A confluence of factors led to American engagement in one of Central America's most violent uprisings: the Salvadoran civil war. By the time of President Ronald Reagan's first term as president, the civil war had created social, political and...
This paper will describe the significant events and experiences that shaped the Powell Doctrine and affected the manner in which General Colin Powell applied those principles during his tenure as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS)...
This monograph analyzes the possibility of the United States Military taking a direct role in the implementation of Plan Colombia. The analysis begins with an exploration of the background issues: the drug war as it relates to Colombia, the...
Strategic leader transitions constitute narrow windows of opportunity marked by high pressure, high expectations and general lack of organization awareness for many new leaders. During the transition period, an incoming leader must effectively...
The U. S. Army’s current operating concept of Full Spectrum Operations is nothing more than a return to an earlier concept, Flexible Response. The Army adopted Flexible Response in the early 1960s to mitigate the threat posed by Soviet nuclear,...
Homeland security was restored as America’s number one goal of national security strategy following 9/11. The evolution of American national security strategy, from the Cold War years into the post-9/11 years, demonstrated a historical reliance...
Using military force against an enemy to punish, avenge a wrong, as retribution is a timeless cause of armed conflict. There are many examples throughout history of successful punitive operations. Analyzing historical punitive expeditions for the...
With the ever increasing rise in regional conflicts and micro wars, Operation Urgent Fury may exemplify the types of short notice contingency operations we may be faced with in the future. To facilitate success in these potential conflicts,...
After World War Two the United States moved into a position of global pre-eminence. The Bush doctrine of pre-emptive and preventive action, expressed in the 2002 and 2006 National Security Strategies, holds that this level of relative power...
The United States failed in both Lebanon in 1982-1984 and Iraq in 2003, to achieve its political objectives. While there are many reasons for this, perhaps the greatest is that the government failed to coordinate and direct all of its resources in...
Panama began its modern history as a semi-colonial appendage of the United States (US). Since gaining independence in 1903, Panama witnessed both elitist quasi-democratic governments and authoritarian populist governments. The oligarchic system in...
The 1983 Beirut bombing marks a turning point for military commanders who must now continually assess force protection measures while involved in Stability and Support Operations (SASO). Since 1983, the United States military has participated in...
The purpose of this paper is to examine the current drug war and to determine if an operational artist's approach to planning and problem solving is applicable for the United States in its war against drugs. This paper is significant because the...
The security of the United States is an enduring dilemma that if not properly addressed will leave the nation vulnerable to existing and future threats. The attacks of September 11, 2001 were a stark reminder of our vulnerability. Despite the...
On January 11, 2007, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) launched a direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon and destroyed one of their satellites. Uncovering Chinese motivations for this action has been problematic because the Chinese government...
Airpower has a significant influence within the American political process. Political debate over the application of airpower in limited conflicts involves when and how to use it, and whether it can be the sole means of military force. This...
This monograph examines the role of fire support in peacekeeping and peace enforcement operations. Peacekeeping and peace enforcement are unique operations. Peacekeeping relies more on forces to accomplish its mission, whereas peace enforcement...
The United States declared drugs to be a clear and present danger to the country and proceeded to wage a war on them that was both justified and temporarily successful from 1970 through 1990. Although not prepared for this mission at first, the...
Two centuries of philosophy and war have informed the latest evolution of the definitions of strategy and operational art defined in the Department of Defense's Joint Publication 1-02. By harmonizing the relationship between strategy and...
Violence perpetrated by Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) increased dramatically in 2006 and continued to rise dramatically through early 2009. During this same period, Mexican DTO infiltration of U.S. cities skyrocketed. The increase...