This monograph explains why doctrine should lead technology in developing and sustaining a durable American way of war. It describes and examines the dynamic relationship between doctrine and technological change and its basis in theory and fact....
The United States is now in the eighth year of the Global War on Terror (GWOT). For America, the war began with the surprise attacks against targets in Washington D.C. and New York City on September 11, 2001. For al Qaeda, the war began centuries...
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...
Does following the rule of law assist security forces in defeating an armed insurgency? If so, what factors assist or prevent security forces from conducting operations in accordance with rule of law principles? Counterinsurgency literature and...
Military practitioners are often asked to make plans that could have enormous strategic effects without having a good understanding of their operational environment. It is exactly this relationship between the plan, the environment, and the end...
This monograph discusses logistics in contingency operations. Specifically it explores an expanded role for USTRANSCOM in CONUS-based force deployment operations. The paper looks at logistics as an important and often overlooked tool for conducting...
The defense and intelligence community initiatives to create persistent surveillance capabilities and enable access to the resultant continuous data streams will create significant change in the joint force and partners operating across the domains...
This paper explores the capacity of an airborne division to inflict operational shock in mid to high-intensity conflict as part of a Joint Task force (JTF). The United States faces a multi-faceted and complex security environment in its new role as...
There is a healthy debate about hybrid warfare in American military journals and publications. Much of this discussion describes hybrid threats as a nascent phenomenon, citing the Israeli Defense Force's 2006 struggle against Hezbollah militants in...
Enable from overwatch: MNF-Iraq. General Raymond T. Odierno, U.S. Army; The MNF-Iraq commander's operating guidance emphasizes "how we think," "how we operate," and "who we are."
The strategy of protracted people's war: Uganda. Yoweri...
This study analyzes the theories of Pragmatic Communications, Cybernetics, and Perturbation under the framework of the Pragmatic Complexity Model to illustrate how two Presidential administrations beginning in the 20th and 21st centuries used 'new...
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, a national debate emerged regarding the ability of the federal government to coordinate the actions of multiple departments and agencies. Obstacles to effective interagency cooperation include cultural differences,...
There are a variety of military decision-making frameworks that provide useful sequences to problem-solving. However, planning groups rarely engineer creative answers by simply following the checklist steps of frameworks such as the Army’s...
This study examines the potential for improving success in Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW) by assigning proponency (doctrine, training, institutional expertise) for MOOTW to the United States Special Operations Command. The thesis uses...
The premise of this monograph is that the Elements of Operational Design are incapable of linking the tactical employment of forces to strategic objectives and that Systemic Operational Design is a viable alternative. This monograph introduces the...
The fast tempo decisive combat operations has been called the "New American Way of War." This is in contrast to the traditional "American Way of War" which emphasized using massive amounts of firepower in a "grinding strategy of attritions" like...
The problem facing practitioners of emerging Army doctrine is how to expand the use of assessments beyond detailed planning to support conceptual planning during design. This raises the question, will the use of assessments enable the commander to...
Systemic operational design: learning and adapting in complex missions. Brigadier General Huba Wass de Czege, U.S. Army, Retired; Complexity on the modern battlefield demands a new professional culture that embraces collaborative adaptation in...
Causal claims are unavoidable in military affairs. However, causal claims are also insufficient when attempting to understand and intervene in complex environments. Hence, notions of conventional causality must be supplemented with an understanding...
The June 1993 version of FM 100-5, Operations, introduced the concept of battle command into United States Army Doctrine. The battle command concept emphasizes the art of command' and implies that battle command drives the requirements for command...