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Military Suicide: Developing an Understanding of Basic Issues to Provide a Lower Risk Force
From the thesis abstract: "The US military has historically experienced a much lower suicide rate compared to the general US population. In the last decade, the suicide rate for military personnel exceeded that of the general population; additionally, the suicide rate for military personnel more than doubled. This dramatic increase in suicide rates for the military gained significant public attention and the military then focused on preventing suicides for currently serving service members. [...] Both the general and military decedent populations present specific trends in behavior and demographics that lead to suicidal behaviors. The common issue affecting both populations is that the young adult age groups are the most affected by suicide. This suggests that a significant proportion of new service members enter service possessing the characteristics that will lead to suicidal behavior. These findings imply that the current suicide prevention programs may not fully address the underlying mental health issues associated with the young adult population. As a result, the services may be inadvertently recruiting service members with increased risk. The military services have a history of conducting psychological screening in times of conflict, and have developed additional testing aids that may assist in efforts to provide a more resilient force. Unfortunately, the military services currently do not place significant effort on reducing the population with highest suicidal behavioral risk at the point of accession for service. Efforts to identify and reduce these specific subpopulations will both reduce the military suicide rates and enable military medical resources to focus better on the currently serving population to enhance suicide prevention and intervention efforts."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Remoy, Eric M.
2017-05-25
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Establishing Ripe Moments for Negotiated Settlement in Counterinsurgency: An Example from Colombia
From the thesis abstract: "Negotiating with insurgents to end a counterinsurgency (COIN) conflict is an undervalued and largely unaddressed topic in US Army COIN doctrine. Historically speaking, however, insurgencies end in negotiated settlements more than any other form of war termination. In fact, the current US strategy to end the war in Afghanistan is to seek a negotiated political settlement with the Taliban. Given these realities, US Army leaders and planners must have a better understanding of the military and government roles in successful strategic negotiations with insurgent groups. This monograph addresses how current US Army COIN doctrine does not adequately address how to establish ripe moments for successful negotiated settlements in COIN conflicts. The paper is divided into four sections beginning with an overview of what current US Army COIN doctrine says about negotiations and negotiated settlements. The second section presents ripeness theory as a framework to consider the conditions that are necessary for negotiations to occur. The third section includes the case study of Colombia's three negotiations conducted with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) between 1982 and 2016. The conclusion section will discuss the implications for US Army COIN doctrine."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Rickmeyer, Paul F.
2017-05-25
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Discursive Maps at the Edge of Chaos
From the thesis abstract: "Postmodernism and systems thinking indicate biases in military conceptualizations of the operational environment. Military planners, as operational artists, tend to see the map as the territory. Their cartographic choices during operational design--coordinate systems, scales, borders, and other visual perspectives--tie space and time together as a deliberate representation of 'a truth' rather than one of meaning, tied to a purpose, and representative of the tensions that inform discourses. Most particularly, common boundaries depict exclusivity in a binary manner. They constrain operational design with excessive linearity and simplicity for the complex operational environment they aim to depict: a square peg for a round hole. These biases can be mitigated through understanding maps as artifacts imbued with meanings, rather than ontological depictions of constrained realities. Such maps are discursive; they are constitutive and suggestive to the synthesis processes that occur during operational design. Fundamental to discursive maps is the understanding of how identity and space are invariably tied together. Politics then come to exploit this relationship in ways that create feedback, which when positive (reinforcing) tends to increase the meaning of boundaries and polarize conflict towards violence. The edge of chaos is the fine line between disorder and coherence. Discursive maps embrace complexity towards the latter; they empower the arrangement of tactical actions in time, space and purpose in the pursuit of strategic objectives."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Primeau, Mathieu
2017-05-25
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Operation Martillo as a Tool to Reduce Drug Trafficking in the Northern Triangle Countries (El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras)
"The Transnational Organized Crime that Central America is facing with drug cartels and criminal street gangs becomes a threat to the national security of the United States. The countries of the Northern Triangle of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras have become the bridge and the base of operations for these criminal organizations that use land, sea and air routes to move the drugs through Mexico with the final destination the United States. Because of this threat, it is important to establish a good security cooperation program with the countries of the Northern Triangle, a program that includes training and equipment to be more effective in the fight against drug trafficking across their territories. The Northern Triangle countries need to be committed with the United States in their fight against drug trafficking and the transnational criminal organizations and they need to establish a partnership where there is mutual cooperation. Also, these countries need to work jointly with the United States agencies in this region to increase drug interdictions. The plan of Operation Martillo is important to achieve this strategy to reduce the traffic of drugs through the countries of the Northern Triangle." "A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Military Art and Science General Studies
