The US Military's Experience in Stability Operations, 1789-2005
Abstract
This Global War on Terrorism Occasional Paper (GWOT OP), by Dr. Lawrence Yates, provides his thoughts and analysis of the US Army's participation in stability operations (SO) since 1789. Dr. Yates, a member of the CSI Team since 1981, has spent twenty plus years intensely studying this aspect of Army operations. Prior to his retirement in 2005, CSI asked him to put in writing his impressions formed by his research in this field. The result is this monograph. Dr. Yates makes several key arguments about the Army's involvement in SO. Among the key points he makes is his contention that the Army has an institutional habit of forgetting the lessons learned about SO, when, after conducting a stability operation, it returns to conventional warfare preparation. He also points out, correctly, that the Army, which has participated in far more SO-type activities since 1789 than it has conventional wars, has hitherto retained a mindset that stability operations are the anomaly rather than the norm in American military operations. It is our hope that this GWOT OP will be of great value in providing the military professional with a broad overview of the history of the US Army Army's participation in stability operations, and at least one historian historian's view on how well it performed. Some may disagree with Dr. Yates views on specific aspects of his analysis; that is well and good. If this GWOT OP stimulates a vigorous debate, Dr. Yates study will have achieved its purpose.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA453962
Entities
People
- Lawrence A. Yates
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College