Where Are Your Principles?

Abstract

Following the success of the allied coalition in Desert Storm, military journals have enjoyed a plethora of articles heralding the keys to successful combined operations. The articles seem to focus an inordinate amount of attention on the coalition and much less on warfare (operations). The principles of war are rarely found in any of these articles. Rather, new terms of reference are being used, which look and sound like the principles of war, but have very different meanings. Current US alliances provide a wealth of proven experience to assist in evaluating the keys to success in combined operations and combined warfare. A close examination of the relationship between the United States and the Republic of Korea, embodied in the Combined Forces Command, provides a unique insight into combined operations and more specifically alliance warfare. Through research and the limited experience of the author at the operational level, three key principles of war, unity of command, objective, and simplicity are identified as essential for success in alliance warfare. These same three key principles of war are essential for the success of any combined operation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 19, 1997
Accession Number
ADA328172

Entities

People

  • James L. Laughlin

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • C4I
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Army Aviation
  • Combat Support
  • Command And Control
  • Doctrine
  • International Relations
  • Joint Military Activities
  • Language
  • Maneuvers
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • Nato
  • New York
  • Prisoners Of War
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Theoretical Analysis.