In 1991, two U.S. Army officers, Major George Steuber and Major James Faust, and a U.S. Marine, Major John Dill, were sent on a dual mission as liaison officers with the United Nations Advanced Mission to Cambodia and as part of the United Nations...
Over the past decade, the United States has focused its military energy on the conduct of Stability Operations. The U.S. Department of Defense raised Stability Operations to the same level of importance as Offensive and Defensive Operations in...
This monograph begins by reviewing the current strategic situation in Bosnia. President Clinton's security strategy, A National Security Strategy of Engagenient and Enlargement provides the means to analyze how the United States developed its...
Nearly everyone has seen the recruiting poster with Uncle Sam pointing directly at you and declaring “I Want You!” This broad patriotic appeal touches upon some very fundamental questions: Who serves in the military (i.e., everyone or only...
This study determines whether or not unconditional surrender leads to a more lasting peace. The answer is paradoxical-yes, unconditional surrender can achieve the desired effects; however, it is no longer a suitable policy in the twenty-first...
This paper outlines a few aspects of SGM Kenneth P. Wilkinson’s career experience. I have followed an unusual and unconventional path to the rank of Sergeant Major. I am a veteran of three different services with a mixture of enlisted and...
The Sunni tribal uprising against Al Qaeda in Iraq, known as the Anbar Awakening, was the decisive event in the counterinsurgency campaign in Iraq. To capitalize on discontent between the Sunni population and Al Qaeda, U.S. commanders on the ground...
This monograph focuses on the gap in operational command and control for unconventional warfare operations (UW), and the organizational elements required to mitigate this gap. In the 20th Century and beyond, the United States conducted UW in the...
The challenge modern strategists face concerns preparing for two disparate types of war. One war is conventional and employs forces in familiar ways. The other, more likely war is unconventional in that forces will fight behind enemy lines, relying...
During the spring of 2004, SFC Mike Herbes and Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 931 work with Afghan Security Forces in Kunar Province Afghanistan. His story tells of how the unit was selected, trained, and operated to counter Taliban...
Considering the history of unconventional warfare in the United States, and specifically, during the Civil War, it begs the question: Did the Confederacy’s strategy to engage in unconventional warfare significantly contribute to its conventional...
The emphasis on special operations and specifically unconventional warfare (UW) has grown significantly since the end of the Gulf War. The contemporary operational environment (COE) in which the U.S. military operates today is dictating this...
In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, policymakers and the American public demanded to know the causes that led to its nation's intelligence failures. The 9-11 Commission, along with the temporarily constituted Joint Intelligence...
The U.S. intervention in Cuba in 1906, commonly referred to as the Second Intervention, began on September 28, 1906 with the resignation of the Cuban president and his cabinet and ended on January 28, 1909 when the U.S. relinquished control of the...
The study begins with a general overview of the years following the Korean War through the Vietnam War. The overview examines the changing political landscapes, the events that helped to change doctrine, and the tactical changes that affected the...
For approximately the past ten years, the Army has been engaged in large-scale counterinsurgency campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. These campaigns have forced the Army to reevaluate how it approaches its role in advising host nation forces. This...
The problems in Afghanistan are not simple and there is no single solution. Indeed, the problems in Afghanistan are not limited to Afghanistan. Instead, the problems extend to all of Afghanistan's immediate neighbors as well as, among others, the...
The military is increasingly using and relying on the term "narrative" in its lexicon. United States strategic guidance documents generally implore commanders to "shape the narrative," doctrinal publications recommend commanders to "exploit a...
In complex operational environments marked by uncertainty, lethal threats, and long term commitments, the Army's junior officers shoulder a burden that requires critical thinking and a willingness to exercise initiative and make decisions. In light...
The author identifies a need to take a hard look at the analytical methods now used in the Army relating to force structuring, doctrine development, materiel development and tactical analysis. He shows that decisions in the above area depend upon...