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Operation Just Cause: The Invasion of Panama as a Case Study in Regime Change
"Operation Just Cause, the United States intervention in Panama that overthrew the regime of Manuel Noriega, was an outstanding operational success. It was quick, limited, and involved few casualties. The United States destroyed Panama's military, captured the seat of power, and installed a new government within the first few days. In addition, with the benefit of hindsight, it represented an unqualified strategic success. Panama is a stable democracy, and the United States enjoys good relations with it. This monograph attempts to explain why."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Behrman, Robert
2018-05-24
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Cohesion Deconstructed: Why Alliances Fail
From the thesis abstract: "One of the most relevant alliances that has significantly influenced and shaped today's security environment is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Since 1949, the NATO alliance, which now includes 29 member states, has deterred, and contained Russian expansion into Europe. NATO achieved this military and political objective by maintaining a cohesive alliance. In order for NATO to continue to succeed in achieving this military and political objective, the Alliance needs to focus on maintaining political and military cohesion. Potential defection from the alliance by member states presents critical strategic and operational risk to international stability. In order to examine the relevance of cohesion within political-military alliances, the phenomenon of cohesion itself must be deconstructed. This monograph therefore does not assume military cohesion to be a mere sub-set of political cohesion but a unique, relevant element of alliances. Based on a theoretical framework inspired by George Liska's classic work on alliance formation and cohesion, this paper uses the methodological approach of structured, focused comparison."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Feldmann, Jan
2018-05-24
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Space Systems and Operational Art
From the thesis abstract: "To optimize the employment of space systems in the multi-domain conflicts of the future, understanding how space systems relate to military operations is more necessary than ever. The theoretical concepts of systems theory and operational art provide the basis for considering how such systems might be employed in both their traditional role as force enablers and in a cross-domain or multi-domain capacities. Indeed, given the current and anticipated demands for Joint capabilities, an application of operational art specific to the space domain is neither adequate nor desirable for the operational artists who must consider the employment of space systems as means. Fortunately, theory, history, and doctrine provide a guide for how such an artist might plan for and synchronize space systems within the framework of multi-domain operational art to achieve strategic ends."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Drew, Jerry
2018-05-24
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Operational Art in the People's Army of Vietnam: From the 1972 Easter Offensive to the 1975 Ho Chi Minh Campaign
From the thesis abstract: "In April 1975, the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) defeated the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, which enabled the unification of Vietnam. Most historical studies of the Vietnam War have explained this outcome by focusing on the decisions and actions of the United States and South Vietnam. This monograph attempts to contribute to a more holistic analysis of the Vietnam War by exploring this conflict through the perspective of North Vietnamese operational art. This study conducts a structured, focused comparison of the 1972 Easter Offensive and 1975 Ho Chi Minh Campaign by asking six research questions related to operational art. These questions focus on testing two hypothesis concerning the North Vietnamese leadership's understanding of the strategic environment and its efforts to combine and arrange tactical actions using depth, simultaneity, and tempo."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Klein, Gary M.
2018-05-24
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Army Aviation's Unrealized Potential
From the thesis abstract: "Readiness is the number one priority of the US Army, but cost increases and budgetary turbulence make that goal more difficult each passing year. Army Aviation, the service's most expensive branch, will spend over three times as much maintaining its current aircraft as it cost to purchase them. With an increased budget unlikely, but increased mission complexity certain, the primary means to achieve readiness in Army Aviation is reducing the cost of operating and maintaining its fleet. Other aviation organizations, in and out of the Department of Defense, addressed similar challenges successfully by continually refining maintenance processes to a degree that the Army has not. This study examines multiple such cases to determine whether significant gains for an existing aircraft fleet are possible."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Carroll, James R.
2018-05-24
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Airpower's Response to Fundamental Surprise
From the thesis abstract: "The United States has a habit of being chronically unprepared for war. The American historian Allan Millett describes this phenomenon as choosing security through internal development in lieu of a large standing army. A strong industrial base provides the resources for large-scale mobilization in times of crisis. When the crisis passes, the nation demobilizes and returns to business as usual. The post-World War II settlement has somewhat negated this trend as the United States has assumed more of a global leadership role. America spends more on its military than the next eight highest spending countries combined and theoretically should be more prepared for war than at any other time in its history. Add to this fact the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which left the United States without an existential threat. However, in this era of comparatively limited peril, it is not out of the realm of possibility that an adversary could place the United States at a strategic disadvantage before the nation could respond. It is also possible that the shock of the surprising situation could prohibit a coherent reaction altogether. [...] This paper evaluates airpower as an aid to surprising situations."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Elgersma, Darin S.
