Future Coalitions - Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future and Listening to our Allies.
Abstract
Nothing in life is as simple as it seems. Coalition operations most certainly fall into that category. Perhaps the biggest mistake that operational commanders make is that they only concentrate on one third of the "process" of preparing for future coalitions. It is human nature to look back in history to the last war and gather lessons learned to apply to the next conflict. However, if this is the only preparation that the operational commander does, he may find himself ill prepared for the next ad hoc coalition. Desert Storm, while a major military success, left many Americans with a false mindset about the United States' ability to fight future wars and continue to maintain minimal casualties. Likewise, the ease of coalition warfare left a similar false impression on the minds of many senior military operational commanders who may be involved in future coalition operations. This mindset is based primarily on very limited observations of coalition support during a relatively short Gulf War. The wise commander, in future military or non-military coalition operations, will be the one who takes the time now to sort through the valuable lessons learned, looks at U.S. technological advances and their potential impact on coalition partners, and at the same time, listens to the concerns of coalition partners. If he fails to do this, even though the United States may form a "coalition" in the next conflict - he may find himself fighting virtually alone.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 18, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA351750
Entities
People
- Ronald L. Furlong
Organizations
- Naval War College