FM 3-0 Operations—The Army’s Blueprint
General William S. Wallace, U.S. Army
TRADOC’s commander introduces the newest version of FM 3-0, Operations, the Army’s guide to operating in the 21st century.
Restoring Hope:Economic Revitalization in Iraq Moves Forward
Paul A. Brinkley, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Business Transformation
Mr. Brinkley provides a good news update concerning efforts to modernize Iraq’s economy.
Human Terrain Mapping: A Critical First Step to Winning the COIN Fight
Lieutenant Colonel Jack Marr, U.S. Army; Major John Cushing, U.S. Army; Captain Brandon Garner, U.S. Army; Captain Richard Thompson, U.S. Army
Human terrain mapping offers a systematic method to obtain the information Soldiers need to succeed in counterinsurgency.
Combating a Modern Insurgency: Combined Task Force Devil in Afghanistan
Colonel (P) Patrick Donahue, U.S. Army, and Lieutenant Colonel Michael Fenzel, U.S. Army
Two principals describe how Combined Task Force Devil employed a balanced strategy of kinetic, non-kinetic, and political actions to quiet eastern Afghanistan during OIF VI.
Anbar Awakens: The Tipping Point
Major Niel Smith, U.S. Army, and Colonel Sean MacFarland, U.S. Army
The “Anbar Awakening”—what some have called the “Gettysburg of Iraq”—resulted from the careful application of multiple lines of operation, among them the deliberate cultivation of local leaders.
Polish Military Police Specialized Units
Major General Bogusław Pacek, Polish Army
Poland is taking the lead in developing NATO’s special police units. The concept’s designer rounds out the specifics behind these highly capable modular forces.
A Strategic Failure: American Information Control Policy in Occupied Iraq
Dr. Cora Sol Goldstein
U.S. press policy implemented in Iraq after the fall of Baghdad failed miserably. Decision-makers might have looked to occupied Germany circa 1945 for a better plan.
The Reflective Military Practitioner: How Military Professionals Think in Action
Colonel Christopher R. Paparone, U.S. Army, Retired, Ph.D. and Colonel George Reed, U.S. Army, Retired, Ph.D.
Understanding the social processes at work in the Army’s construction of professional knowledge can prevent inertia, ossification, and, ultimately, irrelevance.
Lessons in Leadership: The Battle of Balaklava, 1854
Dr. Anna Maria Brudenell
Balaklava and its famous charge have become bywords for stubborn heroism, devotion to duty, and steadfastness in the face of overwhelming odds—but also futility, waste, incompetence, and poor communication.
Follow the Money: The Army Finance Corps and Iraqi Financial Independence
Lieutenant Colonel Laura Landes, U.S. Army
Without a sound currency and an interbank market, any appearance of progress in Iraq may be illusory.
CONTEST WINNERS
Honorable Mention: 2007 DePuy Writing Contest
Preparing for Economics in Stability Operations
Lieutenant Colonel David A. Anderson, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired, and Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Wallen, U.S. Air Force
During stability operations, economic actions become as important as military actions.
Stabilizing Influence: Micro-Financial Services Capability
James E. Shircliffe Jr.
Micro-financial services that offer very small loans and savings accounts to the less affluent should be part of all U.S. stability operations.
Get Smart on COIN
INSIGHTS
Hybrid Wars
Colonel John J. McCuen, U.S. Army, Retired
To win a hybrid war, the U.S. must succeed on the conventional battlefield and in the “population battlegrounds” at home and abroad.
Listen to the Airman
Lieutenant Colonel Gian P. Gentile, U.S. Army
An Air War University monograph warns that we have become dogmatic in our single-minded pursuit of a proper COIN strategy. It should be required reading for all Army officers.
