Since the end of the Cold War, the United States government has increasingly deployed its Army forces in support of global stability and support operations. Based on the 2010 Department of Defense Review and the Department of Defense Directive...
The awareness and the background of how the U.S. military was prepared and some of
the issues that led to the historical battles of San- Juan Hill and El Caney Cuba, on July 1-2
1898, and the Kasserine Pass January 30 – February 22, 1943. It will...
Just as war is not a new phenomenon, neither are the issues associated with the mental and emotional scars combat brings to those who fight a nation's wars. Historically, the United States has assumed a reactive vice proactive posture as it relates...
When the Army transformed to a brigade centric force, ground forces gained the tactical capabilities and flexibility promised. What the Army lost was the role and purpose of the division. Administrative, training, and expeditionary task executed by...
United States Army history is rife with stories of being ill-prepared at the onset of hostilities dating back to the earliest days of the Continental Army. Arbitrary budget cuts by Congress have typically left the force with a hollow structure and...
Abstract: In the history of US combat there are a number of missions that have failed for various reasons. This piece seeks to draw comparisons between two battles that occurred decades apart, yet have more in common that merely colossal failure....
Obstacles when gathering actionable intelligence for counter-insurgency, military units should use a variety of methods in order to achieve mission success. Many techniques produce actionable intelligence, focusing on the strategic and operational...
The Army's Operational Concept emphasizes that Army forces must be prepared to conduct a combination of offensive, defensive, and stability or civil support operations to create opportunities and achieve desired results. The 2010 Quadrennial...
A.T. Mahan's 1890 book The Influence of Sea Power on History presented a theory of sea power that proclaimed the capital ship-centered battle fleet essential to any great maritime nation's long-term prosperity. Mahan also formulated a beguilingly...
THESIS: Individual acts of heroism in leading, mentoring, and training Soldiers have instilled confidence and courage, which have given American forces superiority over the enemy, both yesterday and today. Abstract: The defeated American forces at...
Special operations soldiers who waged the early fight in Afghanistan proved that their
sensitivity to and understanding of the cultural differences of the indigenous population
as well as the enemy combatants led to overwhelming success on the...
The United States involvement in Somalia encompassed a number of different missions. It began with a humanitarian assistance mission, Operation Provide Relief. Operation Restore Hope, was a combination of humanitarian relief and sparse military...
This study provides a brief overview of the US military's involvement in stability operations and draws out the salient patterns and recurring themes that can be derived from those experiences. It is hoped that a presentation and critical analysis...
Preface. Background and Foundation America's frontier wars: lessons for asymmetric conflicts. Congressman Ike Skelton; Congressman Ike Skelton suggests how to overcome the threat of asymmetrical warfare by examining yesteryear's battles to...
Refighting the Last War: Afghanistan and the Vietnam Template. Thomas H. Johnson and M. Chris Mason, America lost in Vietnam because of a failure to establish legitimacy and the inability to protect the people from insurgents. The same failures...
Are the U.S. military leaders of today prepared to adequately train our troops to face the challenges and adversities’ of the future? We will explore the factors behind the failure to train and prepare the US military prior to hostilities in...
The importance of studying military history cannot be underestimated. Without taking a close look at the past, at previous battles waged, and tactics employed, we take the unnecessary risk of repeating doomed operations and employing failed...
Military leaders, at all levels, should be required to study military history. Patrick Henry in a speech to the Virginia Convention stated, “I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know no way of...