The Need to Update Infantry Company Doctrine in Light of Recent Detainee Abuse
Abstract
Today's infantry company commander is being tasked with more than commanders have historically been given. To be successful, infantry company commanders and the soldiers under them must have access to lessons learned and must be equipped with relevant doctrine. Detainee operations put soldiers very close to the enemy they are fighting, and as recent accounts show, infantry company commanders are not being equipped with the tools necessary for success in these situations. Every time prisoner abuse is alleged, it hurts American forces. However, despite abuse, killings, and recognized shortcomings in doctrine, the Army has not addressed the doctrinal gaps regarding detainee treatment. Soldiers currently deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan have the same training shortfalls they did at the beginning of the war; lessons are not being communicated and institutionalized. As LTG Jones noted, doctrinal gaps did not cause abuse by the 82nd Airborne Division, but the absence of these gaps could have prevented it. The Army must do everything it can to prevent future abuse, and it has not. The time has come to update FM 7-8 and FM 7-10 to reflect today's mission requirements.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA506037
Entities
People
- J. P. Schuerger
Organizations
- Marine Corps University