The Principles of...? Assessment of FM 100-5's Principles of--Operations,
Abstract
Changing doctrine to keep pace with the evolving world situation is imperative. The U.S. Army is updating its operational doctrine by rewriting FM 100-5 Operations. The authors of the new doctrine have attempted to balance necessary change and change that the Army will accept. One of the most interesting changes is the revision of the U.S. Army's principles of war. Renamed the principles of operations, the meaning of the nine principles of war is expanded to provide a more holistic definition that includes OOTW. The paper examines the revisions by first reviewing prominent military theorists views about principles, axioms and rules of war, and then describing the evolution of the U.S. Army's doctrine. The principles of morale and exploitation are completely new to U.S. Army doctrine and are therefore closely scrutinized in the discussion. Comparison of the U.S. Army's proposed principles of operations and joint principles of war reveals that the Army conforms and improves upon the higher joint doctrine. The incorporation of the OOTW principles into the principles of operations is a common sense reduction that improves decision making. Joint doctrine is still emerging and the Army provides a viable example for all to follow. Maintaining a common body of doctrine, throughout the Department of Defense, is necessary and important for effective future Joint operations. As the Army conducts routine doctrine revisions, staying abreast with the evolving nature of warfare continues to challenge and change the principles on which doctrine rests. On the eve of the next century, the newly published principles of operations will provide the flexible framework for thought required to address those challenges.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 22, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA331156
Entities
People
- Mark R. Forman
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College