Stilwell's North Burma campaign: a case study in multinational mission command
Abstract
In 2011, the US Army published its capstone operational doctrine, which included its new mission command philosophy. The operational doctrine highlights the need for the Army to integrate multinational partners into its operations. The mission command philosophy has generated much discussion within the US Army since its adoption. Despite the presence of elements of the mission command philosophy in US Army doctrine since the beginning of the twentieth century and a rich history of providing multinational leadership, publications from the Army Press and Combat Studies Institute have not explored the use of the mission command philosophy during multinational campaigns. This study focuses on General Joseph Stilwell's ability to apply the mission command philosophy during his North Burma Campaign. Stilwell led a force composed mainly of divisions from Chiang Kai-Shek's National Revolutionary Army during the campaign. His leadership aided the US effort to reestablish its ground line of communication with its Chinese Nationalist allies. Stilwell's performance during the campaign provides a case study of achieving unity of effort while using an operational concept similar to Unified Land Operations and the mission command philosophy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 25, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1039924
Entities
People
- Hayden D Scardina
Organizations
- School of Advanced Military Studies