Has the US Military Overcome Its Obstacles to Achieve Force Readiness?
Abstract
The US military has made many improvements in force readiness since 1775. Every war is different from the last and each lesson learned does not always translate into success at the beginning of the next war. As the clich goes, history repeats itself. In Americas First Battles 1776-1965 (1986), Heller (1986) examines all the first battles or campaigns in Americans wars. Two modern wars that will help influence force readiness improvements are World War II and the Vietnam War. The first major battle where US fought Germans during World War II was the battle of Kasserine Pass during January 30 to 22 February 1943 (Heller, 1986). The first major battle where US fought Germans during the Vietnam War was the Ia Drang Valley campaign 18 October to 24 November 1965. Costly mistakes were made because the military force was not ready in one way or another. Doctrine, training, leadership, planning, intelligence and equipment are some of the factors that affect force readiness.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 18, 2008
- Accession Number
- AD1117323
Entities
People
- Terry Wong
Organizations
- United States Army Sergeants Major Academy