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Ramírez, John H. (Army)
2017-05-23
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Counter Narco-Terrorism Program Building Force Capacity of Guatemalan Kaibiles Assisted by the United States Special Operations Forces
From the thesis abstract: "Drug traffic, terrorism, high levels of corruption and more importantly border porosity, constitute the most prominent issues that Guatemala faces regarding security and stability. These issues are significant not only because they affect the country but also the Central American region, and ultimately the United States. Due to its geographical, and multiple international borders, including access to both Atlantic and Pacific littorals, Guatemala serves the opportunity to transnational criminal organizations across the Western Hemisphere, to continue expanding, dominating key terrain, therefore achieving freedom of movement causing further instability throughout the region. Because of that reason, United States has the Counter-Narco Terrorism program (CNT), in this case, to assist Guatemala in the matters of countering crime related to the illicit traffic of drugs, and terrorist activities. Furthermore, this program enable efforts within Guatemala to maintain security, stability, and lasting peace in the region." "A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree - MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE, General Studies."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Meneses, Eduardo J.
2017-05-23
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Russia Foreign Policy in Latin America - Case Study of Nicaragua
From the abstract: "In recent years under President Putin, the world saw Russia being highly active and aggressive in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Russian activities are not limited to those very high-profile regions. The Western Hemisphere is also an area of interest to Russia as it shows an interest in the newly open arctic channel in the North and in reviving diplomatic contacts and military exercises in Latin America. In Central America specifically, Russia is actively developing its relations with Nicaragua on the military, economic and diplomatic fronts raising the question whether Russia intends to insert itself openly in the United States' backyard. [...] A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree - Master of Military Art and Science General Studies."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Watier, Marc-André
2017-05-23
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Counter-Social Movement Approach to Deconstructing Daesh
From the thesis abstract: "Current operational approaches against Daesh are predicated upon its categorization as either a state or terrorist organization. When viewed as a state, Daesh seems most likely to succumb to the application of decisive action as described in US Army unified land operations doctrine. For those who see Daesh as a terrorist organization, Army counterinsurgency doctrine seems to offer the best approach. If, however, Daesh does not fit neatly into either of these categories, one must question the effectiveness of combating Daesh according to either of these operational approaches. As an alternative, the US military could view Daesh as a transnational social movement organization (SMO), and by doing so, planners could develop a more effective operational approach to counteract movements like Daesh. This argument hinges on analyzing Daesh according to the political process model (PPM) of social movement theory (SMT) to determine lines of effort (LOE) against which US military forces could best apply resources to counteract the SMO. This study is divided into four sections. The first section constitutes an overview of SMT as a form of contentious politics. The second section presents a comprehensive history of Daesh. The third section explicitly applies the PPM to Daesh. The final section analyzes the US government's current counter-Daesh strategy, and offers, as an alternative based upon the PPM, a set of LOE against which resources could best be applied to effectively counteract the movement."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Sweatland, Jacob
2017-05
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Logic of Hybrid Warfare: How the Concepts of Depth and Vulnerability Still Shape Russian Operational Approaches
From the abstract: "This work challenges recent discourse regarding Russian military actions in the 'near abroad.' It offers that the metaphor of 'Deep Operations' based upon adversarial vulnerability assessments provides greater explanatory power for varied Russian actions than that of 'hybrid warfare' or a continuous cycle of 'Russian Revolutions in Military Affairs.' Case studies of Ukraine and Moldova, in the form of vulnerability assessments, demonstrate that specific sociopolitical vulnerabilities in those two countries allowed Russia to couple a multi-faceted information campaign with an asymmetric ground-game to enable conventional military operations. Thus, specific vulnerabilities within the 'depth' of Ukraine and Moldova allowed 'hybrid warfare' to function effectively. This work concludes with specific recommendations for identifying and rectifying such vulnerabilities while cautioning against preparation for 'hybrid warfare' in at-risk countries with vulnerability sets conducive to alternate Russian operational approaches."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Bakke, Peter C.
