Coming of Age: Information Operations and the American Way of War
Abstract
This paper concludes that the U.S. is deficient at IO because the ethos of IO involves confronting issues and ideas which are directly at odds with the "American Way of War." The creation of IO as a subordinate discipline is itself a reflection of the American preference for conventional combat characterized by fast, decisive application of overwhelming mass, firepower and technological overmatch conducted in an environment free from political interference. Whereas U.S. military culture maintains an aversion for all things political, IO is inherently political. Not in the contemporary sense of "politics" or the whim of political parties, it is political in the Clausewitzian sense that IO is inherently concerned with the purpose, or logic, of war. The American warfighting ethos must come of age. Doing so will require that the American defense establishment collectively recognize that IO is a transformational concept, not a capability. This paper concludes that the U.S. is deficient at IO because the ethos of IO involves confronting issues and ideas which are directly at odds with the "American Way of War." The creation of IO as a subordinate discipline is itself a reflection of the American preference for conventional combat characterized by fast, decisive application of overwhelming mass, firepower and technological overmatch conducted in an environment free from political interference. Whereas U.S. military culture maintains an aversion for all things political, IO is inherently political. Not in the contemporary sense of "politics" or the whim of political parties, it is political in the Clausewitzian sense that IO is inherently concerned with the purpose, or logic, of war. The American warfighting ethos must come of age.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 16, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA530120
Entities
People
- Bryan N. Sparling
Organizations
- National Defense University