Imperial Parallels

In May of 2012, with budget and manpower cuts looming, General Ray Odierno announced his vision and strategy for the future Army. He highlighted a more capable, adaptable, and responsive force that would remain industriously engaged in a regionally aligned concept. The Regionally Aligned Force (RAF) Strategy provides each combatant commander with the ability to shape their environment through perpetually dedicated units that are culturally and geographically oriented. It intimates an army with an expanded global presence that is used to shape foreign nations for the benefit of national interests. In this light the strategy conveys a similar connotation to that of imperialism throughout history. This study seeks to answer if the RAF Strategy represents a modern version of imperialism, and therefore, if any historical lessons bear relevance to its execution in the modern information age. It focuses on the vanguard execution of the regionally aligned concept by the Second Armored Brigade Combat Team, First Infantry Division in Africa and the Chinese employment of Dependency Theory in Africa, to assess the applicability of these historical lessons and evaluate the efficacy of the strategy.