The Sioux War of 1876-1877 was the largest campaign of the late-nineteenth century Indian Wars. This conflict grew out of the desire of the United States Government to resolve confusing territorial claims to the Black Hills and the "unceded territories" of the Powder and Yellowstone River valleys. The numerous and fierce Lakota and their northern Cheyenne allies controlled these areas and drove out rival Indian tribes and the United States Army in the late 1860s, and established dominance in the region. The Division of the Missouri, led by Lieutenant General Philip Sheridan, had developed a...

This study investigates the use of military police from the American Revolution to the interwar period following World War I. Specifically discussed is the use and development of military police capabilities during the American Revolution, Civil War, and World War I. The use of military police during these wars establishes a cycle of entering into conflicts without military police resulting in the use of an ill prepared ad hoc force that ultimately creates a need to develop a dedicated military police element. This study examines why a permanent military police corps was not established...

This study covers four episodes that provide useful perspectives on the nature of unconventional warfare, the adaptability of modern military institutions, the character of cross-cultural conflict, and the dilemas inhernet in the creation and maintenance of an empire.

Evolving operations in the twenty-first century suggest a continued value for historical study of previous counterinsurgency operations. Study of such operations tends towards a degree of research into operational theory of security forces against insurgents. Application of counterinsurgency doctrinal guidance requires tailored organizational models for the participating ground forces. An example of an army which developed specific ground force organizational models in support of counterinsurgency is the French Army in the period between 1945 and 1962. This time frame includes the major...

Recent historiography has almost universally denounced the tactical prowess of the American Expeditionary Force. However, a detailed analysis of the performance of the 42nd Division's 165th Infantry Regiment tells a surprisingly different story. Despite the challenges of the First World War battlefield, the 165th Infantry Regiment compiled a remarkable record of tactical effectiveness in its 180 days of combat. During its six campaigns, the regiment repeatedly held the line and seized objectives against veteran German units in a variety of situations and under various conditions. At the...

What underlies the spatial and temporal patterns of insurgent attacks? Stathis N. Kalyvas proposes that systematic patterns of violence occur based on territorial control by rival actors. Criminologists propose that individual combatants, like individual burglars, are governed by bounded rationality and seek to maximize their benefits by attacking in repeat patterns. This paper will unpack each of these theories and address their limitations on predictive analysis within the operational environment. I propose a theoretical construct that combines the systematic analysis of Kalyvas with the...

Mission command, as outlined in Army Doctrine Reference Publication (ADRP) 6-0, Mission Command, is the contemporary philosophy through which army commanders combine mission, intent, and subordinate initiative to win in unified land operations. Though not known to them as mission command, prominent leaders such as Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and Major General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson used similar concepts. This study specifically examines how these leaders employed three of the six principles outlined in current mission command doctrine. They are: (1) build cohesive teams through mutual...

At the direction of Congress, all non-lethal unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs of the military services were consolidated into a joint Department of Defense program. A result of this legislation was the publication of a joint master plan directing the future of UAV development. The purpose of this study is to determine if the Department of Defense joint unmanned aerial vehicle program will satisfy the UAV needs of the Army to conduct tactical intelligence collection. The study compares the requirements of the Army UAV program against the specifications for the joint close-range (JUAV-CR)...

This study examines how leaders of tactical units can use the Army's Lesson-Learned System (ALLS) to their best advantage. The ALLS was established to identify, collect, analyze, and then disseminate lessons from contingency operations and training exercises throughout the force. This system is central to learning in units and the Army. While the guidance for these procedures is very clear for the overarching Army program, very little information is provided to leaders of tactical units on how they can best support the program and leverage lesson learning in their organizations. Analysis...

The classical military theorists and US Army doctrine emphasize the role of information within a conflict. The US Army's primary means for controlling and manipulating information is the doctrinal concept of information operations. However, there remains debate as to what IO is and how it is to be integrated into US Army operations. Case studies indicate that IO is more than media relations or psychological operations, and that information is an integral element of the convergent nature of conflict. Understanding the physical, informational, and cognitive domains of conflict and the IO...