The Battle Within DoD and Interagency Coordination for Regional Conflicts: AFRICOM and the Interagency Management System as Models

With the recent war in Afghanistan and Iraq, one common theme heard throughout the military was there was no hand off between the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of State (DOS), which led to slow stabilization of these two countries and embroiled the United States in a long, protracted war. With this dilemma in mind, this research paper will attempt to answer the question: "What can the Department of Defense and other US agencies do to achieve synergy for future conflicts?" This paper analyzes the newly created U.S. Africa Command and its goals of creating a new organization where the DOD and other interagency organizations are melded into the same organization and will work together to exploit all of the capabilities each organization possesses. Additionally, this paper examines the Department of State sponsored Interagency Management System initiative and this efforts to also coordinate interagency efforts and provide a single U.S. government approach to reconstruction and stabilization operations. Finally, each organization's strengths and weaknesses are compared and contrasted and provides recommendations that meld the strengths of both into one, National Security Council owned organization with an interagency focused mission.