2017-03-15
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Averse to Initiative: Risk Management's Effect on Mission Command
From the abstract: "Risk aversion and micromanagement are perceived inhibitors to full adoption of mission command. They stand opposite to two of mission commands guiding principles: exercise disciplined initiative and accept prudent risk. Two decades of commentary and research indicate Army culture as the root of these issues. Considering the amount of similar dialogue and because this dialogue has spanned decades, the question arises whether something besides cultural issues is affecting mission command. This analysis seeks to answer the question, does risk management produce unintended consequences on mission command? Army doctrine and regulation is compared with decision making theory to determine whether Army risk management produces risk averse and micromanaging behavior. Doctrinal review explores risk management application and interaction with mission command and operations doctrine. Specifically, it explores opportunity and uncertainty concepts associated with risk and common to all publications to see if inconsistency in application produces micromanaging and risk averse behaviors. Decision making theory heuristics offer baselines to compare Army doctrine and regulation against. This comparison provides alternative views to risk management, and explains how inconsistency in Army risk application inhibits mission command. This analysis shows risk management regulation and doctrine prescribe hierarchical-based decision making inherently counter to disciplined initiative, and utilize a risk-averse approach to decisions. Decision making theory heuristics support these findings."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Von Benken, Daniel J.
2017-03-15
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Cyber Attacks and the Legal Justification for an Armed Response
From the thesis abstract: "When is an armed response to cyber attacks legally justified? International law does not refer to cyber, cyber attack targets, or the effects of a cyber attack in the same manner that it addresses conventional attacks, target selection, and effects. Cyber attacks are certainly not a new phenomenon and have been a growing threat for more than thirty years, resulting in the current potential for causing catastrophic harm. Existing sources of international law sufficiently provide the legal justification required for armed response despite not directly using cyber terminology. The analysis provided in this monograph addresses the need for clarification of the legal and political justification for armed response to a cyber attack. Political leaders must have the legal justification for armed response but must also mitigate political risk. This monograph proposes policy factors to be used to decide whether armed response that is legally justifiable is warranted. Political leaders need to determine the likelihood of attack, and look at the effects of multiple types of scenarios, not just the worst case."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Mendoza, Joshua A.
2017-03-15
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Pacific Pathways 2014: Operational Art in Practice
From the thesis abstract: "This study uses Pacific Pathways 2014 as a method to describe operational art as it exists in the real world. Though focused on events that transpired in the Pacific theater, the lessons provided in this work are relevant to any planner seeking to understand how operational art actually works. The environment military planners operate in is inherently complex. Planners use operational art to gather a rich understanding of the environment and the strategic guidance provided by national and military leaders. Operational art links this broad and conceptual strategic guidance to tangible tactical action. Masterful employment of operational art provides cognitive space for subordinate organizations to think, act, and adapt."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Powers, Joshua D.
2017-03-13
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People's War on the East Sea: is Vietnam's Theory of War Still Applicable
From the thesis abstract: "People's War Theory cannot be executed on water in a contemporary operating environment. The VPA [Vietnamese People's Army] did not efficiently operationalize people's war theory or an all-peoples defense during the Cambodian occupation nor are they in the struggle for sovereignty in the East Sea. Vietnam must move towards an integrated theory of war and a complementary operational doctrine. The next evolution in people's war theory must aggregate elements from theories that focus on joint, maritime, and amphibious elements of warfare. Vietnam will not achieve its policy aims with its current military strategy, because its theory of war does not enable strategic leverage for asymmetric potential on the East Sea.'"
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Corbin, Chad D.
