As operations in Afghanistan and Iraq demonstrate, America's adversaries are capable of manipulating domestic and international media with lies, distortion and propaganda disseminated via the internet or media outlets. The U.S. military's inability...
Over the past ten years, addressing what Strategic Communications is has been a challenge for the military community. It is at times referred to as a process, referred to in the context of the strategic level of war, and referred to in the context...
The maneuver warfare theory became the basis for Marine Corps doctrine in 1989. The maneuver theory represents a fundamental change in the way the Marine Corps plans to fight future wars. From the balanced combined arms force prior to 1989, this...
One of the ethical problems facing the United States Army today is the inflation of NCOERs. Leaders at all levels are not truthful and honest with their Soldiers when it comes to their performance evaluation. Some leaders operate under the false...
Strong public affairs activities and operational support promote a greater understanding of the Army and its contribution to the nation, relevant in obtaining international legitimacy and support. The problem is that current Army Public Affairs...
Propaganda and disinformation characterized indispensable components of nineteenth and twentieth century warfare. Examples such as Leni Riefenstahl's “Triumph of the Will” or Frank Capra’s “Why We Fight” series made no attempt to honestly...
The application of the maneuver warfare theory as tactical doctrine within the U.S. Marine Corps has been a contentious issue for several years. The Marines adopted this theory for its tactical doctrine in 1988. The purpose of this monograph is to...
Information and the ability to wield it is a key aspect of national security. Two years after the United States Information Agency (USIA) was terminated and merged into the State Department, the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 reminded the US...
War, diplomacy and economic sanctions are three cornerstones of strategy that have, in the past, successfully coerced rogue regimes to capitulate. However, it may be time to look beyond these persuasion techniques and develop a new method that can...
Colombia's future hangs in the balance with dire implications for Latin America and U.S. national interests. After almost forty-five years of existential conflict, Colombia has the opportunity to be a peaceful and stable country, which is essential...
There are many critics who have concluded that the US Government has not successfully conducted communication with its public during the current, persistent conflict, but perhaps one of the earliest was Ted Koppel. In 2001, responding to a question...
As with a local insurgency, the Global War on Terror requires the US and her allies to win the support of neutral, wavering and hostile audiences in addition to defeating an enemy. At the tactical and operational levels of war, those audiences...
Social media has become an additional element within the operational environment within which nearly anyone with an Internet connection can participate. The speed at which participants can add content, truthful or not, to that battle space has...
In an effort to explain how the military can better engage the media, this paper provides insights to the question, “How can the U.S. military proactively engage the domestic media in the planning and execution of military operations?” By...
All ethical decisions made by our military leaders should be based on the Army values, the NCO Creed, the Soldier’s Creed, and the Warrior Ethos. However, in many cases it appears that senior leadership is being told what they want to hear and...
In general, conscientious objection is not, in and of itself, a violation of honesty, integrity, or ethics. Even in the case of an enlisted service member, conscientious objection is a valid ethical basis for refusing continued service that...
The United States Army instituted the Noncommissioned Officer Evaluation Report (NCOER) in October 1958 to strengthen the NCO Corps, improve NCO performance, ensure selection of the best qualified for assignment and promotions, and to facilitate...
Strategic communication policy directly affects U.S. national interests. The United States is doing a poor job of promoting its messages around the world. Global opinion polls have shown a sharp drop in support for the United States over the past...
This thesis determines whether the Army is adequately preparing its tactical leaders and soldiers in a brigade combat team (BCT) to conduct information operations (IO) in the contemporary operational environment (COE). First, an explanation of IO...
The intent behind this paper was to develop a set of key principles that would support both planners and operators in the conduct of counterinsurgency operations. This set of principles would also be morally acceptable on an international level,...