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| Joint Strategic Guidance | |
|---|---|
| Name | Joint Strategic Guidance |
| Type | Strategic guidance document |
| Issued by | United States Secretary of Defense |
| First issued | 2010 |
| Purpose | Strategic direction for United States Department of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff |
Joint Strategic Guidance
The Joint Strategic Guidance is a senior-level strategic direction document used to align United States Department of Defense priorities with national policy set by the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council. It frames requirements for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Combatant Command headquarters such as United States Central Command, and services including the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps. The guidance interacts with theaters and agencies like the Defense Intelligence Agency, United States Cyber Command, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
The document sits alongside instruments such as the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Nuclear Posture Review to translate presidential objectives into force planning and capability development for organizations including the Joint Staff, U.S. Strategic Command, and U.S. Northern Command. It informs programmatic processes like the Programming, Planning, Budgeting, and Execution cycle and complements doctrinal issuances such as the Joint Publication 1 series and guidance from the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Joint Strategic Guidance sets priorities for readiness, force posture, and modernization across components like the Marine Expeditionary Force, Carrier Strike Group, and airborne units within the Air Mobility Command. It addresses operations in theaters exemplified by Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and contingency plans for regions covered by United States Indo-Pacific Command and United States Africa Command. The scope extends to capabilities involving partners such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, security cooperation with allies like Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom, and resilience measures coordinated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Drafting typically involves coordination among the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, service chiefs such as the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Chief of Naval Operations, and combatant commanders like the leader of United States European Command. Interagency inputs come from actors including the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, and intelligence community members like the Central Intelligence Agency. Approval follows review cycles incorporating oversight from Congressional committees such as the House Armed Services Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee and aligns with statutory authorities in acts like the Goldwater-Nichols Act.
Typical components include strategic end states, priority lines of effort, resource allocation guidance, and risk assessments referencing capabilities such as ballistic missile defense and advanced platforms like the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the F-35 Lightning II, and the Virginia-class submarine. Directives address force posture adjustments, readiness metrics for formations such as Forward Operating Base contingents, and investment priorities including space assets managed by United States Space Force and cyber defenses overseen by United States Cyber Command.
Implementation assigns tasks to entities including the Joint Force Development Directorate (J7), the Service Secretaries, and combatant commands, and synchronizes with acquisition bodies like the Defense Acquisition University and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. Coordination mechanisms leverage frameworks involving the National Security Council, multilateral institutions such as the United Nations Security Council, and bilateral arrangements like the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty and the Mutual Defense Treaty (Philippines). Execution is measured through exercises such as RIMPAC, Red Flag, and multinational efforts including Operation Atlantic Resolve.
The concept evolved after reforms tied to the Goldwater-Nichols Act and post-Cold War strategy shifts following events like the Gulf War and the September 11 attacks. Notable iterations were issued in response to the Iraq War, the pivot to the Asia-Pacific rebalance under the Obama administration, and adaptations during the Trump administration and Biden administration to address peer competition with states such as China and Russia. Each version reflected changing emphases on counterinsurgency after Battle of Fallujah, great-power competition after the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, and technological change highlighted by programs like the Next Generation Air Dominance initiative.
Critiques have focused on perceived gaps between strategic guidance and budgetary realities debated in hearings before the Congressional Budget Office and the House Committee on Appropriations. Analysts from think tanks including the RAND Corporation, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Brookings Institution have highlighted tensions between ambitious directives and acquisition timelines affected by scandals such as the F-35 program cost overruns. Others cite challenges coordinating with allies at forums like the NATO Summit and legal debates involving authorities from statutes like the War Powers Resolution.
Category:United States defense policy