Calming the Churn: Resolving the Dilemma of Rotational Warfare in Counterinsurgency

Abstract

The U.S. military currently utilizes a unit-rotational model to provide forces to geographic combatant commanders waging ground wars. This model has its roots in policy and historical perception, not strategy and tactics. When applied to counterinsurgency, weaknesses that undermine long-term effectiveness become apparent. Through an examination of the basis of the current model, its performance in the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and current and historical case studies, this thesis explores alternatives to the rotational model. This thesis finds that a hybrid model that combines the advantages of the current system with historical and current examples from other nations could increase the effectiveness of units in long-term counterinsurgency campaigns.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA621540

Entities

People

  • Andrew P. Aswell

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Administrative Personnel
  • Army Personnel
  • Case Studies
  • Civil War
  • Employment
  • Lessons Learned
  • Management Personnel
  • Military History
  • Military Science
  • Military Training
  • National Politics
  • Officer Personnel
  • Personnel Management
  • Political Science
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Sociology

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.