2017-02-14
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Learning to Mow Grass: IDF Adaptations to Hybrid Threats
From the thesis abstract: "From the Army Operating Concept to ADP 3-0, the US Army expects to fight hybrid threats in the current operating environment. Hybrid threats combine the characteristics of irregular forces with improved conventional capabilities. This monograph examines the adaptations of the Israel Defense Force [IDF] against hybrid threats to draw relevant operational lessons for military planners. It links the nature of the hybrid threat, Israeli adaptations, and the adaptations' effects on Israeli operational art against the hybrid threat in three case studies spanning the Second Lebanon War in 2006, Operation Cast Lead in 2008, and Operation Protective Edge in 2014. The monograph observed Israeli adaptations in the three areas of materiel, doctrine, and training for comprehensiveness. After meeting a hybrid threat on the battlefield in 2006, the Israel Defense Force invested in equipment like the Merkava IV tank, Trophy active protection system, and Iron Dome. It purged Systemic Operational Design's language from its tactical doctrine. Critically, the Israel Defense Force retrained both active and reserve units for combined arms maneuver to defeat hybrid threats. Altogether, this provided Israeli operational art the means of a conventional ground force to succeed against Hamas in 2008 and 2014. The IDF lacked such a force against Hezbollah's hybrid threat in 2006, and lost. An Israeli ground force reequipped and retrained for combined arms maneuver defeated Hamas in 2008, and enabled Israeli operational art to counter Hamas' new subterranean threat in 2014. The Israeli experience from 2006 to 2014 have made clear that a ground force capable of combined arms maneuver remained a necessary component for effective operational art against a hybrid threat."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Nguyen, Kha M.
2017-02-06
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System Shock: The Archetype of Operational Shock
From the thesis abstract: "The primary research question for this study is whether the US can use the concept of 'system shock' to better operate in the Grey Zone. 'System shock' combines ideas from systems theory, chaos theory, and complexity theory to link the ideas of bifurcation and operational shock. System shock is an archetype for military operations that focuses on bifurcating any opposing system to achieve operational shock. This monograph argues that system shock provides military leaders and planners with a framework to fight and win in Grey Zone environments and that this concept nests within Unified Land Operations (ULO) doctrine by testing three claims. The first claim is that system shock is a useful framework to interpret and affect system behavior. The second claim is that the Grey Zone is a complex adaptive system, which allows the system shock framework to apply. The final claim is that system shock nests within current US Army ULO doctrine. The theory of system shock does not dictate specific action. Instead, it proposes a conceptual framework to interpret and understand how operations progress and to train the military planner's mind to look for connections in more places and with a greater purpose behind short-term gains. The theory of system shock can help leaders and planners best identify and address the correct problem in the Gray Zone and other military operations. Therefore, this monograph provides operational artists and military practitioners with an additional lens to use when planning and executing operations."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
McDaniel, Benjamen A.
2017
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Spanish Pacification Campaigns in Morocco (1909-1927): Developing Indigenous Forces in Counterinsurgency
From the abstract: "In September 2016, military forces of several western nations were conducting operations aimed at developing host nation forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Mali. For years, in those scenarios, part of the effort to eliminate endemic insurgencies has been to raise and employ indigenous troops, which is probably one of the hardest military tasks in building local capabilities. From that perspective, the Spanish experience in Northern Morocco from 1909 to 1927 is one of those cases worthy of examination. When Spain assumed the establishment of a protectorate in 1912, its army faced a large and persistent insurgency. Extensive documentation exists concerning the Spanish operations in Northern Morocco. However, not much has been written about the impact that the creation and employment of indigenous troops had in relation to it. To fight such an enemy, the Spanish authorities soon established different models of regular and irregular indigenous-based units to secure and stabilize the country. The Indigenous Police, the Indigenous Regular Forces (Regulares), and the Xeriffian Mehal-la were of special importance."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Pontijas, Juan Martinez
2017
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War and Man: Finding Practical Value in Psychological Theories for the Military Professional