2018-05-24
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No Longer Swinging Behind the Pitch: A Historical Case Study of Doctrinal Transitions in US Army Aviation
From the thesis abstract: "Following sixteen years of counterinsurgent warfare, the US Army is in the midst of doctrinal transition. This transition is a response to emergent characteristics of potential adversaries. For the last thirty years, the US Army has benefited from a technological disparity with the conventional militaries of competing nations. Within the last ten years, this technological gap has closed significantly. This development, along increasing anxiety for the potential of large-scale combat operations, corresponds to an uneasiness with the preparedness of US forces to combat such a threat. This monograph examines the preparation and role of army aviation in future conflict specifically in the context of concerted preparations consistent with the army's transition to Unified Land Operations."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Benson, Ian H.
2018-05-24
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Using Artificial Intelligence to Minimize Information Overload and Cognitive Biases in Military Intelligence
From the thesis abstract: "Information overload and cognitive biases are two challenges analysts face in the quest to produce timely intelligence. In today's digital world, analysts have access to more information than their human brains can process. Analysts draw on their personal experiences, training, and intuition to interpret the meaning of information. Analysts' judgments are susceptible to cognitive bias that can skew the intelligence process. Leveraging artificial intelligence to process data and analyze information provides analysts more time to synthesize knowledge and build situational understanding of the operational environment. A scenario development methodology explores two common tasks intelligence analysts perform and explores opportunities for integrating artificial intelligence."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Marlin, Elizabeth M.
2018-05-24
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Adaptation in Multinational Organizations: The Multinational Force and Observers Transformational Change in the Face of ISIS in Sinai
From the thesis abstract: "This paper seeks to understand how the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai Peninsula adapted in response to a shifting operational environment from inception in 1982 through its most drastic changes in 2016. This examination looks at these adaptations through the lens of the Burke-Litwin model to understand the extent to which the Multinational Forces and Observers changed their aims to meet the strategic goals of the Treaty of Peace. Further, this paper explores whether, while adjusting to the evolving operational environment, the rate of change matched the operational environment, and what may have caused resistance to the process. Results from this study found that while the MFO did conduct transformational change, a lag existed between increased violence in the operational environment and adaptation by the MFO. Issues related to recognizing differences in the situation, culture, policies, and management practices were a contributing factor to the slow response by the MFO to the changing environment."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Soyka, Michael V.
2018-05-24
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German 'Pionier': Case Study of the Combat Engineer's Employment During Sustained Ground Combat
From the thesis abstract: "The German Pionier: Case Study of the Combat Engineer's Employment During Sustained Ground Combat makes the assertion that the US Army and the US Army Engineer Regiment requires retraining and reeducation on the employment of combat engineers in sustained ground combat. The employment of the combat engineers in counterinsurgency operations during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom focused on an engineer centric approach to mobility operations in lieu of a combined arms approach practiced in sustained ground combat. This monograph conducted a comprehensive examination of the employment of German combat engineers in mobility operations during the Second World War, to demonstrate that the engineer centric approach to mobility operations is insufficient when conducting sustained ground combat. The monograph concludes that the combat engineer, when employed in a combined arms approach, are highly versatile formations that maintain friendly tempo while disrupting enemy tempo, prevent culmination while initiating enemy culmination, and extend the operational reach of friendly forces."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Schnee, Erich
2018-05-24
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Listening for Echoes from the Past: Chinese Operational Design of the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895)
From the thesis abstract: "As the United States recognizes a revisionist China, there has been much speculation about inevitable conflict. Political commentators concede that conflict is predetermined, but their predictions are based on sensationalism. Whether these pundits are correct is still unknown, but contemporary US leaders and military planners may examine key historical events as a part of understanding a potential adversary. The case of the Sino-Japanese War and the events leading up to it is an example of how the Chinese government and military leadership developed capability in response to Western imperialism. This response, known as the self-strengthening movement, coupled with existing cultural views and biases translated into how the Chinese executed the war against Japan. At the very least the study of such a critical event in Chinese history may allow current leaders to understand the relationship between worldview, military capability, and operational approach."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Trinh, David
2018-05-24
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Leadership Frameworks for Multi Domain Battle: Mindsets for Organizational Adaptability and Future Viability
From the thesis abstract: "Due to changing complexities in the military operational landscape, including an increased emphasis on multi domain battle, the traditional military leadership hierarchy no longer provides an appropriate cultural mindset for efficiency or effectiveness in joint operations. This monograph discusses related US military doctrine, the problems with a rigid military hierarchy in complex environments, and how the military enterprise can best deal with changing complexity in its operating environments. While this monograph does not advocate for a wholesale update to the traditional command and control system, it argues that the US military should rethink its hierarchical leadership perspective. To breed innovation, creative thought, and adaptability, the US military must continue to evolve its traditional military leadership hierarchy model. Acceptance that an updated mindset for the way traditional military structure supports the military element of national power will enable future viability in joint operations and multi domain battle."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Miller, Andrew M.
