The Small Wars Academy Filling the Educational Gap
Abstract
When the march to Baghdad was completed in early April of 2003, Iraqi television broadcasts showed a statue of Saddam Hussein torn from its concrete base. Iraqis, searching for answers about their future, began to overwhelm the Marines who pulled the statue down. When would the power be restored? Where should they go for medical care? Who was in charge? Although it was difficult to see at the time, the Marines' role had begun to change. They had started a shift from conventional combat operations to something different. They had begun to fight a small war. Small wars are defined as "...operations undertaken under executive authority, wherein military force is combined with diplomatic pressure in the internal or external affairs of another state whose government is unstable, inadequate, or unsatisfactory for preservation of life and of such interests as are determined by the foreign policy of our Nation." Over the past three years much has been done to ensure that Marines deploying to Iraq receive the best training possible to prepare them for the challenges that a small war presents. The positive steps that have been taken to improve training for Marines must be paralleled by improvement of the educational system of Marine officers. To achieve this goal, a "Small Wars Academy" must be created to build and sustain a knowledge base in officers that will enable them to fight the small wars of the future effectively.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA503848
Entities
People
- C. T. Steele
Organizations
- Marine Corps University