Policemen of the World - Paper Example

The US military earned the title "Policemen of the World" from hundreds of instances both locally and abroad in which the United States has used its Army Forces abroad in situations such as potential conflicts, military conflicts or for other than normal peacetime purposes. Mostly the Army is deployed on instances associated with NATO or United Nation. The US has declared war against foreign nations closely to eleven times in its history.

The U.S. war declaration which sums up to eleven includes five separate wars: Against Great Britain in 1812. Mexico declared in 1846. Spain, in 1898. Germany, in First World War. Austria Hungary in 1917. Japan, Germany, and Italy in 1941 during World War II, Rumania and Hungary in 1942.

Some of the instances were extended military engagements which might have been identified as undeclared. Against France from 1798 to 1800; Barbary from 1801 to 1805. Barbary war of 1815. Korean War of 1950-1953; the Vietnam War of 1964 to 1973; Persian Gulf War of 1991. Actions against terrorists globally after September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States; and the war with Iraq in 2003. These conflicts received authorization from Congress except for the Korean War, in some form short of a formal declaration of war.

Other instances involved deployment of U.S. military as a part of a multinational operation in conjunction with NATO or the UN. Major operations before the World War II are brief Marine Corps or Navy actions to protect U.S. citizens or promote the interest of the citizens.

Some of the engagements after World War II include: - In 1945 50,000 US Marines sent to assist in disarming the Japanese in China. 1954-1955 In China Naval Unit evacuated U.S. civilians and military personnel from Tachen Island. In 1964 four transport planes were sent in Congo to airlift Congolese troops during a rebellion. In 1985 U.S Navy pilot intercepted an Egyptian Airline carrying hijackers of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro. In 1995 issued a deployment operation in Somalia to assist in the withdrawal of U.N forces assigned there to the United Nations in Somalia. In 2012 the president submitted a report to the Congress sending a special forces report of a successful operation to rescue Ms.Jessica Buchanan US citizen kidnapped by Somali pirates and Financiers. In 2013 deployment of a major unit for rotation of forces operating in Afghanistan.

Most of the engagements were against bandits or Pirates. The operations vary regarding significance, legal authorization and the size of the operation. Troops ranged from few sailors to marines landing to protect U.S. citizens, thousands in Vietnam and Korea and millions in World War II. Some actions were of short duration, and some lasted some years. Military officers acted without authorization; others were carried out under the orders' of the President as the Commander in Chief while the Congress authorized others. In 2015 Liberia and Senegal, West Africa. U.S. military personnel provided logistical support and training for health care workers, testing medical samples, and constructing treatment units Korea to fight against the spread of Ebola.

On August 5, 2016, the Department of the Army announced the deployment of 2nd Brigade Combat Team stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, with approximately 400 soldiers to Iraq this summer in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.  (Torreon, 2016)Factors that fueled international policy decisions involving the international incidents outlined previously includes: - The Panama canal treaty was done to gain commercial interests and to protect the trading companies in the US. To obtain control of Libya and also to increase their power on the natural resources of Libya. The Somalian government became a dictatorship, and the use US intervention was to improve the civilian life and decrease tensions and illegal drug trade. The Korean conflict was to fight off Russian from the Korean lands and to gain their control on the Southern Korean lands and to free North Korea from the Russian military. The US interfered in Lebanon to lower the political and also the religious tensions in the country.  (Schultz)The United States gained its position as a superpower due to the development and the use of nuclear power. The Research and development of atomic bomb begun after the World War II. In 1945 it was first tested in New Mexico which was a success. It was tested in Hiroshima and Nagasaki which was again a success. The atomic bomb was dropped not only to end the war with the Japanese, but to show the world how powerful the United States was in its government, its technology, its military, and its people. Since it was the first bomb ever, there were a lot of eagerness that led to testing it. These factors are the reasons behind the United States dropping the atomic bomb on Japan and began the nuclear age.

The Marine Corps and the Navy has played a major role in protecting the U.S. citizens against any form of harassment from bandits or pirates attacks. They have extended their operations internationally and across all over the world. They association with NATO and UN in multinational operations has proved their will in participation of restoring peace to warring parties and securing the lives of innocent citizens across the globe. The U.S. military has gained its position as the Policemen of the world because of all its Military deployment across the globe either for relief, airlifting or even restoring peace in warring parties across the globe. U.S. has new technology, stable government and enough resources that has seen them get crowned as the World Super Power.  (Elsea)

References

Elsea, J. K. (n.d.). Declaration of War and authorisations for use of Military Forces.

Schultz, K. M. (n.d.). HIST: Volume 2 U.S. history since 1865 (3rd Ed.). Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Torreon, B. S. (2016). Instances of Use of United States Abroad 1798-2016. Congressional Research Service.