2018-05-24
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Making Sense of the Senseless: War in the Postmodern Era
From the Document: "This research project theoretically describes many of the confusing phenomena occurring in today's strategic context. In particular, the paper argues that the United States is in the midst of a philosophical crisis, the preliminary to a paradigm shift, between modern thought and postmodern thought. It further argues that the United States' governmental institutions, which were designed to be occupied by modern thinkers, will cease to function as intended as more postmodern thinkers occupy them. The research gives a history of thought from Ancient Greece to the modern United States. The paper argues that postmodern thinkers live in hyperrealities, making them susceptible to deception and disinformation, because they seek alternative narratives to explain the world around them. Using the 2016 US Presidential election, the research investigates how Russian strategic deception and disinformation influenced the postmodern thinkers in the United States. The paper describes postmodern strategies than can be employed alone or in conjunction with modern strategies against both modern and postmodern populations."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Kay, Larry A.
2018-05-24
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On the Edge of Chaos: Battling Complexity with Complexity, an Examination of Swarm Logic
From the Document: "The underlying premise for the US Army's newest operating concept published December 2017, 'Multi-Domain Battle: Evolution of Combined Arms for the 21st Century,' is that growing complexity in warfare and increased adversarial capabilities necessitate a new approach to leveraging the US joint military force across all domains. This monograph explores the field of complexity science and concept that complex problems require complex solutions, namely swarming. While previous research has focused on the physical aspects of swarming and the ability to converge from a dispersed posture, this study looks to the core logic of this emergent phenomenon. By studying swarm logic through various levels of abstraction - natural case studies, simulations, and military case studies, this study demonstrates the effects of localized interactions and self-organization to power successful complex adaptive systems. These complex adaptive systems thrive in the very conditions that are supposed to challenge the future US military - highly degraded command and control with increased dispersion."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Andrews, Anthony E.
2018-05-24
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ISIS vs. Al Qaeda: An Ideological Comparison
From the Document: "This paper addresses the ideological differences that drive the divergent strategies pursued by Al Qaeda and ISIS [Islamic State of Iraq and Syria]. It examines the history and ideological background that is relevant to both organizations to provide an appropriate level of context. Using a qualitative comparative case study methodology, the paper provides a detailed study of the key ideological facets that shape how Al Qaeda and ISIS formulate their respective strategies. Finally, the paper analyzes the key differences between the groups and explains how this information can be useful to operational planners. The key findings are that Al Qaeda and ISIS have fundamentally different ideological views about how to unite and purify the Islamic 'Umma' and wage jihad, which drive vastly different strategies. The findings from this monograph can be particularly useful for future planners as they build operational approaches for combating Al Qaeda and ISIS, and for anticipating the actions of other Sunni jihadist groups."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Andrews, Anthony E.
