Carpenter, John; Colvin, Shellie; Giles, Mike; Gorske, Tim
Thesis Statement: Although many people consider the Tet Offensive as a defeat for the North Vietnamese Communists, in actuality it was a major victory for them. Discussion: This paper examines the North Vietnamese Army's (NY A) goals, strategies,...
The need for a Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance (LAAR) aircraft in counterinsurgency (COIN) is a topic that will often be debated as the conflict in Afghanistan continues and the United States Air Force (USAF) looks at how it can use airpower to...
This monograph examines the US Army operational level staff. Although the staff's importance to operational success is recognized, it remains the product of evolutionary development. Rather than adapting in a proactive manner, changes in staff...
The United States Army's study of counterinsurgency operations is limited, with few notable exceptions, to those that occurred in the Third World from 1950 to the present day. Few American officers, NCOs or soldiers are familiar with other...
Sun Tzu asserts that success is not winning every battle fought, but subduing the enemy's will without fighting. Nevertheless, modern military thought fails to distinguish an enemy's will-to-fight from their means to do so, limiting the ways...
Thesis: Although the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) plan appears to be a great idea for the Army, the hidden financial costs and negative impacts it will have on strategic global positioning of forces, transportation issues, local...
This monograph examines the scavenger logistics concept of tactical sustainment in an effort to determine whether it can be a viable alternative or supplement to future U.S. Army tactical sustainment operations. By the author's definition, tactical...
After accumulating mishap data from the 1990's, accident investigations are revealing that pilot error causes approximately 80% of aviation mishaps. But, apply a bit more aggressive critical analysis into the type of human errors occurring...
Leaders of all levels in the military should take time to read history. Leaders, who have taken the time to read history, will realize the benefits of having a working knowledge of past events and provides possible steps that could be taken to...
This thesis builds on research into the second and third order effects of unmanned warfare on the modern battlefield and provides a single source document outlining the major effects seen throughout the Afghan operational environment between 2001...
This thesis researches the theory of a "hollow force" that described the U.S. Army after the Vietnam War and determines if the theory applies to the Army today. The theory describes the conditions of a "hollow force" through seven factors: low...
This monograph examines the doctrinal mission focus of U.S. Army Special Forces to determine if it is appropriate to prepare the force to meet the requirements of the post-Cold War environment. The study suggests that current doctrine, largely...
This monograph examines the implications for modern contingency operations of the World War II German assault on the island of Crete. Emerging United States security strategy places increasing reliance on crisis response capabilities. Evolving...
This paper challenges the idea that the thinkers who developed the American Theory of Limited War prior to Vietnam were grossly in error. A framework for the elements of the theory is constructed through a discussion of the historical American way...
This monograph examines operational level logistics and deception in an effort to determine whether a coherent deception plan can be formulated undergirded by creative logistical arrangements that will allow the commander to deceive an alert...
What happens when a technologically advanced nation provides advanced technology to a much less advanced nation's military? Numerous political and diplomatic considerations go into the decision to provide the technology, but once the decision is...
In the aftermath of the air campaign that began Operation Desert Storm, the US Air Force sought to measure US success in the military-technical and organizational innovation that occurred during the Gulf War and its impact on the future evolution...
The Marine Corps should expect to fight within a strategic context of complex irregular warfare (CIW) for the near- to mid-term while retaining the ability to fight a major combat operation (MCO). As a result, the Distributed Operations...
Transformation and the current operational pace have created less time for senior mentorship. Additionally, mentorship is so loosely defined and understood that it often is mislabeled and wrongly identified. Mentorship could be viewed as such a...
Ever since the Army introduced its current primary operational ration, the Meals, Ready-to-Eat (MRE), in the early 1980's it has committed itself to continuously improving them. This has resulted in a far greater variety of menu items, and a taste...