General Creighton Abrams' Conduct of Design in Operational Art during the Vietnam War
Abstract
General Creighton Abrams presents a sound historical example of the practical application of operational art as viewed through the lens of Army Design Methodology. When General Abrams assumed command of Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) in 1968, he was able to frame his environment in a way that enabled him to equip and train the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) while simultaneously focusing on population-centric efforts in counterinsurgency. This would ultimately eliminate the need for a U.S. presence in Vietnam. Under his authority, American forces were broken up into small units that lived with and trained South Vietnamese civilians to defend their villages from guerrilla attacks and conventional Northern incursions with heavy weapons. General Abrams successfully reframed the problem in 1970 in accordance with the Nixon administration's announcement of a rapid withdrawal of forces from Vietnam. These efforts proved successful, as evidenced by the ability of ARVN forces to repel a full-scale North Vietnamese Army Easter Offensive in 1972 with U.S. aerial support. This study validates the Army Design Methodology as a framework for the assessment of operational art.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 17, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA566589
Entities
People
- Kevin A. Poole
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College