Defense Reorganization Act

Also known as the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986, a law that authorized the most significant changes within the Defense Department since the National Security Act of 1947. Sponsored by Arizona senator Barry Goldwater and Representative Bill Nichols of Alabama, the act streamlined the military's operational chain of command from the president to the secretary of defense to the unified commanders. The act passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 383 to 27 and the Senate by a vote of 95 to 0. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law on October 1, 1986, noting, “It is a milestone in the long evolution of defense organization since our national security establishment was created in 1947.”

The Defense Reorganization Act came about after interservice rivalry in the 1970s and 1980s caused [Page 190]major problems, including a lack of communication among the Army, Navy, and Air Force during U.S. military operations. These problems emerged in full force during the Vietnam War, contributed to the failure of the 1980 Iranian hostage rescue mission, and continued during the 1983 invasion of Grenada in the Caribbean.

Under the provisions of the Goldwater-Nichols Act, operational authority of the military was centralized in the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, rather than divided among the chiefs of each branch of service. The chair was designated as the principal military adviser to the president, the National Security Council, and the secretary of defense. The act also established the position of vice chair of the Joint Chiefs. The Goldwater-Nichols Act simplified the chain of command, increased the ability of the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to direct overall military strategy, and provided far greater power to “Unified and Specified” field commanders.

The first successful test of the Defense Reorganization Act was the 1991 Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm), where it functioned exactly as planned. The provisions of the act allowed U.S. commander general Norman Schwarzkopf full control over the Army, Air Force, and Navy without having to negotiate with the commanders of the individual services.

Implementation of the Goldwater-Nichols Act is ongoing. Two programs within the Department of Defense—Joint Vision 2010 and Joint Vision 2020—detail the necessary steps to fully achieve the integration of the nation's military. These two programs emphasize the need to be fully joined—intellectually, operationally, organizationally, doctrinally, and technically—to be effective. The joint force stipulated under the act must be flexible and responsive, and will remain the key to success of future military operations.