Operational Reserves: Still Valid After All These Years?
Abstract
This monograph investigates the viability of the requirement for the retention and maintenance of operational-level reserves, given the emergent U.S. Army doctrinal concept of AirLand Operations. Additionally, with the rapid mobility and precision lethality with which our forces are capable of operating on the modern battlefield, as most recently demonstrated in the Persian Gulf War, the monograph addresses the Issue of whether an operational commander needs to maintain a reserve force as a hedge against uncertainty. The monograph first examines theoretical and current doctrinal literature regarding the use of operational reserves. Next, Napoleon's 1805 campaign which culminated In the battle of Austerlitz shows the classical, traditional use of operational reserves in which these forces were initially held back from the action to be committed at the decisive moment and place on the battlefield. Following his, the U.S. Army's operations In the Ardennes In the Battle of the Bulge demonstrate how a reliance on superior mobility and firepower to react to unforseen threats from less threatened areas of the theater can compensate for a lack of operational reserves.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 14, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA252040
Entities
People
- James M. Milano
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College