This monograph examines the role of initiative in AirLand Battle doctrine as contained in the 1986 edition of Field Manual 100-5 Operations. It concludes that although the tenet of initiative is clearly defined as setting the terms of battle by...
This monograph reviews the functions, development, and measurement of military discipline in the US Army, and assesses these concepts against the current needs and limitations of the modern battlefield and society. By relying primarily on existing...
Turkish Culture had a profound influence on the conduct of its counter-insurgency campaign against the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK). The independent variables shaping Turkey’s response to the insurgency were a unique brand of nationalism,...
This study delved into the premise that the Department of Defense is the United States' most equal opportunity employer. The employment results of the United States Army was compared with the results of Major League Baseball using five imperatives:...
Despite the best-combined efforts of the world's five major powers (United States, Great Britain, France, Russia, and China), third world countries, rogue radical groups, and potential terrorist organizations continue their alarming proliferation...
From my foxhole, the mobilization of 3-116th Infantry, 29th Infantry Division (L) provides lessons learned that range from the epitome of success to missed opportunities. The transition from Citizen Soldier to temporary full time force creates...
While assigned as First Sergeant (1SG) of Headquarter and Headquarters Battery (HHB) 17 Field Artillery Brigade (FAB), we were in the final stages of our re-intrigration and regeneration training upon returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) I,...
An exhaustive review of over 200 academic and military sources indicates that decentralized authority and responsibility to competent subordinates improves the upward flow of communications within an organization, thereby contributing to...
This study examines how Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Potomac used tactical intelligence during the Overland Campaign. Although Grant did not achieve his operational objective to defeat General Robert E. Lee in the field,...
This paper will describe the significant events and experiences that shaped the Powell Doctrine and affected the manner in which General Colin Powell applied those principles during his tenure as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS)...
People in modern societies are generally becoming more risk aversive. Whether risk is perceived to include uncertainty or not, form two differing schools of thought within literature and doctrine. Risk aversion is viewed as a challenge in most...
In February 1991, the Allied Coalition forces led by the U.S. achieved a stunning victory over the Iraqi forces in the Persian Gulf War. Did the U.S. Military validate the Army's new Airland Battle doctrine with its emphasis on maneuver warfare...
The creation of USNORTHCOM in 2002 was a clear indication that the security environment in North America had undergone a radical transformation. Canada and the United States have a history of bi-national mutual defense arrangements spanning more...
The purpose of this monograph is to examine the concept of Commander’s Critical Information Requirements (CCIR) and determine if the doctrine is suitable for particularly complex operations like counter-insurgency operations (COIN). Commanders...
The Army is currently embarking on a major peacetime modernization program. As the drawdown comes to a close, the Army is about half its former size and is confronted with a far more complex strategic environment. Virtually any place the Army may...
This monograph seeks to determine under what conditions an operational commander might employ strategic airpower in his campaign design. This journey begins first by exploring the linkage between strategy, operations, and tactics. Next, U.S. Army...
This study examines the effects of democratizing Iraq in relation to the stability of the state. The international relations theory of the democratic peace states that democracies do not fight one another. Elements of the theory have been applied...
What happens when a technologically advanced nation provides advanced technology to a much less advanced nation's military? Numerous political and diplomatic considerations go into the decision to provide the technology, but once the decision is...
The present state of tension between the United States and Iran signifies a failure of current and past diplomatic approaches to influence Iran. Curiously, the Islamic Revolution and the Iranian elections over the last decade indicate that support...
Sun Tzu asserts that success is not winning every battle fought, but subduing the enemy's will without fighting. Nevertheless, modern military thought fails to distinguish an enemy's will-to-fight from their means to do so, limiting the ways...