The Overlord operation is a widely-studied episode in military history. Often overlooked is a little known U.S. operation designed to overcome logistical problems in the Overlord plan. For the first 90 days of combat the Overlord operation would...
LTC Smith a veteran of the 7 December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and now commander of the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division was on his way to another war, a war he had not expected and one for which his unit was...
History provides many examples of tension between operational and tactical commanders. Not all of these conflicts can be dismissed as matters of personality or competency. An alternative explanation is that the distinct perspectives of those...
Spencer, Napoleon; Morales, Ricardo; Felicioni, Louis; Christen, Lavon; Smith, Bruce
Thesis Statement: The Battle of Gazala fought from 26 May to 20 June 1942 was Rommel's greatest triumph in battle. Discussion: The Battle of Gazala, fought from 26 May-20June 1942, was Rommel's greatest triumph in battle. It is also considered the...
The United Nations (UN) intervention in Timor-Leste in 1999-2005 has been critically acclaimed as a “model” peacekeeping operation. By temporarily assuming sovereign powers on behalf of Timor-Leste, the UN Transitional Authority in East Timor...
Using Force XXI operational concepts, the US Military expects to overwhelm both high and low technology opponents. If history is any indication, however, apparently low tech forces have the potential at least to tie 'modern,' conventional...
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...
Historical examples are an expedient way to develop an understanding of operational art theory and concepts. A historical illustration of both operational success and failure is the Korean War. Several aspects of the Korean War remain relevant to...
The late Roman Republic faced what looked unsolvable social problems and all attempts made by the politicians from all parties failed or made the situation even worse. Finally the crisis was so deep that the security and survival of the state was...
While the Persian Gulf War confirmed the political and strategic utility of using ballistic missiles as a terror weapon, the effect of ballistic missiles on tactical operations has received much less attention. Despite growing evidence of...
This monograph examines risk and tempo as components of warfighting which are inextricably linked and dependent upon a commander who is capable of assessing and accepting risk. The study analyzes three operational maneuvers (Marne, Anzio, Inchon)...
The fundamental nature of warfare, adequately addressed by the current nine principles of war, has changed little over the centuries. However, a series of monumental changes in the international security environment over the past ten years have...
The United States has been home to several influential military theorists who changed how the United States and other countries protect national interests, train, equip, and fight wars. Among these theorists are A.T. Mahan, Billy Mitchell, and more...
The emerging operational environment of the United States military is characterized by a changing myriad of complex dimensions, the elements of which are often uncomfortably and in some cases drastically different from those encountered during the...
This monograph explores the subject of organizational learning with a particular emphasis on how military units learn in combat. The challenges of today’s joint operating environment require groups of soldiers to adapt responsively to a wide...
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)...
The topic of civil-military relations during the Mexican War resurfaces as an interesting historical study in the aftermath of President Obama's recent decision to relieve General McChrystal of command in Afghanistan. This review of U.S....
The immediate goal of this monograph is to determine what contribution VII Corps made to the evolution of operational art in Operation Desert Storm. Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait resulted in Iraq controlling much of the world's proven oil...
This essay compares and contrasts two counterinsurgency campaigns, Cuba and the Philippines. The author evaluates the main causes of triumph or disappointment in each engagement by pinpointing the critical elements that led to triumph or letdown on...
The performance of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) at the Battle of Ap Bac, January 2, 1963, established a narrative that the South Vietnamese were unwilling to fight or lacked aggressiveness. At the time of the Battle of Ap Bac, the...