Operational design is an intellectual exercise that draws on the creative vision, experience, intuition, and judgment of commanders to provide a framework for development of detailed operation plans. Recently, a number of authors have questioned...
In the midst of the United States (U.S) Army’s transition from the Legacy to Objective Force several key determinants have been postulated that are driving the process. Among these is the fact the U.S military must continue to prepare to meet a...
Some decision makers and analysts believe that increased networking and technological advances have increased a commander 's span of control, thus allowing for an elimination of the US Army 's corps echelon of command. Aside from span of control...
A common perspective among U.S. interagency partners today is that any step towards more effective and coordinated responses to contemporary security challenges requires an improved and shared understanding of the nature of the conflict and the...
This research explores the ambivalence that surrounds Singapore's post-independence defense policy. On the one hand, Singapore's defense policy has complemented the nation's overall development with its robust efficacy and fiscal efficiency....
With the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, the grip of
superpower strictures loosened resulting in an increase in complexity and dynamism that marks today's security environment. The rapidly changing and uncertain...
This monograph examines several definitions for the operational fires concept, and traces the theoretical underpinnings of operational fires from both Russian operational theory and airpower theories. The monograph then examines historical examples...
This monograph examines the efficacy of the Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF) as an instrument of theater level campaigning. A relatively new concept of expeditious military power projection, the MPF was employed for the first time in a real...
The stunning military victories of OPERATIONS ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM have been a tribute to the prowess of the American armed forces. When coupled with the success of the First Gulf War, these victories have drawn renewed attention in...
This research explores how the peaking of world oil production influences the global balance of power. On the one hand, the geological phenomenon of peaking, modeled by the Hubbert's peak curve, gives the timeframe and the evolution of oil...
This monograph addresses the question of whether the U.S. Army can fight and win the nation's wars when those wars bear little or no resemblance to World War II. The question isolates a problem America's military has faced several times since World...
This monograph directly addresses design, and incorporates elements of Engineering Design Theory to the codified, social act of campaign creation using art, science, and craft. The monograph gives a definition of design and discusses the...
This monograph examines whether the addition of design to U.S. Army doctrine, along with other changes, can clarify the concept of the learning organization and make it more achievable by operational units at the battalion and brigade levels. While...
The demise of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact left the United States with no single identifiable threat. The “victory” of the Cold War has not provided the US with a significant “peace dividend” as predicted, but instead presents an...
This monograph analyzes classical warfare and modern warfare to determine whether there is a theoretical shift occurring that is blending the tenets of both of these theories of war. Exploitation of the inherent strengths of each of these theories...
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...
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 Army as well as the other armed services began a transformation in the late 1990s in order to meet the challenges of warfare in the future. This effort is characterized by utilizing technology as the catalyst for change. The process has...
Military officials often utilize the PMESII-PT acronym (Political, Military, Economic, Social, Information, Infrastructure, Physical Environment, and Time) as an analytical start point to assess an operational environment. However, the linear...
American policy in Afghanistan has evolved since the initial engagement of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. It has become increasingly clear that strategic focus must include a plan to concentrate upon and continue development of a stable and secure...