At the core of U.S. counterinsurgency doctrine is the concept of “hearts and minds.” Although the concept has significantly deviated from its historical grounding and has become a nebulous concept that is frequently maligned, misunderstood, and...
The Niger Delta region is the nerve of the Nigerian economy. The region has witnessed series of conflicts largely due to the oil resources therein. Violent militancy in the Niger Delta assumed a new dimension in the mid nineties as the residents...
Counterinsurgency is the most common conflict that America engages in. From the Mexican-American War to the Philippine Insurrection and small wars of the early 1900s, the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) focused on sanitation, hygiene programs...
Propaganda and disinformation characterized indispensable components of nineteenth and twentieth century warfare. Examples such as Leni Riefenstahl's “Triumph of the Will” or Frank Capra’s “Why We Fight” series made no attempt to honestly...
The United States has been actively engaged in a strategy to eliminate the conditions that spawn an asymmetric threat since the attacks of September 11, 2001. An important part of this process is to assist with installing a stable legitimate...
Counterinsurgency in the 21st century does not expose itself in the form of yesterdays
conventional battles, nor do past-conflicts provide us with guaranteed future results. The ability
to gather intelligence ultimately depends on one’s skill to...
Do Information Operations (IO) contribute to success in counterinsurgency campaigns? What IO measures of excellence exist to demonstrate achievement of success in counterinsurgencies? These questions currently challenge U.S. military forces...
Numerous conflicts, both foreign and domestic, have involved the United States since its discovery. From the early days of fighting native Indians, to pitting brother against brother during the Civil War, to the most recent campaigns in Iraq and...
Cultural awareness is a force multiplier; failure to recognize this can have adverse impacts on operations. Since the first coalition troop deployments to Afghanistan after the events of 9/11, the U.S. Army has received much criticism over the lack...
Actionable Intelligence (AI) is defined in military terms as: “Any information from a reliable source that may be used by a commander to insure a successful mission or operation conducted with speed and accuracy”. In no other time has this been...
America's wars cannot be won simply by applying lethal effects. The U.S. military can defeat any adversary using lethal effects to gain, clear and hold key terrain or cities faster than at any other time in history. However, winning the war...
This monograph analyzes T.E. Lawrence as a military theorist and campaign planner. It investigates whether Lawrence's development of his own theory of war assisted him in planning the Arab campaign during World War I. The monograph focuses in four...
Historically, the U.S. Army faces numerous challenges planning for counterinsurgency (COIN) operations. Insurgencies by their very nature occur within the context of a complex operating environment that typically last years if not decades. The...
Fanelli, Michael P.; Haralson, Ricky L.; Mapes, Jim A.; Plzak, Robert; Speakman, Brian K.; Terry, Michael S.
The United States (U.S.) Army and military planning experts believe that the U.S. military will not have a peer or near peer competitor until at least 2020. The enemies of the U.S. will most likely use the current conflict as a template and use...
The United States Army, along with its sister services, is struggling to create effective doctrinal concepts for warfighting in the Information Age. Man’s ability to manipulate and transport information at light speed is changing the conduct of...
While all warfare is an expression of politics, none is more pervasively so than irregular conflict. The irregular side, most probably employing a mixture of guerilla tactics and terrorism, will seek favorable political effect from several courses...
The conflicts of Vietnam and Afghanistan have many similarities. The lessons learned during Vietnam can be of great value if used. There are three critical factors that impacted the battlefield during both conflicts. These factors are border...
In meeting the challenges of post-hostility Iraq, the area of information operations (IO) has received a great deal of attention. Unlike combat operations, the center of gravity in post-conflict Iraq has been restoration of basic services and...
As America leads the fight against world terrorism our success on the nontraditional battle field rests with the Soldier with boots on the ground. Leaders at all levels, from the policy makers in Washington down to the squad leader, must have an...
The U.S. Army has directed that its entire force must be capable of conducting what it terms Full Spectrum Operations, which is being able to conduct offensive, defensive, stability, and/or civil support operations, simultaneously in the 21st...