In the recent past foreign policy on security has become an important debate concerning the role played by the USA military regarding international military interventions or peacekeeping missions. Lots of conflicts which occurred in 1990s, for instance in Somalia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Cambodia, Kuwait and Haiti, engaged the United States armed forces and global communities in keeping the peace or enforcing the peace. Our involvement forced us to get into new, unusual tasks that traditionally were not component of its national defense and security directive. This paper will examine how prepared the USA military is in handling peacekeeping missions, the paper will define preparedness, examine two case studies, outline the role of the NCOs and highlight the current USA military preparedness to armed conflicts. (O'Hanlon, 2001).

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.