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Small Arms and Asymmetric Threats"The US response to an asymmetric threat must be an improvement over what has historically been the case. It is arguable that at least three small arms developmental strategies should be adopted. These strategies would permit flexible small arms applications and make the force adaptable in combat at distances from arms-length to roughly 300 meters. First, small arms must overmatch the threat's lethality in close quarters battle while minimizing collateral damage. Second, small arms must continue to overmatch the threat in conventional battle. Third, small arms must be effective against nonparadigmatic shadow threats such as terrorists, drug cartel operatives and transnational criminals. Should US small arms overmatch the threat at long range, the threat will likely seek combat in an urban or heavily wooded area to negate that advantage. The threat could also attempt to erode confidence in weapon systems with the goal of compromising faith in those who manufacture them, the government who supplies them, those who use them and the purpose for which they are employed. Today's pursuit of offensive and defensive technologies--and the under- or over-reliance on them by either the threat or the United States--may well determine whether the US military can successfully deter or defeat future threats. The article also presents likely technological trends that might produce significant improvements in threat small arms from now until the year 2020."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeSmall, Stephen C.2000-11
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Intelligent Agents in the Command Post"The decisions commanders, staff officers and warfighters make are driven by education, training, experience and personal preference. A lifetime of learning allows them to set goals, assess conditions, identify and evaluate alternatives, and make quick, complex decisions. The human mind can make remarkable decisions under extraordinary conditions--an ability technology lacks. This article introduces another decision-making tool for commanders: A computerized intelligent agent is programmed with lessons learned from classrooms and training. The software runs on the same computers that are used to type memos and create briefing slides. When asked to explain a decision, most people point out one or two fragments of key information. They generally find it difficult to generate a thorough list of salient facts quickly or establish the relationships between those facts. Furthermore, thoroughly explaining how one reached a specific decision often falls far short of providing a general solution. So, how can a subject matter expert (SME), with no knowledge engineering experience and very limited support from a knowledge engineer, train an intelligent agent to solve problems? To answer this question we developed the Disciple theory, methodology and learning shell, in which the SME teaches the agent to perform various tasks that an expert would teach an apprentice. The agent learns directly from the expert, building and refining its knowledge base. Over several years increasingly advanced intelligent agents have emerged from the Disciple family. Our long-term vision is to develop a capability that will allow typical computer users to build and maintain intelligent agents and knowledge bases as easily as they use personal computers for text processing or electronic mail. This research intends to change intelligent agents from being programmed by a knowledge engineer to being taught by an SME."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeBowman, Michael; Tecuci, Gheorghe; Boicu, Mihai2001-03
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Hawaii's Homeland Security"The attacks of 11 September 2001 did not fit the popular paradigm of terrorist attack. No one expected U.S. Armed Forces to fight their next war on U.S. soil. The author describes steps U.S. Army, Pacific in conjunction with federal, state, and local governments and agencies are taking to deter or respond to terrorism in the Hawaiian Islands. JRAC-HI worked with state civil defense to develop a civilian version of the military's force-protection condition rating system for use in civilian communities. Within 30 days of 11 September, Hawaii established a color-coded system that the Office of Homeland Security used as the model to develop the national Security Alert System. What is being done in Hawaii is a microcosm of what Director of Homeland Security Tom Ridge is facing on a national scale."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeWhelden, Craig B.2002-05
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Russia's Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons"While US-funded programs brought many nuclear weapons into secure storage facilities, two questions arose regarding Russia's unilateral initiatives. The first concern was weapons security and unauthorized transfers to third parties. The second concern was Russian military plans for the other half of its surface-to-air missile warheads, tactical naval warheads and bombs. The emerging answer relates to Russian threat perceptions, national security policy and military doctrine. It also invokes a larger geostrategic issue: was the post-Cold War era of proclaimed strategic partnership ending and a new, interwar era in Russia's relations with the West beginning, in which preventing preventing war gave way to preparing for war?" The authors developed algorithms for nuclear use to reinterpret the quantitative and qualitative ratios of strategic and nonstrategic conventional and nuclear arms and to improve performance in nuclear destruction missions. They identified three situations for employing nuclear weapons: Enemy use of weapons of mass destruction or evidence of immediate preparations to do so; Enemy effect against strategic (not just