Robert McNamara Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Robert McNamara - Essay Example2 The electric chair relied on him very much for advises ranging from the issues of national security to business matters. In 1961, he initiated a design to increase the warfare capability of the US forces, after reviewing the major challenges that were facing the forces. Out of this review, he created ii institutions in the defense forces, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Defense Supply Agency. 3 These institutions were created to enhance the durability on the defense forces to counter the effects of communism. Since the communist wars avoided direct military confrontations and resulted to ambush and guerrilla warfare, the institutions were meant to place and equip the military personnel as well as the US allies on the simulated military operation to counter the communist wars. One such ally was he South Vietnam. The lessons to learn from Robert McNamara on wars scum bag be traced back to the Cuban missile crisis.4 He played a major powe r luck in the administration and eventual calming of the Cuban crisis. Instead of a counter reaction, which would entail a missile strike, Robert McNamara opted for the blockade option. This was eventually agreed upon as the best method to address the crisis by the past Joint Chief of Staff, through his influence. During his kick upstairs in office, he served to strengthen the forces, through the expansion of the perpetual armed forces, as well as calling on the reserves to join active duty. 10His was promote of preparation for war, committing billions of dollars to the military department spending, overseeing the inceptions of millions of nuclear weapons and orchestrating sales of arms in foreign countries. 6 His role in the war dates back to the increase of war advisers in the war of Vietnam, from the 900 that was already there to a tune of 16,000. These advisers in the war of Vietnam were not supposed to look at in active combat, but sort of meant to offer training to the army of Vietnam.13 Initially, the US did not play a military role in the Vietnam War. It offered financial and military advise to South Vietnam army in order to resist the re-union that was being desire by the communist North. Active US military combat in the war of Vietnam came into being during the tenure of Robert McNamara as the secretary of defense. He played a greater role in escalating the US battle in this war. Most notable, is his role in calling upon the congress and the public to support US active combat involvement in the Vietnam war, after some false information that the North Vietnam army had attacked cardinal US destroyers in August 1964.2 Through the advice of Robert McNamara, the president ordered a retaliatory attack on the North Vietnam army bases. This was the first of McNamaras involvement in fuelling active war. The lesson learnt from this, owing to the fact that he reacted to false information that the North Vietnamese had attacked the US forces, is that h is judgment was not right. A second misidentify done by Robert McNamara in his war endeavors is the support of the US attack of the South Vietnamese in 1965, after a consideration that together with their Northern allies, they were increasing their military activity.1 The US entered into combat in South Vietnam bombing it in a more devastating manner and started bombing North Vietnam. 10 This is yet another failure by Robert McNamara, since he engaged in the encouragement of the troops to engage in acti