Adding to the Toolkit: Three Conceptual Tradeoffs

Abstract

This monograph shows how understanding three conceptual tradeoffs of complex versus complicated, complexity at large-scale versus fine-scale, and exploration of potential problems versus exploitation of known solutions can help the military practitioner better learn, anticipate and adapt to difficult problems. It does so by defining the three conceptual tradeoffs and then applying them to Operation Iraqi Freedom for the United States in 2003 and the Israeli incursion into Southern Lebanon by the Israeli Defense Forces in 2006. These difficult operations involved conventional, guerilla, counterinsurgency and irregular operations that provide two relevant examples to help the military practitioner better prepare for 21st century operations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 02, 2010
Accession Number
ADA536464

Entities

People

  • Christopher E. Austin

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Command And Control
  • Command And Control Systems
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Control Systems
  • Counterinsurgency
  • Iraqi-War
  • Military Applications
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Seal Teams
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • War
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies
  • Systems Analysis and Design