2018-05-24
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Transforming the Combined Forces Command Structure of the Republic of Korea and the United States
From the Document: "Whereas the Republic of Korea and the United States are in turbulent times as they prepare to transition wartime operational control, North Korean threats against the alliance are growing through the development of nuclear weapons and missiles. The purpose of this monograph is to suggest an appropriate model for the Republic of Korea and the United States combined forces to transform its command structure in order to maintain and enhance capabilities to deter and respond to the North Korean threat even after transition of wartime operational control. In order to do so, this monograph first reviews the historical background of the two countries' military alliance and its command structure. Then, relevant doctrinal review and case studies are conducted in order to identify the challenges that the alliance currently faces and implications for the future combined command structure. Based on these analyses, the monograph presents the criteria for the model for transforming the combined command structure after the wartime operational control transition. Then, the monograph suggests the three-stage model that gradually changes from integrated command structure to parallel command structure. Finally, it gives some recommendations for best employing the three-stage model."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Kim, Taehyung
2018-05-24
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Sustainment Considerations for the Multi-Domain Battle
From the Document: "In 2016, Chief of Staff of the Army, General Mark A. Milley described his vision of the future operational environment. This vision encompassed many new challenges for the US Army and the Joint Force. Specifically, the concept of multi-domain battle requires the Joint Force to operate in ways not experienced in the recent past. The potential lack of air supremacy, in particular, will not only force the US military to change the way it fights, but also logistics support to those combat forces. The current capabilities of the US Army sustainment community are not adequate to order to operate successfully in the future operational environment as described by Army leadership. Counter-Anti Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) and dispersed operations present difficult challenges for the sustainment community. In order for the US Army to maintain its core competency of 'set the theater,' to include theater distribution, the Army sustainment community must conduct capability gap analysis, using the DOTMLPF-P [Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership and Education, Personnel, Facilities and Policy] framework, for both counter-A2/AD and dispersed operations challenges. Possible solutions for these challenges include sea basing and cache operations, which encompass the breadth of the DOTMLPF-P spectrum, in order to ensure robust sustainment operations capable of supporting in the future operational environment."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Maples, Lindsay S.
2018-05-24
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Making Sense of the Unknown: The AEF in Siberia
"This monograph examines the methods utilized by Major General William S. Graves and the American Expeditionary Force in Siberia to develop a greater understanding of their operational environment in Eastern Russia from 1918-1920. American troops had less than a week from notification to deployment in a conflict they were neither aware of nor prepared for. That problem, of operating in an unknown environment, is a concept touched upon by the most recent Army Operating Concept, TRADOC [U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command] Pamphlet 525-3-1, 'Win in a Complex World: 2020-2040'. It states that future conflicts will occur in operating environments with an unidentified geographic location, unknown enemy forces, and unspecified coalitions. Viewing the experiences of the AEF [American Expeditionary Force] in Siberia through the current Army analytical framework of operational variables and PMESII-PT [political, military, economic, social, information, infrastructure, physical environment, & time], this study seeks to identify methods of overcoming uncertainty for future expeditionary forces during rapid deployments."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Grieco, Michael C.
2018-05-24
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Enlisted Pilot, Helping Solve Operational Readiness: Burge, Yeager, and the RQ-4
From the Abstract: "In 2016, the United States Air Force (USAF) testified to Congress that it was struggling to meet its operational requirements due to a massive shortage in pilots. The service was short 1,555 pilots with fighter pilots alone accounting for 1,211 of the unfilled seats. The USAF has taken multiple approaches to attempt to solve the problem with limited success. One of the many possible solutions to the problem is the expansion of the enlisted pilot program. [...] This monograph first introduces you to three enlisted soldiers that overcame bias towards enlisted personnel to earn their pilot wings: Vernon Burge, William Ocker, and Chuck Yeager. Next, an examination of policy and personnel during World War II is completed. The examination provides examples of the bias towards both enlisted pilots and women pilots prior to their necessary use during the conflict. Additionally, the monograph looks at current organizations that do not require a college degree to become a pilot. The paper examines the US Army Flight Warrant Officer Program and the Federal Aviation Administration's requirements to obtain a private pilots license. Finally, the paper dissects the fallacies that are preventing the USAF from evolving: judging an individual based on their background without considering their capability, the appeal to tradition and common practice, and searching for the perfect solution. The monograph proposes the USAF reexamine its past to enable evolution of aviators, as well as conducting an unbiased and logical examination of allowing enlisted pilots to fly manned and lethal aircraft."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Baker, Bradley C.
