The American Way of War: Revisited and Reaffirmed
Abstract
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have highlighted the ability of insurgencies to use irregular warfare to neutralize the U.S. Army's ability to decisively end both wars. As a result of the U.S. Army's inability to win decisively, there has been a great deal of discussion within and outside of the U.S. Army on how to deal with irregular threats. Irregular warfare is not new and the U.S. Army has been facing irregular threats from its inception. The primary threat to the survival of the United States is other nation-states that maintain the capability to significantly and systemically destroy military forces, infrastructure, and other key elements of national power. Irregular threats will happen more frequently in the future, but their disruptive effects on U.S. national power can be mitigated and defeated if the appropriate special operations and conventional capabilities are used. The approach that will work to defeat irregular threats is the use of traditional forces to deter or defeat external actors and the use of U.S. Army Special Operations Forces to enable host nation governments to create maneuver space to defeat insurgent or transnational actors within their borders.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 11, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA601765
Entities
People
- Kenrick D. Forrester
Organizations
- Marine Corps University