Forcing Doctrine to Match Reality: Bridging the Foreign Military Training Doctrine Gap within the Australian Defence Force
Abstract
Australian military forces across a broad spectrum of military rank and branch are serving a crucial operational requisite for enduring stability in Iraq by training Iraqi security forces. A great deal can be learned from historical case studies of foreign military training models. Similarly, contemporary models are equally valuable in establishing "best practices" for what is a scantily documented and often misinterpreted capability. Australian military forces possess a proud tradition of training foreign militaries. However, they have repeatedly failed to produce timely formal doctrine for subsequent use and professional development. Australia has identified an enduring requirement to provide foreign military training and advisory assistance within its strategic sphere of influence. Conventional and unconventional Australian military forces currently train foreign security forces in a number of countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor, and the Solomons. The necessity for doctrine has been established, but not developed. Conducting a military attack under high intensity, asymmetric, and complex conditions without the foundation of validated doctrine is destined for failure. Assuming this premise as true, it is fair to state that the Australian Defence Force has an immediate requirement to develop foreign military training doctrine and cease the practice of adopting ad hoc procedures. What is urgently needed is a research program aimed at establishing the principles of foreign military training doctrine best suited to the needs of the Australian Defence Force. The author presents case studies of foreign military training by the Australian Defence Force during the Vietnam War and the counterinsurgency in Iraq and reviews the foreign military training doctrine of the U.S. military.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 14, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA475650
Entities
People
- Jason D. Ross
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College