The latest U. S. Army doctrine calls for quick, decisive victory with minimum casualties. Historically, simultaneity has provided a means of doing this. However, current trends are making it increasingly likely that non-linear operations will be...
This monograph examines the question is Clausewitz' theoretical concept of center of gravity the antithesis of a systems approach to warfare. The nature of conflict has changed since the age of Clausewitz, and a theoretical concept designed to...
This monograph offers a definition of "military art," discusses military art's relationship to the commander's management of battlefield uncertainty, and uncertainty's relationship to nonlinearity. Using the terms of art, uncertainty, and...
Military officials often utilize the PMESII-PT acronym (Political, Military, Economic, Social, Information, Infrastructure, Physical Environment, and Time) as an analytical start point to assess an operational environment. However, the linear...
Military forces conduct information operations against one of the most complex, adaptive systems – the human mind. Linear thought processes, prevalent in the military, correspond to, and understand well, the linear mathematics that measure the...
American policy in Afghanistan has evolved since the initial engagement of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. It has become increasingly clear that strategic focus must include a plan to concentrate upon and continue development of a stable and secure...
This monograph conducts an analysis of historical data to detect trends in war and the evolution to modern tactical battle. It also investigates the continued use of Lanchester-based attrition models. Military analysts have used the attrition...
This monograph examines the interaction between tactical deep maneuver by forward detachments and non-linear warfare. Recent advances in technology, particularly in highly lethal precision guided munitions, have accelerated the trend toward...
Based upon observations from the Combat Training Centers, military staffs are ineffective at tactical war gaming and thus the war game rarely contributes to effective decision-making. While war gaming is generally recognized as a weakness among...
This monograph addresses how humans think and make sense of the world, and whether the current logic used by the U.S. military is still useful for understanding and influencing a world where complexity continues to increase. Drawing from elements...
In order to determine whether Reserve Component (RC) forces are essential to the task of exploiting imagery intelligence (IMINT) and geospatial information in support of combatant commanders' operational and strategic intelligence requirements, it...
Conflict in the twenty-first century involves a complex interaction of variables. Equally complex are modern stability operations that occur concurrently or immediately following war or combat operations. This study examines planning methodology...
This monograph examines the dynamic relationships between the strategic, operational, and tactical levels. Current Army doctrine in FM 100-5, Operations depicts the relationships of the levels with a vertical hierarchy, defining the operational...
This monograph explains the ability of the military decision-making process to inform the decision-maker in the current operational environment. A comparison of the operational environment, as envisioned through the U.S. Army’s doctrine, before...
The strategic and operational environment in which the United States military will operate in for the foreseeable future is characterized by its complexity. Historically the United States military has taken a linear approach to understanding the...
The information revolution seems to hold a lot of promise to the U.S. economy and the U.S. military, but rigid bureaucratic hierarchies make it extremely difficult for effective integration of operational fires and information operations (IO). As...
Operational design is an intellectual exercise that draws on the creative vision, experience, intuition, and judgment of commanders to provide a framework for development of detailed operation plans. Recently, a number of authors have questioned...
Army Base Operations (BASOPS) are burdened by an aging infrastructure and smaller workforces. Increases in operations tempo and less funding make installation management more challenging. To provide guidance in execution of the BASOPS mission, the...
Airspace command and control in the combat zone is becoming more complex due to the proliferation of unmanned aircraft, and the introduction of host nation and civilian aircraft. The ability to deconflict and integrate multiple airspace users...
The explanation to the phenomenon of how a military unit, which seemingly on the verge of annihilation, still manages to survive and fight effectively, lies in the understanding that a military organization is a living system. Recognizing the...