military) installations, even by conventional weapons; and a threat to disrupt stability of a strategic defense. Strategic nuclear forces remain the main means of deterrence, but the presence of nonstrategic nuclear weapons offers a chance (although fragile) to prevent the avalanche-like transformation of a regional conflict into an unlimited global use of nuclear weapons. Russia has good reason to abandon the existing unilateral regime for nonstrategic nuclear weapons and will not likely embrace a formal bilateral or multilateral version of it without concessions from the United States and NATO on other arms-control issues. Russia's isolation and NATO's willful disregard of its interests confirmed the assumptions of NATO hostility that only a few years before had been confined to the extreme nationalist and communist circles.U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeKipp, Jacob W.2001-07
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Strategic Asymmetry"Military strategists and commanders must think in terms of psychological precision as well-structuring a military operation to shape the attitudes, beliefs and perceptions among the enemy and other observers, whether local noncombatants or global audiences. [Asymmetric approaches] generally seek a major psychological impact, such as shock or confusion that affects an opponent's initiative, freedom of action or will. This article addresses both positive and negative asymmetry. Asymmetric methods require an appreciation of an opponent's vulnerabilities. Asymmetric approaches often employ innovative, nontraditional tactics, weapons or technologies and can be applied at all levels of warfare--strategic, operational and tactical--and across the spectrum of military operations. This latest official definition of asymmetry expanded official thinking but has two shortcomings: it is specific to the current strategic environment and US security situation, and it deals primarily with what an opponent might do to the United States rather than giving equal weight to how the US military might use asymmetry against its opponents. Positive asymmetry will continue to provide the US military with advantages over most enemies. However, effectiveness of asymmetric threats sooner or later declines as the enemy adjusts. By maximizing conceptual and organizational adaptability and flexibility, the US military can assure that it will rapidly counter emerging asymmetric threats and speed the process that renders asymmetric threats insignificant or ineffective. The military that develops new concepts and organizations more quickly than its opponents has a decided advantage. Even so, DOD should continue to refine its understanding of asymmetric challenges. A more general and complete definition of asymmetry is needed as a foundation for doctrine and for integrating maximum adaptability and flexibility, focused intelligence, minimal vulnerability, full-dimension precision and integrated homeland security into US security strategy."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeMetz, Steven, 1956-2001-07
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GPS Vulnerabilities"For centuries explorers have navigated by fixed stars. Today our increasingly expeditionary military navigates by orbiting emitters. Satellites enable flexible communication and precise navigation that were unimaginable a generation ago. Space-based technologies reach down into everyday military business so much that interrupted service immediately and fundamentally degrades operations. The author describes various threats to US satellites, systems that use their signals and a military that depends on falling stars. Before entering the 21st century dependent on space-based systems and commercially developed information-technology based systems, the US military must understand its capabilities, limitations and vulnerabilities. Dual-use and off-the-shelf technologies offer real advantages and are especially cost effective. However, they have serious disadvantages: (1) Dual use means that both civilian and military users employ the same technology. Technology training, documentation and product improvements are also available to potential adversaries. (2) Off-the-shelf merchandise provides civilian and military users with nearly identical systems. Systems designed to operate in a much less stringent peacetime environment could be chosen rather than those designed for combat. (3) States, political movements and individuals can obtain current military technology without costly research, development, manufacture, training capacity or espionage. A practical solution can possibly be found in a proposal now under study to use small-size, opticoelectronic, radar and electronic reconnaissance satellites that can be quickly manufactured and launched by light booster rockets during crises. These satellites will conduct reconnaissance with worse resolution than current methods. However, this is only a partial solution since it does not solve the problem of other satellites used for communications and navigation. Whatever their ultimate form, solutions to space vulnerabilities must enable the US military's information dominance."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeAdams, Thomas K.2001-03
