The War on Drugs -- Can an Operational Artist Help Win It?

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the current drug war and to determine if an operational artist's approach to planning and problem solving is applicable for the U.S. in its war against drugs. This paper is significant because the military's role in the drug was, while limited in the past, is increasing, and if the civilian agencies currently fighting the lion's share of the war continue to lose ground, then the military can expect to see its involvement significantly expanded. The following methodology was used in this study. First, a current estimate of the drug war is presented. Second, the central concepts of operational art are presented and discussed and a determination is made concerning their applicability. In addition, operational guidance for the design and conduct of an operational campaign plan is presented. This study concludes that the central concepts of operational art and an operational artist's planning methods are applicable and can help the U.S. turn the tide in its war on drugs. Keywords: Law enforcement; Military operations; Drug users; Drug trafficking; Drug interdiction; Operational concepts; Anti-drug campaign plan.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 06, 1989
Accession Number
ADA216233

Entities

People

  • Matthew L. Smith

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircrafts
  • Commercial Aircraft
  • Department Of Defense
  • Department Of State
  • Drug Abuse
  • Drug Interdiction
  • Drug Trafficking
  • Employment
  • Health Services
  • Human Behavior
  • Law
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • New York
  • Personnel Management
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Neurotoxicology
  • Strategic Security Studies