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 discusses the utility of the Weinberger Criteria for peace-enforcement decisions into the 21st Century. The mission of peace-enforcement and the new world order require US decision makers to review their criteria for employment of US...
OPERATION ALLIED FORCE has become a lightning rod sparking strong debate within the US military. The debate revolves around the subject of decisive military action and which branch of service most contributed to the successful campaign in Kosovo....
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...
With the approval of the Army's preliminary draft of its keystone doctrinal manual, FM 100-5, Operations, the terms quick, decisive victory is now an integral part of doctrinal lexicon. The introduction of this important phrase indicates the Army's...
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 perception among many officers of all ranks in the U.S. armed services is that casualty aversion limits the military’s ability to perform its mission. A frequent remark from military members during discussions of world crisis spots and what...
Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, no nation or organization has come forward to become the dominant peacemaker or peacekeeper in Europe. This study discusses the need for a country or a supernational organization to accept: the lead...
This monograph examines the possible roles of air power in peacemaking operations. While the end of the Cold War has brought increased hope for peace and stability in the world, a rise in ethnic tensions and nationalist uprisings prevents...
This monograph examines current Strike Force initiatives and their potential impact. The purpose of this examination is to determine whether, "Are the proposed Strike Force (SF) mission sets applicable to future war scenarios?" The next ten to...
The United States has had limited success battling insurgency over the last thirty years because the Army’s training and doctrine was based on a Cold War scenario. Since the conclusion of the Vietnam War, the United States Army’s training and...
The Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991 was widely hailed as a triumph of modern warfare. Those who remembered the trauma and inconclusiveness of Vietnam applauded its clear goals, lack of civilian interference, and decisive end. Yet, twelve years later,...
The United States has held strong national interest in Panama since the 1840s. This interest was demonstrated by the building of the Panama Canal, its ensuing operation, and numerous military interventions into Panama concluding with Operation Just...
This monograph examines the validity of the comparison between the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam conflict and the ongoing war on drugs. With the implosion of Soviet-styled communism, many Americans have come to view illicit drug use and the...
This paper demonstrates that concepts behind five of the six imperatives of the Weinberger Doctrine are still relevant to the post-Cold War era. Weinberger's six tests, in addition, are not as restrictive as they appear. Weinberger provides caveats...
The United States Army was at its lowest state of readiness at the conclusion of the Vietnam Conflict. Senior Leaders felt we needed to put Vietnam behind us, move forward and prepare to fight and win our next war versus our greatest threat, the...
This monograph examines various campaign planning considerations for peace enforcement operations. Peace enforcement, which is the use of military force to either restore or compel peace, is becoming more prevalent, particularly as the United...
In response to the increasing number of post-Cold War interventions, the Clinton administration conducted a detailed review of American policy to clarify when, why, and how the United States intervenes abroad. One document from the policy review is...
The U.S. Armed Forces has a long and rich history of expeditionary operations followed by military disengagements. A historically small U.S. military is repeating this history today in two wars that are stretching it to the limits of its personnel...