Central but Inadequate: The Application of Theory in Operation Iraqi Freedom

Abstract

What good is military theory? Is it relevant in the real world or merely the stuff of academia? Does it affect how we plan and conduct war or is it all very interesting, but, in practice, irrelevant? Certainly, these are pertinent questions for a student of Military Thought and the Essence of War. This paper considers the relevance of theory in ground component planning for Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is a limited study drawn from my experience and observations as a member of the Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC) planning staff from November 2002 to June 2003, specifically, as Chief of Intelligence Planning working within the C5. In that capacity, I participated in the plans and orders development, war gaming, and decision briefings that produced the ground campaign.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2004
Accession Number
ADA441663

Entities

People

  • Steve W. Peterson

Organizations

  • National War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Counter WMD
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Battlefields
  • Center Of Gravity
  • Command And Control
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Gravity
  • Information Operations
  • Infrastructure
  • Maneuvers
  • Military Education
  • Military Operations
  • Students
  • Training
  • Universities
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Academic Conference Management
  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies