21st Century Roles and Missions

Provisions of the Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act amend Title 10 of the US Code, mandating the Department of Defense (DoD) perform a review of the Services' roles and missions every four years, with the first review in 2008 and subsequent reviews occurring in 2011 and every four years thereafter. Additionally, it requires that the roles and missions of the DoD be organized into core mission areas and that each Service identify its core competencies and core capabilities that directly contribute to these core mission areas. More importantly, each service must demonstrate how its core capabilities and core competencies contribute to a core mission area of the DoD because the legislation mandates that the requirements, acquisition, and budgeting process will follow this organizational construct.