How Does This All End? Campaign Planning, Phase Transitions, and Conflict Termination in Iraq
Abstract
For the military commanders and staff planners at U.S. Central Command and Multinational Force-Iraq Headquarters in Baghdad, the question of how and when Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) will end has lately become urgent due to events on the ground and political pressures. The political issue of how OIF ends is inherently wrapped up in the military issues of campaign planning, desired end-states, centers of gravity, and operational phase transitions in the Iraqi War over the next 12-24 months. The answer to this complex question is that OIF will end when the OIF operational commanders formally transition from the current Counterinsurgency (COIN) campaign to a sustained shaping campaign of Security Cooperation that includes the two pillars of Foreign Internal Defense (FID) and Counterterrorism (CT) operations. This change in operational focus can be most effectively done and signaled to U.S. tactical units by removing the enemy's Center of Gravity from the commander's operational vision and direction. Therefore, the conceptual key to ending the current OIF campaign is to integrate into commanders' vision and operational planning the flexible use of the operational Centers of Gravity depicted here to design a successful transition to long-term shaping activities outside the current OIF campaign.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 31, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA494310
Entities
People
- Thomas Goss
Organizations
- Naval War College