Posted on 08/18/2005 6:06:22 PM PDT by Yasotay
I am a military history major graduate from the United States Military Academy. The intent of this post is to take another brief look at the current conduct of war, in August 2005, by using the “Principles of War”. I am not on active duty, nor do I have access to any classified information pertaining to this war. Violating some principles of war does not mean we will lose this war, but these violations are NOT helping America win this war.
The first principle discussed is “Offensive. The United States has been on the defensive for over two years. It is time to go back on the Offensive. We need to overthrow the government of the second ‘Axis of Evil’, Iran. If needed, we also need to overthrow the Syrian government. President Bush in a speech at Fort Bragg stated that we need to stay on the offense. I say we need to go back on the offensive.
The next Principle of War that I will now discuss is “Unity of Command”. This principle was being violated for the first 2 years of the War on Terror. I am sure having the Commander of CENTCOM being bypassed and using SOCOM, created many problems. Bremer and the CPA is another example. At least those two problems have been fixed.
The third Principle of War to be looked at is “Objective”. Every military operation should have a clearly defined, decisive and attainable objective. The ultimate military objective of war is the defeat of the enemy’s armed forces. I no longer believe that this is a War on Terror. This is the first war fought over the control, ownership and use of nuclear weapons. The primary threat to the US is a nuclear attack. We have already been attacked with biological agents. While it took the US only 3 ½ years to develop nuclear weapons, Iran and terrorists have been trying to buy, steal or develop nuclear weapons for over twenty years. We must expect that they will (or have) seceded. Therefore, one of our primary objectives has to be the continued denial or destruction of our enemies’ nuclear weapons.
The fourth is “Mass”. The main effort is where your combat power is concentrated at the critical point and time to achieve decisive results. I hope this becomes Iran.
The fifth is “Economy of Force”. Afghanistan has been a great EoF mission. There may not be a better example in all of history. I hope that Iraq also becomes an EOF mission rather then the ‘Main Effort’.
The sixth is “Simplicity”. With everyone saying that this is going to be a long and complex campaign, I wonder what has happened to the basic principle of “KISS”.
Number seven is “Surprise”. While the terrorists used strategic surprise on September 11th, the enemy has appeared to have gone into extended hiding. When they stand and confront us, they die. They clearly will continue to be able to gain tactical surprise. While US forces never had strategic surprise, we have always been blessed with being able to gain operational or tactical surprise. I hope we continue to do well in that arena. The first use of nuclear weapons clearly will be a surprise. I hope we are ready.
Eight is “Security”. It appears that our combat forces are continuing to take enough measures to protect our combat power from observation, sabotage, annoyance, surprise, the press and hopefully espionage. I do not want to write anything else that may compromise that principle.
Last, but not least is “Maneuver”. I would think battalion and brigade heavy task force(s) with special forces (not UofAs) based in Iraq and Afghanistan could support operations inside of Iran. Tom Clancy may have to write a new novel.
In conclusion, I hope that I am wrong in my observations about the principles of war that were being violated. Something that Americans have always been better at then any of our enemies is learning from our errors, correcting our mistakes and driving on to victory. Let hope THAT history repeats itself.
I am a 1966 graduate of North Georgia College and I'll put the officers we commissioned and still commission up against the "Hudson River School for Boys" any day.
The first place we need to use OFFENSIVE is right here in this country. This is where we need to win the war. I say we as Freepers go after the Left now.
PS: Use MOUSE MOSS if you want to remember them.
Maybe one should look at more fundamental level, like the character of war (is it an identity war, aka "Clash of Civilizations", or is it a more traditional war?)? Because many other principles would follow from here.
Thank you for your post...I don't know what military doctrine this fits, but there seems to be one important element missing...There first needs to be a battle of ideas fought here at home. Nothing will destroy our armed forces unless it is the division of the people back home. I hate to say it, but we need to address the home front as well...darned if I know how to do that though, excpet that we see almost no representatives of the government extolling the accomplishments of our forces with the people of Iraq...Give us examples, even if you need to hire government press people and camera men to film the schools and bridges that we have built. Where are the photos of our good work in the public domain?
You are right. The citizens have to see the necessity of a particular war or they will drift back to their own interests as the urgency fades. The longer it goes on, and the less they feel in danger, the more they will question the need to continue. Popular support is probably the major factor, strategy and tactics are the domain of the warriors.
I just don't have nice memories of Northern Georgia ...... and no your college has nothing to do with it.
I would add one additional concept...public ownership. Those that feel that they are porotected regardless of the outcome of the military activity do not feel ownership, because they do not feel that they have a dog in the fight. How does one go about making everyone an "owner" of the military action? Those of us who appreciate the fact that American citizens died on 9/11 already feel ownership. But so many untouched by this attack have no interest in addressing the issue, and do not "own" it.
What of desception or sleight of hand? How does one use that concept here, when Iran and Syria are such likely targets?
That is why we did the "Why We Fight Films" during WWII. This is sadly absent from this war and was absent from Vietnam. The entire country has to have the national will to fight. What you say is the solution. Not only will it send a positive message to Americans but it will send a message to the terrorist that the entire United States means business.
Actually we do and that is what we call the "Threads of Continuity". The Threads are both Internal and External. The Internal Threads are Military Professionalism, Tactics, Strategy, Logistics and Administration, Military Theory and Doctrine, and Generalship. The External Threads are Political, Social, Economic Factors and Technology....
Got to be Dahlonega, the same place where the college is. When I went to jump school at the old age of 28, myself an Ordnance officer, I was asked what was the most important thing I had learned. My reply was I learned I didn't want to go to Ranger school.
But civilians in this country don't understand any of that. They need to.
Please read my post 10. That is an External Thread and yes we are losing the Political and Social parts of this war.
Aristotle asked what being a citizen means. For him the citizen was a particular thing that not everybody was. A citizen might be called on to serve in office and to make decisions for the state. We might consider jury duty and voting as along that line, but there are a lot of 'citizens' who don't vote, and registering to vote as something that might result in being called to serve on a jury. He counted children as partial citizens to the degree that they would become full citizens when they were old enough. By that criterion, how many of our 300 million would be counted as citizens?
That's good. The external threads are not all uniformly strong.
Especially here.
We are on the offensive every day but it isn't the crude and ineffective dropping of bombs or shooting up villages. A global effort to unhinge liberty and replace it wiht a caliphate isn't defeated by a traditional show of arms. It is slowly and deliberately dismantled by isolating the radicals from the general populace, and then they are snared in traps of their own making.
Read Boyds writings on the OODA loop and the blog called Global Guerrillas
http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2004/11/counterinsurgen.html
Did you ever read the book or see the movie, "Starship Troopers"? They had the right idea about citizenship.
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