This paper examines the effects of peace operations on the warfighting capability of U.S. Army combat forces. It focuses upon operations in the Sinai, Somalia, Haiti, Macedonia, and Bosnia, and relies upon survey data, unit status reports,...
'Operational IPB' describes U.S. Army doctrine for the precombat intelligence estimate process employed at the operational level of war. Its methodology is contained in an appendix to a tactical field manual, FM 34-130, Intelligence Preparation of...
As an enabler to the most dominant land force in the world, engineers allow maneuver forces to close with and destroy the enemy. The concept of assured mobility uses a framework to increase situational understanding and results in a greater freedom...
Changing doctrine to keep pace with the evolving world situation is imperative. The U.S. Army is updating its operational doctrine by rewriting FM 100-5 Operations. The authors of the new doctrine have attempted to balance necessary change and...
Counterinsurgency operations and studies on insurgency aims and methods dominate current military discussions and writings. As the military continues to embrace "full spectrum operations", discussions continue on the ability to link all elements of...
Detailed planning of complicated and multifaceted operations, often in crisis situations, is a way of life for the military. During crisis action planning, diverse staff elements must agree on a number of details for a successful plan to come...
Force Projection Reach: Leveraging Time and Distance. Brigadier General John M. Custer, U.S. Army Putting Knowledge Reachback into Practice. Scott W. Lackey, Ph.D., 2003 Winning War a World Away. Colonel Jerry Johnson, U.S. Army, and...
Global instability has grown substantially following the end of the Cold War. Changes in Army doctrine, incorporating concepts like OOTW and versatility, are a reaction to this increased global instability. The shift in doctrine is driving the need...
In 1996 Syria and Israel came close to ratifying a peace accord. Currently, however, negotiations are stalled, but a change of government in Israel could provide the impetus for them to recommence. A peacekeeping force is most likely to be deployed...
In the aftermath of the air campaign that began Operation Desert Storm, the US Air Force sought to measure US success in the military-technical and organizational innovation that occurred during the Gulf War and its impact on the future evolution...
In this interview, MAJ James Kievit, US Army, Civil Affairs; discusses his 13 month deployment to Afghanistan with the 3rd Brigade, 101st; the Rakkasans in 2010 through 2011 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). MAJ Kievit discusses his...
Most important of the changes affecting today's Army, probably, is the manner in which the Army conceptualizes the performance of its primary missions-protecting and defending the Constitution and fighting the nation's wars. Current institutional...
No one can predict the future but you must prepare for it. The standing joint task force (SJTF) headquarters concept in the 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) was an attempt to prepare for the future by establishing permanent SJTF headquarters...
Past and future mobilizations and deployments have placed an immense strain on the current capabilities of the Army's Civil Affairs forces. That has resulted in a recognized need for additional Civil Affair structure and capabilities in the Army's...
Several theoretical and doctrinal problems limit current US Army understanding of conflict, war and operational art. Those problems include confusion between conflict and war, ambiguity of theoretical terms such as "center of gravity" or...
The Army divides war into three levels -- strategy, operational art, and tactics. Each level involves different types of activities, but opinions vary on how to differentiate among them. The debate continues even though seven years have passed...
The end of the Cold War shifted the United States’ strategic focus from a clearly identified, monolithic national security threat to a less well-defined focus on international engagement. The resultant strategy was an attempt to maintain security...
The examination of land warfare within the conceptual framework of complex adaptive system (CAS) theory and fourth generation war (4GW) theory offers a unique perspective and provides valuable insight into optimal capabilities and characteristics...
The following collection of articles is focused on interagency operations as they relate to the U.S. Army and other joint forces. Current counterinsurgency (COIN) operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have underscored the importance of achieving unity...