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Asymmetry and Adaptive Command"Planning, training and adapting are three complementary ways a country prepares for war. A strong, deliberate planning culture developed during the Cold War in large and important segments of the military, particularly in Europe, Korea and Washington. In addition to deliberate planning methods, equally strong processes were established to support intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB). A sophisticated training method was developed to complement the deliberate planning process. The deliberate planning process yielded decisions at the strategic and operational levels of war. The output of deliberate planning, the operation plan (OPLAN), was input to training events. Plan execution--including daily, tactical planning--was the training focus. The deliberate planning process emphasizes plan development; a separate training methodology was developed to exercise plan execution. Perhaps the most insidious consequence of training focused on plan execution is that strategic, operational and tactical echelons all are trained in the tactical time context. A useful way to summarize the changed environment is the dramatic shift in balance between what is fixed (relatively certain) and what is variable (relatively uncertain). Not knowing the actors and conditions in advance requires adaptable organizations and processes to cope with emerging threats. Adaptations must continue throughout military missions. Centering learning in the user chain of command will produce organizations that can more readily adapt and more effectively lead long-term combat development rather than be its belated recipient. Combat developers must more actively convert lessons learned in operational commands to doctrine, organization and training. Combat developers must produce a more diverse playbook of combined arms at the lowest tactical levels and coping mechanisms at higher-level commands. But, combat development is conducted principally by services and branches within them. When competing for acquisition funds, branches dominate combined arms organizations, and services dominate joint organizations. Only leadership, another precious resource, can overcome the inevitable imbalance accompanying the flow of money. More important, to overcome limitations that standard patterns of behavior often place on government action, adaptation must become a hallmark of US military behavior."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeWorley, D. Robert (Duane Robert), 1949-2001-07
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Deciphering Asymmetry's Word Game"The terms 'asymmetry', 'asymmetric warfare', 'asymmetric approaches', and 'asymmetric options' are popular sound bites found in many military journals today. Asymmetric-related terms are commonly associated with a potential opponent's operations or actions against US interests or forces. The attacks are commonly described as chemical, biological, nuclear, terrorist or information attacks, or attacks against weak points. Arguably, these attacks are not asymmetric. In fact, except for the terrorist example, these are symmetrical attacks. The United States has chemical, biological, nuclear and information means; therefore, such attacks cannot be asymmetric. The asymmetric aspect of a chemical, nuclear, information or traditional attack actually relates to asymmetries in capabilities, reliance, vulnerabilities and values. The capabilities of certain forces--some information systems can shut down command and control systems and prevent nuclear systems from launching--constitute one variable. A nation's reliance on a particular system is another. For example, both sides can have information weapons, but one side may rely more on them than the other. The vulnerability of a system or platform's performance parameters, operating principles or situational context is another asymmetric opening, the one most often associated with weak spots. Finally, cultural values determine whether a nation will or will not use one of these methods. Many authors consider asymmetry to be the ability to exploit situations by attacking weak points or using nontraditional approaches in unexpected ways. These vulnerabilities can be uncovered by using a specific methodology to examine a situation. The methodology uses one of four means: performance parameters; situational context; operating principles and rules of engagement; and will. The focus in the end, however, should be on how to attack and defend enemy and friendly vulnerabilities."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeThomas, Timothy L.2001-07
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Janusian Thinking and Acting"While the concept of asymmetry has been presented often in professional literature, it remains ill-understood from the strategy::operations::tactics paradigm because this paradigm considers that we need better, not necessarily different, thinking and acting. . . What we really need is an alternative paradigm that gives us a new and better way of thinking and acting. . . . The preferred paradigm is Janusian. Linearly focused (schismogenic) thinking and acting--the methods of the current strategic paradigm--explains and rejects alternative hypotheses purposefully and sequentially. In other words, linear thinking and acting disallow the existence of contradiction. The proposed alternative Janusian thinking suggests that information processing is paradoxical, considers multiple time orientations, and is nonlinear. The basic Janusian model for thinking and acting is arranged in a four-square--A, B, C, and D--the arrows depicting the struggles for dominance in one or more quadrants. It provides a complex, four-way, interdependent, interactive model for thinking and acting that goes beyond the traditional linear processing associated with strategy, operations, and tactics and helps us understand what we could not decipher or comprehend. In today's conflict, terrorists control the environment, a B quadrant activity, yet the United States has been responding bureaucratically, a type D response. Forming the Homeland Security Office, tightening airport and airplane security, and screening mail are all bureaucratic responses to the type B environment. The Janusian framework requires formulating new and complex recipes for thinking and acting in multiple patterns rather than embracing a singular one. Instead of using a linear thinking model to decide between competing values, the trick is to find a positive zone among them by using a nonlinear thinking model. New forms of organizing, such as the highly flexible network organizations, require a new power structure, something that the military culture may find inconceivable: rank and hierarchical positional authority would have to give way to expert power and lateral forms of leadership." The authors maintain that the current U.S. approach to military operations--strategic, operational, and tactical--is too linear for today's contemporary operating environment. They argue that future warfighters must move beyond linear thought and action to a realm of thinking and acting that recognizes and accepts paired yet opposite ideas and actions: "Look before you leap" and at the same time understand that "he who hesitates is lost."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegePaparone, Christopher R.; Crupi, James A. (James Andrew), 1948-