2018-05-24
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Venezuela's 2018 Presidential Elections [May 24, 2018]
"On May 20, 2018, Venezuela held presidential elections that were boycotted by the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) coalition of opposition parties and dismissed as illegitimate by the United States, the European Union (EU), and 14 Western Hemisphere nations (the Lima Group). According to the official results, President Nicolás Maduro of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) won reelection for a second six-year term with 67.7% of the vote amidst relatively high abstention (46% of voters participated). Maduro's main opponent, Henri Falcón, former governor of Lara state, rejected the results. The election triggered new U.S. sanctions. The Maduro government rejected those sanctions and expelled the top two U.S. diplomats in Caracas; the U.S. State Department responded reciprocally."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2018-05-24
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Vehicle Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas Standards: Frequently Asked Questions [May 24, 2018]
"The Trump Administration announced on April 2, 2018, its intent to revise through rulemaking the federal standards that regulate fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from new passenger cars and light trucks. These standards include the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards promulgated by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Light-Duty Vehicle GHG emissions standards promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They are known collectively-- along with California's Advanced Clean Car program--as the National Program. NHTSA and EPA promulgated the second (current) phase of CAFE and GHG emissions standards affecting model year (MY) 2017-2025 light-duty vehicles on October 15, 2012. Like the initial phase of standards for MYs 2012-2016, the Phase 2 rulemaking was preceded by a multiparty agreement, brokered by the White House. The agreement included the State of California, 13 auto manufacturers, and the United Auto Workers union. The manufacturers agreed to reduce GHG emissions from most new passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and pickup trucks by about 50% by 2025, compared to 2010, with fleet-wide fuel economy rising to nearly 50 miles per gallon."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lattanzio, Richard K.; Tsang, Linda; Canis, Bill
2018-05-24
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Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies [May 24, 2018]
"This list of about 200 congressional liaison offices is intended to help congressional offices in placing telephone calls and addressing correspondence to government agencies. The information was supplied by the appropriate agency and is current as of the date of publication. Entries are arranged alphabetically in four sections: legislative branch; judicial branch; executive branch; and agencies, boards, and commissions. This report is not intended to be comprehensive. It includes contacts at major federal agencies and agencies for which CRS has received repeated requests."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Crane-Hirsch, Audrey Celeste
2018-05-24
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International Monetary Fund [May 24, 2018]
"This report provides background information for Congress concerning the International Monetary Fund (IMF, the Fund), the central multilateral organization for international monetary cooperation. The United States is the largest financial contributor to the IMF and congressional interest in IMF activities has increased since the onset of the international financial crisis in 2008. IMF lending has surged during the past decade, including large loans to Greece, Ireland, and Portugal. Potential policy issues for Congress include the role of the IMF as a lender of last resort, the adequacy of IMF resources, and the effectiveness of IMF surveillance of financial and monetary conditions in its member countries and of the world economy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Weiss, Martin A.
2018-05-24
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 5433, Hack Your State Department Act
"H.R. 5433 would require the Department of State to develop and implement two programs to improve the department's cybersecurity. Under the first, the department would establish a process to allow hackers to probe the department's information technology systems to discover and report security vulnerabilities, which would then be fixed by the department. Secondly, the bill would require a one-year pilot program to reward hackers who discover vulnerabilities in systems that can be accessed through the Internet. Finally, the department would be required to report to the Congress on how it would implement the bill and related matters. On the basis of information about similar programs at the Department of Defense, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing the bill would bolster the department's existing cybersecurity programs and that additional costs under the bill would be less than $500,000 over the 2018-2023 period, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting H.R. 5433 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-05-24
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EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 18 Issue 21, May 24, 2018
The Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center's (EMR-ISAC) InfoGram is a weekly publication of information concerning the protection of critical infrastructures relevant to members of the Emergency Services Sector. This issue includes the following articles: "Possible chemical suicides endanger first responders"; "Emergency management planning for schools"; "Coordination between emergency management and water utilities"; and "EMS Week: Stronger Together".
Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)
2018-05-24
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British Defense Policy and the Logic of Deterrence
From the Thesis Abstract: "In the 2015 'Strategic Defence and Security Review' deterrence assumed a position of central prominence within British defense policy: this reflected NATO's renewed focus on deterrence following Russia's 2014 invasion of the Ukraine. This monograph examines the logic of deterrence's prominence in, and the way in which it contributes to the wider aims of British defense policy. The traditional understanding of deterrence as a dyadic relationship is inadequate, and leads to a limited appreciation of deterrence's utility. Deterrence should be considered in terms of three faces: a dyadic relationship; a form of group communication; and a social construction. These three faces expand the utility of deterrence, and the strategic possibilities a deterrent relationship offers the state. Considered within the context of British defense policy, the United Kingdom's deterrent posture reduces the likelihood of Russia conducting military action against a NATO member state, but its most important contribution is in the maintenance of the United Kingdom's global influence. Deterrence is necessary to maintain the 'Special Relationship' with the United States, and to ensure the United Kingdom has a leading role within international organizations."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Welford, David T. M.
