What are the major points of the debate about the military of the future? How do the opinions of professional and civilian military authorities differ?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

An ideal response will:
1, Indicate that one question is how much emphasis should be given to information technologies in planning for and fighting future wars.
2, Discuss how a consequence of increased emphasis on technology means a reduction in the size of the military, which in turn means reliance on National Guard units.
3, Identify another question as involving the conditions under which military forces should be sent into combat, with those who subscribe to the Powell Doctrine calling for decisive use of the military only when there is clear public support and an exit strategy, and those who subscribe to the McNamara Doctrine holding that limited and graduated use of military force is permissible when needed, with or without public support.
4, Note that the professional military tends to favor the Powell Doctrine, while defense civilians are more likely to advocate positions based on the McNamara Doctrine.