Warfighting and Peace Ops: Do Real Soldiers Do MOOTW?
Abstract
One major challenge facing the development of doctrine for peace operations is the tension between the principles of war and military operations other than war (MOOTW). This difficulty was addressed by the Army in Field Manual 100-23, Peace Operations, a capstone manual which states that the principles of war should not be overlooked in planning peace operations because the possibility of combat does exist, especially in peace enforcement. Joint doctrine more specifically pronounces that the principles of war "generally apply to MOOTW." In addition, the approach to training for such operations found in joint and service doctrine stands on a pillar of training for war that allows commanders to adjust to operational conditions, including peace operations. Moreover, doctrine does not deal with the planning process for MOOTW any differently than it does for war. Nonetheless doctrine highlights differences between warfighting and peace operations by focusing on the application of the principles of MOOTW in peace operations. Recent though not unprecedented use of the Armed Forces in disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, and peace operations has offered insights into conducting war on a complex battlefield of the future. Military operations in the information age are likely to encounter close scrutiny while ethnic friction, refugee populations, and nongovernmental and nonmilitary agencies continue to come into play. Enemies may be transnational criminal gangs or rogue actors instead of organized military formations. Such considerations must be fully incorporated in the mainstream of doctrine rather than being relegated into some new category of military operations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA528964
Entities
People
- Richard J. Rinaldo
Organizations
- National Defense University