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America's Frontier Wars: Lessons for Asymmetric ConflictsThe author takes a look at America's Frontier Wars, including the second Seminole War of 1835-1842, King Philip's War of 1675-1676, Pontiac's War in 1763, and the 1755 battle in which Major General Edward Braddock lost his life to a small French and Indian force, as they can apply to modern-day challenges. "While asymmetric warfare is not something new, it is very much in vogue today in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War. Given America's resounding success in that conflict, potential adversaries have learned Iraq's lesson that it is foolish to try to match us conventionally. Instead, they are seeking ways to turn our strengths against us. This is the heart of the concept of asymmetry, broadly defined by Steven Metz and Douglas Johnson of the US Army War college as: 'In the realm of military affairs and national security, asymmetry is acting, organizing, and thinking differently than opponents in order to maximize one's own advantages, exploit an opponent's weaknesses, attain the initiative, or gain greater freedom of action.' US forces will have to contend with greater uncertainty in the field as adversaries mask the size, location, disposition and intentions of their forces. They will seek to convince US commanders that they are using conventional tactics while making us vulnerable to unconventional, adaptive and asymmetrical actions. At the heart of asymmetry is the assumption that an adversary will choose to attack the weakest point. In the case of the United States, asymmetric tools may well entail terrorist acts, with or without nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, on the US homeland designed to disrupt deployments, limit access, erode public support and take the fight to the American people. In some respects, this homeland tactic is not new. Beginning with King Philip's War, the New England Indians abandoned their traditional restraints and prepared to wage total war on all of the colonists, making no distinction between combatant and non-combatant.13 Attacks on Americans using weapons of mass destruction take these homeland tactics to a new level. Because of the devastation of these attacks and the interest of many potential adversaries in acquiring these capabilities, the United States must develop strategies for preventing and responding to such an occurrence. The cyber threat now facing the United States is equally compelling and risks both the effectiveness of US forces on the battlefield and the safety of private and government systems throughout the United States. Recent Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed cyber warfare exercises like ELIGIBLE RECEIVER and ZENITH STAR showed how vulnerable command and control networks are to cyber attacks, a prime asymmetric target given the US military's continued reliance on information technology. Moreover, there are now approximately 30 nations that have developed aggressive computer-warfare programs."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeSkelton, Isaac Newton2001-09
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Attack on America: First War of the 21st CenturyThe terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 rocked the nation in ways that will reverberate for years. The authors discuss how these attacks signal shifts in the modus operandi of international terrorism--shifts in purpose, organization, weapons, and capability. The 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the 2000 attack on the USS Cole are examples of asymmetric or asynchronous acts carried out by an adaptive and thinking opponent who continually studies the strengths and weaknesses of his perceived enemy and adapts his operations accordingly. These attacks were not without a larger purpose. They are part of an ongoing campaign that is likely to continue and expand. Terrorists stress adaptation and flexibility to preserve their organization and ensure their continued power. They conduct strategic operations to degrade U.S. national will, fracture alliances and coalitions, and limit the scope of U.S. involvement abroad. Their ability to adapt faster than defensive measures can complicate U.S. efforts to remain in the strategic defensive. Operations conducted without discernible frequency or patterns require the United States to maintain a socially, politically, and economically expensive posture of constant readiness, which itself does not guarantee success. Intelligence operations assist in reducing the need for constant readiness but are not infallible and must be flexible, adaptive, and broad in scope. Taking the strategic offensive can eliminate an opponent, but it requires exceptional intelligence and an adaptive force capable of fighting on a battlefield of unprecedented complexity, fluidity, and lethality. These challenges can only be met by creating an adaptable military force capable of dominating this environment.U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeShaughnessy, David J.; Cowan, Thomas M.2001-11
