[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Operation JUST CAUSE, the invasion of Panama in 1989, was launched to apprehend and bring to justice Manuel Noriega, and return a democratic government to Panama. This was the first significant large-scale post-Vietnam operation for the United States military, and the first combat test of the Goldwater-Nichols Act, enacted in 1986 to fix shortfalls with inter-service cooperation and integration. Although a successful operation, Operation JUST CAUSE was plagued by problems with organization, planning, and execution. This article will describe the operation, highlight problems and draw conclusions about the success of inter-service cooperation.
