Lessons LearnedTag Archive

Recommendations for Success in Afghanistan

    The United States will soon enter the 18th year of combat operations in Afghanistan. During that time, multiple approaches to stabilize the country have been tried, including support to regional security initiatives, “nation-building,” counterinsurgency, counternarcotics, counterterrorism, and “train and equip.” The constellation of anti-government elements known collectively as the Taliban continues to refuse… Continue Reading Recommendations for Success in Afghanistan

Vietnam: The Course of a Conflict

This anthology by the George C. Marshall Chair of Military History at the Command and General Staff College traces the course of the Vietnam War from the early advising mission through the large-scale combat phase to the “Vietnamization” and eventual collapse of the South Vietnamese forces and the fall of Saigon. Dr. Jim Willbanks, a… Continue Reading Vietnam: The Course of a Conflict

Into the Breach: Historical Case Studies of Mobility Operations in Large-Scale Combat Operations

Volume 6, Into the Breach: Historical Case Studies of Mobility Operations in Large-Scale Combat Operations, examines ten historical case studies of mobility and countermobility operations from World War I through Desert Storm. The case studies take a closer look at mobility and countermobility successes and failures in large-scale combat operations against peer or near-peer threats.… Continue Reading Into the Breach: Historical Case Studies of Mobility Operations in Large-Scale Combat Operations

Deep Maneuver: Historical Case Studies of Maneuver in Large-Scale Combat Operations

Volume 5, Deep Maneuver: Historical Case Studies of Maneuver in Large-Scale Combat Operations, presents eleven case studies from World War II through Operation Iraqi Freedom focusing on deep maneuver in terms of time, space and purpose. Deep operations require boldness and audacity, and yet carry an element of risk of overextension – especially in light… Continue Reading Deep Maneuver: Historical Case Studies of Maneuver in Large-Scale Combat Operations