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Prototypes for Targeting America: A Soviet Assessment"In the wake of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States and the IN subsequent series of anthrax exposure incidents, U.S. attention to homeland security and force protection has taken on new urgency. The apparent depth of research, planning, and preparation underlying those attacks underscored anew the ways in which a state or nonstate adversary could measure and classify U.S. vulnerabilities and targeting options. But for decades another entity--the Soviet Union--carefully studied the U.S. homeland and its war-supporting resources from a targeting perspective. At the beginning of 1989, the profound changes that would shape the international security environment over the next decade were just beginning to take more solid form. The Soviet Union was in the process of withdrawing from its failed 9-year occupation of Afghanistan. At the same time, Soviet troop reductions in Eastern Europe and in the Soviet Union itself were gaining momentum, and fault lines within the Warsaw Pact became more visible. Force projection would depend even more than in the past on the effective performance of the Continental United States (CONUS) mobilization base. An adversary's successful attack on key CONUS war-supporting infrastructure could disrupt the timely preparation, deployment, and sustainment of military forces and materiel; endanger the achievement of U.S. strategic goals in remote conflict areas; and possibly damage public confidence and resolve. FORSCOM saw a pressing need to accomplish the following: Identify possible targets that hostile forces could attack using a range of capabilities. Develop estimates of the impact that target loss or damage would have on supporting the war-fighting commanders in chief. Determine the total force requirements necessary to protect these potential targets, including civil authorities' ability to protect these targets from attack and the military forces necessary to augment civil authorities. The study was based on previously restricted GRU publications, declassified Soviet instructional and concept papers, and other material. The basic findings, set out in this article, remain relevant as a model of how adversaries can access open sources and integrate acquired information on critical CONUS assets."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeTurbiville, Graham Hall2002-01
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Installation Antiterrorism Force-Protection Planning"Military installations are particularly high-value targets for terrorists. They are, in fact, small cities that provide homes for service members, their families, and critical tenant organizations. Military installations are important to the country's defense, and the psychological and political impact an attack on an installation would create makes them prime targets for terrorist attacks. The object of protecting an installation and all of its resources from terrorism is to stop it before it transpires or to respond quickly to mitigate its effects. This objective places installation antiterrorism force protection (AT/FP) into an operational context. The military decision-making process (MDMP), a tactical planning tool, can also help installation commanders and their staffs develop comprehensive, synchronized AT/FP plans. This article overviews installation AT/FP and considers the MDMP from an installation AT/FP perspective."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeFlynn, Michael J.2002-03
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Information-Age 'De-Terror-ence'"The 11 September 2001 attacks on America radically changed the way nations and international organizations think about terrorism. For example, President George W. Bush stated that the United States would begin a long war against terrorism, and Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld received extra budget concessions for the counterterrorism fight. For the first time in history NATO implemented Article 5 of the 1949 Washington Treaty, which recognizes that an attack against one NATO member should be considered an attack against all members. This lifted the political constraints normally associated with using the military to fight terrorism. As the investigation unfolded, the power of information-age tools, such as the Internet, as a terrorist planning and execution asset was exposed. The information revolution's promise of globalization and its implicit lower communication costs and integrated economies has other, more sinister, uses when placed in terrorists' hands. This article defines terrorism in the information age and examines how information enables terrorists to further their goals. Recommendations are also offered as a 'de-terror-ence' policy to fight this new threat."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeThomas, Timothy L.2002-01
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Post 9/11 Initiatives and the Army Reserve Component"The US Army Reserve Component (RC), consisting of both the Army National Guard (ARNG) and United States Army Reserve (USAR), has evolved significantly in the wake of 9/11. More specifically, the Army RC has transformed from a strategic to an operational reserve in order to support sustained deployments. Three significant initiatives have directly impacted the Army RC as it reorganizes into an operational force: modular brigade design and employment, standardized Army force generation (ARFORGEN) and increased emphasis towards providing civil support to the homeland. These initiatives provide the foundation for this thesis as the author reviews the impact they have had on the Army RC. This thesis explores three distinct courses of action (COAs) for Army RC force structure based on the 2015 modular force structure design. The author concludes that conditions have been met to fully integrate the USAR into the ARNG and proposes a force structure design to facilitate the integration saving money and manpower while enhancing capabilities for both homeland security and defense."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeChitwood, Mark A.2009