2018-05-24
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Beyond Minimal Restoration: A Robust Approach to Post Large-Scale Combat Operations
From the Thesis Abstract: "Following a major military conflict, political instability and economic distress can create an environment for insurgencies to thrive, cultivating new and deeper problems and possibly leading to additional conflict. This risk of insurgency makes it critical for the victor to engage in nation-building after the military conflict is over to restore peace and stability and protect its long-term interests in the region. In the past century, the United States has played a powerful role in building nations around the world following substantial conflicts. In recent years, however, the United States has struggled to successfully rebuild nations to ensure the achievement of its longterm goals after it engages in large-scale combat operations, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently, the US military takes a 'minimal restoration' approach to nation-building in these areas, which largely relies on the expertise of the State Department and the US Agency for International Development while minimizing its own role. However, the military holds vastly more resources in comparison to the minimal funding of the State Department. This approach has been largely ineffective, and has enabled ideologically-driven insurgencies to thrive in the region. This monograph evaluates two historical case studies in which the United States successfully nurtured comprehensive nation-building efforts in the Republics of the Philippines and Korea. In these countries, the United States faced a threat that communist-led forces would take over the countries, extending the influence of the Soviet Union. With the goal of building strong democratic countries that could stand as bulwarks against communism, the United States built up both nations' infrastructure, economy, and political system. Today, both nations remain fully democratic and have top 50 economies in the world. These case studies provide insights into how the United States should approach reconstruction following large-scale combat operations."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Wiehagen, Michael D.
2018-05-24
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Simultaneous Transformation and Rapid Growth of the US Army in World War II
From the Thesis Abstract: "No one knew it at the time, but the Victory Plan of 1941 became the operational concept used by the United States and her Allies to wage World War II. MAJ [Major] Albert C. Wedemeyer, a US Army Major who had arrived at the War Plans Division at the War Department just a few months prior, led the study. Written in the months prior to the events at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the plan was incredibly accurate at predicting an operational concept to a strategy that was as yet unstated and far from clear. The methodology MAJ Wedemeyer used to develop the plan allowed for the rapid growth and simultaneous transformation of the US Army. Could the US Army use this methodology again today in a similar manner? The research for this paper found that the US Army could only numerically support defensive operations in the Baltics and could not support offensive operations. The less than 1:2 ratio of armored brigades potentially available was the most striking finding."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Ferrell, Richard M.
2018-05-24
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Military Innovation Through Lethal Logistical Capabilities
From the Thesis Abstract: "What does the future of armed conflict look like for the US military and specifically the Army? This paper will argue an American Way of War and a need to modernize during an interwar period will shape the future of American armed conflict. These forces, combined with technological revolutions in the civilian sector will logically influence the direction of future military capabilities. The paper will present the idea of the third offset and how the US military will achieve it. Next this paper will show some of the efforts the military is making to automate logistics and illustrate the ways businesses are using autonomy to innovate. Finally, the monograph will make the argument that expresses what leading theorists believe the future of armed conflict will look like, and then make recommendations for how the US military can improve the future war-making concepts and capabilities."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Hilliard, E. Jerome
2018-05-24
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Marine Corps Operating Concept: Neglecting History to Develop a 21st Century Force
From the Thesis Abstract: "The 2016 Marine Corps Operating Concept (MOC); How an Expeditionary Force Operates in the 21st Century makes the assertion that the Marine Corps is currently not organized, trained, and equipped to meet the demands of a future operating environment. The MOC espouses the use of dispersed combat elements in amphibious operations and provides guidance for the generation of the future force . This monograph conducted a comprehensive examination of the development of US Amphibious Doctrine and its initial implementation during Operation Watchtower in 1942, as a case study, demonstrating that MOC fails to account for the historically proven requirement for superiority of force in amphibious operations. The monograph concludes that the MOC serves as a normative theory due to its divergence from historically demonstrated requirements for superiority of force. As such, the MOC's divergence from history jeopardizes the Marine Corp's ability to conduct decisive maneuver from the sea and field a force capable of meeting its Title 10 requirement."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. School of Advanced Military Studies
Rohlfing, Matthew L.
2018-05-24
