Taking a Closer Look at the SURGE in CounterinSURGEncy
Abstract
The United States military is notorious for fighting the last war. In this case, military planners are looking at the successes in Iraq and wanting to use the same template for Afghanistan. Many of the operational planners in Afghanistan today were on the planning staffs in Iraq and feel that the lessons learned from that operation can simply be overlaid onto the Afghan map with similar results. This is oversimplified in the truest sense because the problem in Afghanistan is not only geographically different, but socially, economically, and politically as well. The increase in forces in Afghanistan will play a vital role in the success or failure of the mission, but the space and time factors are much different. Additionally, where the operational center of gravity in Iraq was focused around the security of the people, the security of the people in Afghanistan is only one of the many operational objectives to a very nebulous or even undefined center of gravity. This paper will highlight how some similarities exist, but turning the tide relies heavily on creating similar conditions that were already established in Iraq and creating others that are unique to the Afghan theater.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 03, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA525229
Entities
People
- Daniel Blackmon
Organizations
- Naval War College