The transformation of the United States Army to the concepts of the Objective Force brings to question many of the Army’s current operational policies and methods. One such area is the way in which the Army prepares for operations. Current unit...
Years of U.S. Army involvement in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have underscored the complexity of contemporary operating environments. This complexity within the current operating environment requires U.S. Army leaders not to make simple...
This monograph examines the Military Decision-Making Process (MDMP) as presented in the 1997 version of FM 101-5, Staff Organization and Operations. Numerous military professionals and decision-making theorists hold that an analytical process such...
As the U.S. Army transforms itself for future information age operations, it will rely heavily on the Army Battlefield Command Systems (ABCS) to provide digital Command and Control (C2) support to commanders throughout the theater of operations....
The purpose of this monograph is to examine the concept of Commander’s Critical Information Requirements (CCIR) and determine if the doctrine is suitable for particularly complex operations like counter-insurgency operations (COIN). Commanders...
The purpose of this research was to identify how important direct service benefits are to mid-career U.S. Army officer decisions to continue serving in the Army on active duty. The problem this research effort focused on was understanding how...
This monograph examines the need to retool the military decision making process (MDMP) as the U.S. Army transforms to the future force. Although the MDMP is the current doctrinal framework to decision making and planning at the tactical levels, it...
The monograph addresses the Army's recent attempts at gaining situational awareness in the urban environment. By leveraging technology, programs like Land Warrior and the Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain (MOUT) Advanced Concept Technology...
This monograph examines the relationship between battlefield synchronization and decision-making. Beginning with a review of rational analytical decision theory and Gary Klein’s recognition primed decision theory, the monograph reviews the...
This study examines the concept of battle command from a modern historical perspective. It analyzes the decision making and leadership displayed by Lieutenant General Franks during the planning, preparation and execution of Operation Desert Storm...
The Objective Force Unit of Action operates in a significantly different command environment. It is called “execution-centric command” and it relies on information superiority. The commander uses superior situational understanding and the...
Irving Janis introduced the theory of groupthink in his classic study Victims of Groupthink in 1972. He attempted to determine why groups, often consisting of individuals with exceptional intellect and talent, made irrational decisions. He...
This paper seeks to answer what type of command will best serve the Army's Objective Force in gaining the initiative, building momentum, and exploiting success to achieve land dominance in the future by synchronizing forces and by making better...
This study examines how tactical experience affects confidence about combat decision making. Observations made at the nations 5 combat training centers indicate that maneuver battalion commanders fall short in making sound decisions once operations...
The 7-step model of the MDMP is a tried and proven process. However, some critics argue it is not the right decision-making and planning tool for the future force. The 7-step model is a deliberate process requiring a significant amount of time when...
The purpose of this monograph is to examine the capabilities of commercial computer wargames and determine if the Army can use them to train its leaders. The study is intended for all Army leaders, from team leader through joint task force...
Future thinking, decisive decision-making, and leadership provide the foundation for the analysis of battle command in theory, doctrine, and history. Classical and modern military theorists make the commander the central point for leadership and...
This monograph examines and explores the concept of Commander's Critical Information Requirements (CCIR). The analysis focuses on ways a commander can manage information overload to effectively deal with uncertainty and to ultimately ensure timely...
This monograph examines the 1914 Marne and 1943 Kursk campaigns to determine, from the operational perspective, the reasons for decision failures and how intelligence influences them. Part I defines operational level intelligence, establishes the...
This study investigates strategic intelligence failures of the pre-Vietnam and pre-9/11 time periods. The monograph presents PEMISI (political, economic, military, information, societal, and intelligence) environmental analyses of both time periods...