Intervention as a Challenge for the Military
In light of the kind of armed interventions concomitant with post-Cold War conflicts, a call is made for a redefinition of the individual soldier & the character, role, & structure of the armed forces. The present contradictory image of the soldier, particularly as involved in peacekeeping missions, is articulated. It is argued that certain archetypal warrior characteristics might sustain while the soldier shifts toward assuming a position as an element of law & order. Thus, the future soldier's motivation is deemed important as it derives from his dual commitment to participate in the defense of basic values & to act on behalf of new regional or global security structures that foster security, peaceful development, & prosperity. Noting the advances in military technology that have automated the battlefield, it is asserted that a trend toward tallying how many people were protected or rescued will be the measure of victory alongside the number of kills & amount of territory taken. In this, the emergence of the guardian soldier (as opposed to some kind of battlefield technician) is seen. Further, this changing role at the soldier level is viewed as part of a paradigmatic shift in the global security environment, wherein the adversarial approach to security is being superceded by cooperation & accompanied by a strategic shift that has implications for the armed forces. In this light, seven new guiding principles are delineated. To engage in humanitarian intervention & low-intensity conflicts, armed forces will have to eschew classical war fighting for untraditional forms of combat; the new guardian soldier can accomplish this. J. Zendejas