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Innovative Learning: A Key to National Security"This book reflects work by the members of the International Transformation (ITX) Chairs Network and is the fourth book in a series covering transformation across the spectrum of government activities. This book and its immediate predecessor examine the implications of various approaches to learning for different aspects of national security. […] The ITX Chairs' basic approach starts by examining particular issues through interactions among people, organizations, processes and technology. In this volume, each of the chapters includes multiple components. Three of the chapters primarily deal with people's interactions with learning processes, three with organizations and process, and four with technology and processes."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeDoughty, Ralph; Wells, Linton, 1946-; Hailes, Theodore C., 1942-2015
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Social and Political Consequences of Another Stateless Generation in the Middle East"A stateless person is someone who is not considered as a national by any state under the operation of the law. The problem of statelessness has devastating impacts on the lives of at least ten million people around the world. Statelessness may occur for a variety of reasons, including discrimination against particular ethnic or religious groups and conflict leading to large numbers of displaced persons. Statelessness has serious consequences as stateless persons are often denied basic human rights such as identity documents, employment, education, and access to health services. It also contributes to political and social tensions in fragile states around the world. The exclusion and denial of rights to large populations due to statelessness may lead to radicalization and violent extremism among marginalized populations. Statelessness is not only a human rights and development issue; it is also an important issue for the future security and stability of the Middle East region."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeDible, Jeri L.2016-02-23
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Cultural Perspectives, Geopolitics & Energy Security of Eurasia: Is the Next Global Conflict Imminent?From the Foreword: "Geopolitics and the socio-cultural aspects of regional affairs continue to change at a rapid pace. Military decisions that directly affect strategic outcomes rely heavily on cohesively understanding the operating environment and associated regional cultures of our allies and our adversaries. Army leaders at all echelons must be able to recognize and adapt in stride or ahead of these geopolitical and cultural changes in the operating environment and understand how they can directly affect broader mission outcomes. The US Army's Culture, Regional Expertise, and Language (CREL) Program provides a mechanism for the Army to prepare for its premier land force to operate within a region's indigenous cultures. This anthology, 'Cultural Perspectives, Geopolitics & Energy Security of Eurasia: Is the Next Global Conflict Imminent?' Volume 1, written under the auspices of the CREL Management Office (CRELMO), provides insight and observations on the importance of the Eurasia region, including Russia and other countries of the former USSR [Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]. The articles that make up this work provide a detailed description of regional realities, including a contextual discussion of the current Ukraine situation, viewed through the prism of Russia's traditional military-strategic culture. As with all countries in the Eurasian region, Russia's traditional strategic interests play a critical role in the geopolitical and socio-cultural situation in that region. The insights offered in this volume are important for Army professionals who lead Soldiers in a variety of missions across the globe. The anthology goes beyond the obvious military strategic nexus and seeks to identify new spaces for consideration by planners and policymakers alike."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeIbrahimov, Mahir J.; Otto, Gustav A.; Gentile, Lee G., Jr.2017
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U.S. Army Special Forces Roles in Asymmetric WarfareThe U.S. National Security Strategy is the basis of a preventive solution through global engagement, which fosters international interoperability and cooperation to defeat complex asymmetric threats. The study examined how U. S. Army Special Forces can advance this interoperability and cooperation, and identified three evolving roles; Strike Force, Warrior Diplomats, and Global Scouts. As they transition into the 21st century, the central research question is: will U.S. Army Special Forces need to redefine themselves in terms of mission, doctrine, training, or organization as a result of their evolving roles conditioned by an asymmetric threat environment? The study examined the relevance of core, collateral, and emerging missions. It concluded that basic SF doctrine remains sound, but the changing environment and evolving roles of SF will call for a certain amount of refinement. Tactics, techniques, and procedures will change as new technologies are introduced into SF organizations, but emphasis on the human element remains essential, and SF core competencies and warrior skills must be preserved. The study concluded with recommendations to preserve the relevance and efficiency of SF as the premier mechanism for extending U.S. influence in a world of increased global interaction, required to meet security needs.U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeDinter, Heinz P., Jr.2001
