Warriors Don't Do Windows? Who Says? Since When?

The end of the Cold War has provided the United States a respite from the focused geopolitical and military policy of "containment." Unfortunately, without the stability coerced by a bipolar world, the shutters have come off and the shades have gone up on the windows to a new world disorder. The world has a multipolar, interdependent, global economy, but the legacy of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, drug trafficking, religious and ethnic extremism generates increasing threats to that free-market, democratic ideal the American public wants for all countries. The current National Security Strategy is one of "engagement and enlargement" or preventive diplomacy. The National Military Strategy is one of "flexible and selective engagement" or preventive deterrence. Both of these strategies emphasize the use of military forces for considerable work other than fighting the nation's wars. Without having a peer competitor in the world, as far as military power is concerned, there is now immense pressure to use the military as the arbitrator, peacemaker and savior to the world. Why should the military be given the task of doing these "windows" or operations other than war (OOTW)?