broader effort by the Army to protect its share of
SUPPORT PACKAGE Dockworkers at the port of Anchorage, Alaska, load military vehicles and equipment from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division (Arctic Wolves) onto the ship Black Eagle for shipment to Japan for the annual exercise Orient Shield in August 2015. Following the exercise, the Arctic Wolves continued on to the Korean Peninsula to participate in the 2nd Infantry Division’s combined warfighter exercise with the Republic of Korea’s Army. Participation in both exercises is part of the Pacific Pathways initiative, which aims to strengthen security cooperation and improve crisis response capabilities. (U.S. Army photo by John Pennell, U.S. Army Alaska)
As the United States continues to implement a policy of rebalancing in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, the Army is employing new ways and means to engage throughout this vast area.
the Pentagon budget, according to a recent post on National Defense magazine’s blog (“Future of the Army in Asia: Less War, More Diplomacy,” Jan. 26, 2014).
Far from competing with the Navy or Marine Corps, the Path- ways initiative in fact complements U.S. military engagement in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Te region is obviously vast, and many crises—whether man-made or natural disasters—can occur with little warning. By placing units on a multimonth-long Pathway, the Army contributes to effectively meeting regional objectives for military-to-military engagement while also provid- ing senior U.S. leaders with additional flexibility and options for responding to crises across the huge distances in the Pacific.
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Army AL&T Magazine April-June 2016
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