Military historical case studies provide insight for military planners. Military planners cannot afford to ignore history when planning in today's complex environment. This thesis analyzes military doctrinal changes and adaptation during Britain's Boer War and the French counterinsurgency war in Algeria. The Boer War serves as an example of doctrinal change during a counterinsurgency campaign. The French experience demonstrates the difficult task of fighting against an ambiguous enemy who uses terrorism as its primary tactic. A counterinsurgency comparison and analysis focuses on three issues...

This book argues that the various images and representations used to describe the "new navy" in the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were indicative of a shift in how the American people viewed themselves, and how they viewed their proper role in the world. Specifically, this book provides a narrative of American social, economic, political, and foreign policy in the fin de siecle period, a narrative of the American naval rebuilding program in the same period, an analysis of popular and elite discourse about the navy between 1889 and 1917, and an analysis of...

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) have become standard in U.S.'s conflicts. However, current UASs are limited by the need for unchallenged airspace or stealth technology, as UASs have almost no defensive capability. Draw-down of the U.S. military after Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is placing considerable emphasis on employing a lighter, leaner, and more lethal military force to meet strategic objectives mandated by politicians. As a result, the DoD, Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap FY2011-2036, identified seven areas the U.S. must focus to...

During the late thirteenth century and early fourteenth century, the English in medieval Europe fought in two wars: the Scottish Wars of Independence followed by the Hundred Years War. The final engagements of the Scottish Wars of Independence mentally, culturally, and physically changed English notions of what tactics and strategies should be used in warfare. From these experiences, the English learned lessons from Scottish methods of war that helped them devise a tactical fighting system that would eventually transform the ideals of chivalry and its application in warfare. The English then...

This thesis examines the history of the Second (Ashby's) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment during the American Civil War. The goal is to determine how the Second Tennessee Cavalry contributed to the Confederate war effort. This study will analyze the operations the unit conducted, the tactical tasks it executed, and the outcomes of the regiment's actions. This analysis will be used to determine if the regiment was effective at executing its assigned missions and if it aided Confederate commanders in achieving desired effects on the battlefield.

Why did the Israel-Hezbollah War of 2006 result in strategic failure for Israel? To date, the explanations for Israel's strategic failure have centered on the relatively poor performance of the Israel Defense Force (IDF), specifically as it relates to the employment of Effects Based Operations (EBO) and Systemic Operational Design (SOD) methodologies, an overreliance on air power, and a general lack of readiness for sustained combined arms operations by the ground forces. However, these explanations, while certainly contributing factors and sources of operational friction, do not adequately...

When the 24th Infantry Division deployed to Korea in July 1950 it experienced a series of defeats from 5-20 July in an attempt to delay the invading North Korean People's Army (NKPA). The division suffered devastating losses of men and equipment and was withdrawn from combat because it was no longer capable of effective combat operations. Historians blamed the appalling losses and demoralizing defeats of 5-20 July on poor training, poor equipment, and lazy, ill-disciplined soldiers of an occupation army. The operational approach and the operational art of the commanders and staffs of the...

This research considers the future of Brigade Combat Team (BCT) Cavalry Squadrons during the upcoming interwar period. This is accomplished by specifically examining the Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) Cavalry Squadron through one primary research question: How should the ABCT Cavalry Squadron be further developed to conduct reconnaissance and security missions in the next 10 years? Developing a Cavalry Squadron that can effectively support the ABCT in the future is a complex problem. This research uses Army Design Methodology (ADM) to examine this complex issue. Design assists in framing...

Today's military leadership is faced with the changing culture of a financially constrained environment. The Department of Defense has noted a shortcoming in countermobility capability and emphasized a shift from COIN to small scale wars in a variety of environments and has also emphasized the use of interorganizational capabilities. This thesis examines if US land forces (US Army and US Marines) are properly trained, equipped, and manned to support countermobility operations. Both the US Army and the US Marines have fundamentally similar doctrine and training for countermobility operations....

In May of 2012, with budget and manpower cuts looming, General Ray Odierno announced his vision and strategy for the future Army. He highlighted a more capable, adaptable, and responsive force that would remain industriously engaged in a regionally aligned concept. The Regionally Aligned Force (RAF) Strategy provides each combatant commander with the ability to shape their environment through perpetually dedicated units that are culturally and geographically oriented. It intimates an army with an expanded global presence that is used to shape foreign nations for the benefit of national...