From the student abstract: "When military professionals employ psychological models in appropriate ways, they may find perspectives that enable new action and points of view. As people are always changing, it is necessary to have fresh ways to understand ourselves and others. The Five Factor Model and the Enneagram system show positive trends in scientific measuring and credibility yet are rarely used in the military. The focus herein extracts practical applications of these models for the military professional. Psychological models provide a framework to increase self-awareness, improve one's understanding of others, guide how one interacts with others, and illuminate the military activities that come most natural to the professional. Ultimately, the Five Factor Model is best suited to increase self-awareness by illuminating the military professional's natural disposition across five broad categories including openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The Enneagram's narrative provides a coherent image of nine different typologies and how they each tend to behave, think, and feel across various levels of performance. As archetypes, there is no one person who fits any of these categories precisely. However, these theories can serve as valuable guides for the most challenging aspect of the military profession: daily interaction in the complex world of people."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
O'Malley, Trevor
2017
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Back to the Future? Associated Units and ARNG Brigade Combat Teams
From the thesis abstract: "This monograph examined the newly announced Associated Units Pilot Program. Four decades removed from the All-Volunteer Force and Total Force Policy mandate, a significant portion of the US Army's combat power resides in the Army National Guard (ARNG) in terms of brigade combat teams. ARNG brigade combat teams are manned, equipped, and designed to train and deploy as 'One Army' with the Active Regular Army for major combat operations. Over the last four decades, numerous opportunities existed for the President, the Department of Defense (DOD), and the US Army to mitigate strategic risk and mobilize ARNG combat brigades for major combat operations, specifically the Persian Gulf War and the Iraq War. To date, numerous challenges prevented their consideration, most notable their inability to meet all peacetime readiness, integration, and responsiveness expectations for major combat operations. In 2016, the US Army announced the new Associated Units Pilot Program to increase readiness, integration, and responsiveness of the ARNG to train and deploy as 'One Army' with the Active Regular Army. This monograph asked whether the Associated Units Pilot Program represented a new operational approach for ARNG brigade combat teams and major combat operations. The historical record revealed that it was not only not new, but an old operational approach that failed. The Congress, the DOD, the US Army, and the ARNG stopped challenging assumptions and asking hard questions. ARNG brigade combat teams are no more ready, integrated, or responsive for major combat operations than they were for the Persian Gulf War twenty-six years ago."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Pope, James L.
2017
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United States Marine Corps Post-Cold War Evolutionary Efforts: Implications for a Post Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Force
From the thesis abstract: "This monograph asks, what lessons can the contemporary Marine Corps learn from its transition from the post-Cold War and Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm period, during the 1990s, that are applicable during the current period of transition following the conclusion of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom? The thesis describes how, during the 1990s, in a time of budgetary constraints and personnel draw downs, the Marine Corps benefited from the efforts of forward thinking strategic leaders, namely Commandants of the Marine Corps Alfred Gray and Charles Krulak. These leaders developed groundbreaking doctrinal concepts, published updates to foundational guidance, and capitalized on future thinking experimentation, which enabled initial full spectrum military successes in Afghanistan and Iraq without compromising its ability to conduct a wider range of military operations if required. This monograph draws conclusions from this period of transition and transformation and provides recommendations for how the Marine Corps should be thinking and acting during this contemporary period of transition in the wake of Global War on Terrorism operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This monograph looks at the Marine Corps' current operational role as it supports, or detracts from, the Corps' long-term relevancy or if current strategic leaders need to focus on innovative capabilities and concepts to support future war fighters and its ability to wage war."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Adams, Eric J.
2017
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Managing the Civil-Military Relationship: A Study of Lincoln's Management of the Army of the Potomac Within the Context of Mission Command
From the thesis abstract: "The civil-military relationship that exists between the U.S. Army and the legislative and executive branches of government must maintain a foundation of shared understanding and trust in order to function in today's dynamic world. This study endeavors to provide a historical case study of President Lincoln and his leadership of the commanding generals of the Army of the Potomac in order to extrapolate a successful methodology applicable to today's civil-military relationship. This research draws a historical parallel through current U.S. Army mission command doctrinal language towards an understanding of how focusing effort through shared understanding can facilitate not only the issuance, but also the receipt of best military advice. President Lincoln utilized a combination of both personal and positional power to effect change when needed, and to develop a unity of vision toward both action and effort. Lincoln understood that there was a national relationship that must be fostered and developed with his military. Lincoln's leadership of not only his Army of the Potomac but also his cabinet illuminate an example of what a unifying philosophy can provide to a system of balance that exists by design in the U.S. civil-military construct."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Allen, David P.