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Hybrid Warfare: How to Shape Special Operations ForcesFrom 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 CollegeVaczi, Norbert2016-06-10
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Mali and Nigeria Should be Established as Key Regional Partners of the United States to Further Mutual Interests for Ensuring Long-Term Security and Stability in the Sahel Region"The West African Sahel, which covers from North to West the Southern Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger and Mauritania, has developed over time into a region of significant geopolitical importance. Developed countries motivated either by the Sahel's reserves of strategic resources became involved in the region but now find it necessary to protect their interests and homelands from a variety of hybrid threats manifesting as international terrorism, migrant flow into Europe, or transnational trafficking of South American cocaine, and arms. These problems become more complex when grafted onto endogenous issues such governance, corruption, extreme poverty, climate change and famine, as well as a more urbanized populations--with marginalized fringes that tend to turn to violence within a context of conflicting interests. The West African Sahel therefore appears as a fertile ground for the expansion of threats, which if left uncheck, will destabilize the fragile Sahel countries and threaten the Western world. Local issues become magnified as state, non-state actors and criminal networks compete for hegemonic control over the region. This thesis presents a realistic analysis of the West African Sahel situation. It then argues from better understanding of the region that Western countries and their Sahel counterparts must produce a better security cooperation framework for containing hybrid threats, securing and stabilizing the West African Sahel while furthering mutual interests."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeSamake, Bekaye2016-06
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U.S. Counterterrorism Strategy: Addressing Radical Ideologies"This thesis examines the U.S. Counterterrorism Strategy and National Security Strategy in regards to combating adversaries driven by radical ideologies. This study focuses on Al-Qaeda and The Islamic State's strategic campaigns to propagate their radical Islamist ideology and the spread of violent extremism. This study will evaluate the adequacy of the U.S. counterterrorism strategy in combating radicalization; will analyze the effectiveness and legitimacy of preemptive and preventive approaches to countering terrorist and implications on society. There is little understanding of radicalization. Al-Qaeda and its affiliates subscribe to jihadism, an Islamic extremist ideology, to incite violent attacks against American targets. Violence and terrorism are the foundation of Islamic extremists and serve to unify and legitimize their movement. This study suggests that while the U.S. Counterterrorism Strategy addresses radicalization, it does not provide an institutionalized mechanism to prevent violent extremism. The U.S. government needs to re-evaluate the application of hard and soft power when combating terrorists fueled by radical ideologies. Additionally, the U.S. law enforcement agencies need to cooperate in maintaining a balance between civil liberties and public safety to avoid undermining community outreach efforts to counter violent radicalization and terrorism."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeBenson, Barbara P.2015-10
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Programmatic Integration of Cyber into the Institutional Domain of Leader Development"This thesis will assess the institutional domain of leader development in relation to cyberspace education and the implications of poorly integrating cyberspace into leader development. Cyberspace plays an integral role in communications, information, electricity, economics, and our nation's defense. Cyberspace is a great opportunity but it is also a threat. Cybersecurity is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation, but one that we as a government or as a country are not adequately prepared to counter. A cross case comparative analysis was used to identify what cyber leader development the Army's Training and Doctrine Command is currently implementing within Army learning institutions, and compare that emerging program to historical cases of other leader development programs created in response to technologies that changed how the Army developed its leaders in the past. The examination of curriculum from Army learning institutions like the Officer Basic Courses, Captains' Career Courses, Intermediate Level Education, and Pre-Command Courses showed that cyberspace has been integrated into Army education to the awareness level only."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeZimmer, Daniel T.2015-06
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Employment of a Dual Status Commander in a Multi-state Disaster OperationFrom the thesis abstract: "Several laws, doctrine, and agreements dictate how the National Guard and federal military integrate and function during DSCA operations. Since 2011, the federal government and the Council of Governors established a new customary command to overcome sovereignty concerns and other legal impediments to a domestic military unity of effort. The problem with the construct is during multi-state disasters where it propagates parallel commands among affected states without a singular organization to synchronize and prioritize efforts. Thus, the central research question is: How can laws be changed to support the use of a dual status commander during a multi-state national disaster? Analysis of the primary legal considerations as well as an in-depth review of military doctrine, concepts of operation, and after action reports provide insight into the challenges inherent in a large multi-state disaster. Coupled with a review of potential military organizational or doctrinal impediments or inefficiencies the study concludes current laws are not the major issue. With a historical perspective preserving the rights of states as delineated in the U.S. Constitution, the study concludes revisions or modifications are necessary to the Joint Action Plan and military organization to facilitate a greater national unity of effort within the military."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeThomson, Chad E.2016-06
