It Ain't New
Abstract
In my role as ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, I rely on the lessons of history to help me understand and reach decisions about the future of the armed forces of today. Over the years, I have discovered that most dilemmas that face the military are actually not new issues. Frequently, I find similar situations from the past to use as guideposts to frame the issues of today. Some national-security professionals, both civilian and military, think that a brand-new era of warfare is at hand. They believe that modern battles will be joint operations fought by loose coalitions of countries with various national interests. They also believe that U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps forces will use controversial weapons produced by 21st century technological breakthroughs. In fact, true students of military history realize that these concepts -- joint operations, coalition warfare, and the integration of new technology -- have their roots in battles of yesteryear. They look to the past for lessons on how to fight today. This article focuses on the following topics: One of America's First Joint Operations -- The Siege of Veracruz in 1847 during the Mexican War; A Modern-Day Joint Operation -- Desert Storm; The Duke of Marlborough -- Skilled at Coalition Warfare; General Wesley Clark -- Leading NATO's First Fight as an Alliance; Allies with Unequal Military Capabilities Benefit from Unity; Operation Allied Force -- American Military Technology Pulls Ahead; Integrating Technological Innovations into the Military; Airplanes -- Discovering Their Military Usefulness; and Precision-Guided Weapons -- Living Up to Their Promise.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA517053
Entities
People
- Ike Skelton
Organizations
- House of Representatives