Training for Small Wars

Abstract

"Small-scale military eruptions around the globe have demonstrated new forms of warfare with a different cast of characters -- guerilla armies, terrorists, and bandits -- pursuing diverse goals by violent means with the most primitive to the most sophisticated weapons." The Marine Corps historically combats these irregular forces in a smaller war. The Marine Corps will engage in small wars as long as the nation maintains military superiority relative to potential enemies. Despite this trend, the Marine Corps has continued to focus the majority of its resources on training for a conventional fight well after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of nonstate actors as the United States' primary threat. Now the Marine Corps is fighting a small war in Iraq. Infantry Battalions must remain concentrated on and improve training for small wars by focusing on cultural awareness, specialized skills development, and Marine Corps supported field exercises.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA505442

Entities

People

  • Charles Readinger

Organizations

  • Marine Corps University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Department Of Defense
  • Governments
  • Improvised Explosive Devices
  • Language
  • Marine Corps
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • New York
  • Personality
  • Personnel Management
  • Schools
  • Southwest Asia
  • Special Forces
  • Training
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military Training and Readiness Simulation
  • Naval Personnel Management
  • Strategic Security Studies