The man generally known as the architect of what’s termed “effects based operations,” Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula, set the tone for representatives from all combatant commands at a US Pacific Command-sponsored EBO workshop. (Read Deptula’s 2001 article in Air Force Magazine.) Deptula, who is commander of the Kenney warfighting center at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, told attendees that EBO is “not a process” and it shouldn’t be turned into “a tactic, technique, or procedure.” And, he maintains it is “not service specific.” Deptula describes EBO as a “methodology or a way of thinking” that “needs to supplement tried-and-true practices of military force application.” That methodology would include all options—from diplomatic to military—to achieve strategic objectives.
U.S. Northern Command plans to sign an agreement with its European and Pacific counterparts to enhance coordination and close security seams in the Arctic, a strategically vital region that spans all three commands. The agreement comes at an important moment in NORTHCOM's evolution, as its mission grows more complex.