2017
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US-Russian Cooperation in the Post Cold War Environment
From the abstract: "At a time when many are considering how the United States will fight the Russians, this monograph explores, instead, the history of US-Russian cooperation in the post-Cold War era and analyzes the acceptability of US-Russian cooperation, the substance of US-Russian cooperation, and the elements of US-Russian cooperation for the year 2017 and beyond. The author begins by recounting the many examples of cooperation during the Cold War and continues with a summary of cooperation during the administrations of George H.W. Bush through Barack H. Obama. He proceeds to answer three questions related to the prospects of future cooperation between the United States and the Russian Federation: Should the United States cooperate with Russia? On what should the United States and Russia cooperate? What principles should guide United States cooperation with Russia? Through his analysis, the author finds that despite the often tumultuous and increasingly adversarial relationship, cooperation has remained a consistent feature of US-Russian relations. Moreover, he identifies a number of characteristics of Russian behavior and foreign policy, some in evidence during the tsarist period, which continue to influence the United States' dealings with Russia today. As the author describes, US-Russian cooperation since the end of the Cold War has steadily deteriorated to the point at which some now characterize the relationship as being even worse than it was during the Cold War. Nevertheless, the author concludes that both countries will continue to seek ways to cooperate, but after forging a new relationship during the first two decades of the post-Cold War era and striving to preserve a troubled relationship during the third, the United States now must reinvent the relationship amid a significantly changed operating environment."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Davis, Jeffrey S.
2017
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Operation Dragoon: Unified Land Operations and Elements of Operational Art in Southern France
From the abstract: "Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France on August 15, 1944, is one of the least celebrated, yet highly successful operations conducted by the Allies on the Western front during World War II. Allied planners initially proposed an amphibious invasion of Southern France in support of the cross-channel invasion during the Trident Conference in Washington, DC in May 1943. Allied planners revisited Operation Dragoon several times over the next twelve months, as it remained a divisive issue between the Americans and the British. Their divergent strategic goals and the limited resources to meet these goals resulted in frequent changes and cancellations, but ultimately the operation went forward.Operation Dragoon was a supporting operation to the Allies' main effort in Normandy. The operation had two primary purposes: to force the German forces in France to fight in two directions and to give Allied forces access to the vital port facilities at Marseilles and Toulon. Operation Dragoon achieved far more success than anticipated. The Germans failed to anticipate the landings and form a viable defense, leaving them with only the option to withdraw. As the Germans began to retreat, American and French forces began an aggressive pursuit. In less than four weeks they caused the Germans to sustain a loss of over 150,000 casualties while liberating a large portion of Southern France. This monograph seeks to provide insight into various elements of today's concept of operational art and the US Army's operational doctrine expressed in Army Doctrine Publication (ADP) 3-0, Unified Land Operations (ULO). By identifying and analyzing similar methods employed in making Operation Dragoon a success, this monograph identifies ways in which the success of the operation can inform future operational planners."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Cuff, Justin M.
2017
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Duke of Wellington's Command of the Spanish Army in the Peninsular War
From the thesis abstract: "In the post-World War 2 era of limited warfare, coalition operations have become the norm. The building and employment of these coalitions is complex, but hardly a new issue. Following the occupation of Spain by the French in 1808 and the crushing defeats of the Spanish army thereafter, the British intervened in the Peninsula to maintain Portuguese sovereignty. Because of the limited Anglo-Portuguese manpower, when the military objective changed to driving the French from Spain a coalition with the Spanish government and employment of Spanish troops became necessary to match French strength. This paper examines the political jockeying and contentious issues surrounding Wellington being named the commander of the Spanish army in the fall of 1812 and the challenges in employing and rebuilding the Spanish effectiveness to employ them as part of the allied force."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Martin, Timothy
2017
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Russian Weaponization of Information and Influence in the Baltic States
From the thesis abstract: "Russian soft power and non-military information influence pose significant threats to the integrity of NATO in the Baltic States. Russian media, disinformation, and propaganda, manipulation of political processes, infiltration of Russian language education, and organization of ethnic Russians through formal and informal foreign policy structures may destabilize the Baltic States to the point that Russia can justify military intervention, presenting NATO with a strategic dilemma in the Baltics leading to protracted warfare or dissolution of the alliance. Soviet-style 'Active Measures' present challenges reminiscent to those faced during the Cold War, with an asymmetric advantage wielded by a regime intent on maintaining domestic stability while conducting propaganda and disinformation campaigns, thus increasing control over domestic information content and flow. Free societies in the West must account for independent media and for the likelihood that observers will believe the disinformation. These challenges require nuanced and comprehensive strategies that address nefarious influence while preventing escalation between the US and NATO against a revanchist and increasingly authoritarian Russia."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Marler, Scott W.