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Enemies Within: Christian Extremism, a Threat to the HomelandFrom the thesis abstract: "As technology evolves, so has the ability to reach many through various platforms, subsequently strengthening globalization. These informational platforms constantly provide news to the world, which promotes fear of Muslim radical groups that perpetuate violence in the name of religion, while ignoring the threat Christian extremism poses on American soil. As America's focus and attention shifts to denying violent religious groups access into the homeland, it has taken its eyes away from those within the homeland that threaten the very liberty and freedom intended by the founding fathers for all Americans. This thesis and many more studies like it, is vitally needed, to explore the themes and messages of these growing Christian extremist groups, neutralize their growth, and ensure the safety and freedom of Americans are protected."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeSam-Kpakra, Odessa Katumu2016
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Whole of Government Approach to Transnational Organized Crime: Where and How Does the Military Fit In?"Transnational crime is a recognized threat to national security, mostly due to their relation to terrorist organizations. The President has called for a Whole of Government approach to combatting the threat from Transnational Organized Crime (TOC). The Strategy written in 2011 illustrates the differences of TOCs in the different geo-political regions, however, it does not illustrate in detail the varying degrees of influence the military, and specifically the Army, will have in each of these regions, as a part of the whole of government principle. The focus of this study is on identifying the role of the Army in combatting TOC. It will identify the role of the TOC in the growth of terrorist organizations, and identify when is the best time to affect criminal organizations to protect our national interests."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeHaller, Leah B.2015-06
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Homeland Security Vulnerabilities of the US National Capital Region's BridgesFrom the Abstract: "The National Capital Region (NCR) is plagued by the same critical infrastructure vulnerabilities, disrepair, and degradation as the rest of the United States. The ground transportation infrastructure, especially the bridges, in the NCR presents an interesting case study. There are over 230 bridges connecting the region with over 60 percent rated as functionally obsolete as of 2013. The NCR is complex in the amount of agencies and departments that play a part in its security and defense. Bridge ownership in the NCR is approximately 70 percent State, 26 percent local, and 4 percent under Federal control. This thesis studies the homeland security vulnerabilities of the bridges in the NCR. The NCR bridges enable vital commerce, public transportation, etc. Also discussed is the responsibility of upkeep and resourcing for the NCR bridges and the historical difficulties for repair or renovation. The purpose of this thesis is the increased awareness of the issue of NCR bridge vulnerabilities and analysis that can be applied to other regions of the nation."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeLukas, Benjamin J.2016
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IED Campaign in the U.S. Homeland: Are U.S. Military EOD Units Prepared to Respond?From the thesis abstract: "The United States faces an increasing threat from a variety of terror groups. These groups have shown intent to utilize improvised explosive devices (IED) in their attacks. Advancements in information technology give terrorists access to encrypted communications and information on IED device construction and methods. The threat of an organized IED campaign in the Continental United States is credible. U.S. military explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) units regularly support civil authorities for isolated incidents in the United States as part of a defense support to civil authorities mission. However, EOD units have not had to integrate into a civil authority task force for a widespread, protracted response like an IED campaign. This study examines threat analysis, law, doctrine, policy and strategy, and common practice through an analytical framework of DOTMLPF (Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership, Personnel, and Facilities) to assess the readiness of military EOD units to integrate into a civil task force to command and control military EOD teams. Research showed units are mostly prepared for this scenario. Minor improvements in the doctrine, training, and leadership and education could improve readiness."U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeVaughan, Jon B.2017-06-09
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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 StudiesU.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeRamírez, John H. (Army)2017-05-23
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China's War by Other Means: Unveiling China's Quest for Information DominanceFrom 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 CollegeSullivan, Teresa L.2016-09-06