2016-12
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Credibility of the Threat from a Radiological Dispersal Device by Terrorists Within the United States
"A radiological dispersal device (RDD) employed within the United States (US) could cause injury or death, create public panic, incur large cleanup costs, and disrupt governance and commerce. Shortly after the attack on September 11, there was much speculation within media and government about the threat of an RDD employed within the US. Although media interest eventually turned to other news, the question remained: 'How credible is the threat of an RDD employed by terrorists within the US?' This research compared five case studies to analyze motivations, RDD effects, accessibility of radioactive materials, and obstacles to RDD employment. The five case studies include Al Qaeda's pursuit of RDDs or nuclear devices; a Chechen rebel radiological attack in Ismailovsky Park; the attempt by the 'Radiological Boy Scout' to construct a breeder reactor; the Samut Prakarn, Thailand cobalt-60 accident; and the Chernobyl reactor accident. Trends emerging from cross-case analysis identified challenges and opportunities from a terrorist perspective. The study concluded that improved intelligence and investigations, improvements in radiological source security, and the deployment of a detection architecture have so far deterred RDD employment. However, to prevent a future RDD attack, support of programs to prevent or thwart radiological terrorism should continue."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Schwemmer, Elizabeth A.
2016-10-06
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China's War by Other Means: Unveiling China's Quest for Information Dominance
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis adds to the body of knowledge and scholarly literature by attempting to illuminate China's communication strategy during three historical military engagements, as well as analyze research from leading experts in China's information operations. This topic is significant to the military profession and other scholars because China executes communication strategy using methods which may not be widely understood by information practitioners. China achieves objectives through the use of Diplomacy, Information, Military and Economic (DIME) National Instruments of Power (IOP) in ways United States leaders may not fully comprehend. China attempted communication strategy in each of the following engagements, and executed plans differently each time. The research questions addressed in this thesis are as follows: To what degree did China plan its communication strategy before and during: China's land invasion into Vietnam in 1979; the Taiwan Strait crisis in 1996; and the Chinese anti-satellite missile test in 2007?" "A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE General Studies"
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Sullivan, Teresa L.
2016-09-06
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Seven Times Around a City: The Evolution of Israeli Operational Art in Urban Operations
From the monograph abstract: "The nature of a city's organized space and the resulting dynamism create difficulties for a commander striving to maintain control of forces and respond intelligently to threats. Corning to grips with this is difficult, but can be done as the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) demonstrated. The IDF have consistently faced these challenges more than any other western-style military. They have struggled with the dilemma of preparing for state-centric maneuver war while remaining ready for asymmetric non-state forces in an urban environment. By tracing the evolution of the IDF's operational art in urban warfare, military planners have a vital reference point for how western rnilitaries have responded to these challenges. From the 1982 siege of Beirut, to the recent forays into the Gaza Strip, the IDF engaged in a series of urban campaigns against asymmetric adversaries who adapted rapidly and exploited the urban environment to their advantage. The study evaluates the changing IDF understanding of a city's physical space, how it contests the information domain, and its operations process over time. Ultimately, it finds that the IDF developed the boldness to re-image the space of a cityscape, to contest their adversary's hold on global audiences, and to learn as they fight."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Moerbe, Wesley A.
2016-06-26
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Hybrid Warfare: How to Shape Special Operations Forces
From the Abstract: "The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its allies are faced with hybrid threats, which frame Europe's and NATO's current and future security environment. One of the significant aims of the current hybrid threats posed by Russia is to create a situation where NATO and its allies cannot succeed. The thesis examines and discusses hybrid warfare with the effort to identify the general characteristics of hybrid threats and warfare to provide crucial understanding of the current security environment and reflect on possible required instruments that play significant roles in the hybrid war. The thesis mainly reflects on events that took place since the millennium and focuses on the effectiveness of efforts concerning potential hybrid warfare threats. The thesis does not provide ideal solutions to the problem, nor does it propose very concrete and narrow approaches to the issue. The thesis does not suggest any doctrinal changes for hybrid warfare. Neither does it suggest any direct changes to the current force structure within NATO Special Operations Forces (SOF). This paper seeks relations between hybrid warfare and NATO SOF as the primary, but not lone, military means of hybrid warfare."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Vaczi, Norbert
2016-06-10
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Effects of the Boko Haram Insurgency Group in West and Central Africa
From the thesis abstract: "Demonstrated by the last decade of conflict, the next adversary the U.S. military will contend against will be unconventional. Often, these unconventional threats begin small in size and limited in scope of influence. However, when the host nation government ineffectively controls these threats, international military intervention is usually required. Boko Haram (BH) is one of these insurgent groups that began small and later spread outside the control of their host government. Today, BH has expanded its operational reach outside of Nigeria and inside the neighboring countries of Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. Due to Nigeria's inability to combat it, BH is now affecting the social, economic, and military aspects of governance in these four countries. Consequently, the U.S. military is now required to assist these African countries in combatting BH. Since 2013, the U.S. military conducted five phase zero operations against BH. It is the purpose of this thesis to determine what effects, if any, BH had on the governments of these four case countries. Understanding these effects will provide important insight into why the affected countries were alone incapable of combatting BH and what future U.S. military phase zero operations must occur in order to achieve successful intervention."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Nicholson, Andrew D.
2016-06-10
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How Can Improvements Be Made to the United States Metrorail System (With a Focus on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metrorail System) to Enhance Safety for Its Riders
From the thesis abstract: "An estimated 4,000,000,000 of Americans use Metrorail mass transit on an annual basis, with 271,160,000 of those riders using the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail system. With frequent accidents and crimes happening on these systems, the need for rider safety has dramatically increased. The research question investigates Metrorail accidents that resulted in injuries of its riders, loss of equipment, and the costs associated. These accidents are results of equipment malfunctions, operator error, and command and control functions within the administration. The need for rider safety is a security concern for all riders involved, whether it is citizens commuting to work, families traveling into the National Capital Region, or tourists that are traveling to visit the Nations Capital. The public opinion of the WMATA Metrorail system has been on a gradual decline over the years due to the accidents, current system malfunctions, and rising commuter costs."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Wallen, Kevin R.
2016-06-10
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Innovation from the Sea: A Net Assessment of the Development of U.S. Navy Unmanned Aerial System Policy
From the thesis abstract: "The U.S. Navy's contributions to the development of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) since the dawn of aviation are well documented, but the policy driving these developments remains historically under-examined. The goal of this thesis, therefore, is to perform a net assessment of how the Navy has both adopted and modified its policy regarding UAS development and employment since the advent of the technology, from the early years of aviation to the present day. In order to form a thorough and objective argument, the research examines the Navy's specific approach to UAS policy across this time period from an operational, political, and intra-service perspective. Based on the research conducted in this thesis, the Navy's approach to UAS policy and its subsequent integration were influenced by external political pressures, perceived enemy threats, the limitations of unmanned aerial technology, and most significantly, internal community discord and weak advocacy. Despite the challenges of imposed 'jointness' on multi-service UAS development by Congress, the threat posed by Soviet capabilities, and the technological challenges of operating in a maritime environment, the most significant impediment to the Navy's integration of UAS has been the Navy itself. However, in the face of growing anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) threats, the Navy must actively work to overcome its intrinsic biases towards UAS in order to leverage both manned and unmanned assets to meet the challenges of the 21st century."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Marzluff, Daniel M.
2016-06-10
