Search:

Aha. Now THAT is a fantastic question, which goes right to the heart of the "strategy" in Af/Pak.

As I have often said, strategy is complex, but at its heart is the ends/ways/means equation. ...

Gents,

I'd refer you back to our German friend Fuchs who aptly pointed out that the German word used in on war has a dual meaning of both methods and tools (resources). Furthermore, you'll note...

Well, I couldn't just let this thread die a graceful death. So, as my latest inflammatory comment, I offer yet more evidence that the consideration of resources is central to strategy.

Robert H....

Just to be clear, I wasn't advocating the use of doctrine or planning as I articulated it. I was actually trying to point out how these concepts are commonly misused.

Also, there are systems in...

Mike,

I agree that the operational level as we know it emerged in WWI, specifically 1916-18, as the combined arms battlefield.

However, some of what we now lump into operational warfare did...

Ack. I was excited to read this until I saw it was by Steven Melton. You might want to read the first 30 pages or so of his book, The Clausewitz Delusion. IMO, he is pretty mixed up and has some...

I was going to leave this entire entry alone since it is basically a rehash of previous arguments. However, the above statement merits a brief response.

I never claimed that Napoleon "invented"...

Fair criticisms. As you point out, the nature of doctrine is less a problem than the application of it. The villain here may be planning, or the application of doctrine to a given problem. The...

Perhaps this is true. However, it seems that it would be extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible, to build a body of doctrine which would be impossible to misuse. It is hard to think of a...

An excellent observation. The idea of stratified levels of war is probably inappropriate. Instead, we could imagine each of these concepts as spheres existing within the larger sphere of policy.
...

No argument here. The misuse of concepts is rampant (center of gravity comes to mind in the US system). My argument with Mr. Owen is with the existence of operational warfare. The fact that the...

Couldn't agree more. However, you will note a common theme throughout my posts that the operational level existed since Napoleon; it just wasn't labeled as such. The terminology wasn't introduced...

I didn't say that.

You thought wrong. You don't believe in operational warfare, so I don't expect you to understand it.

No.

No.


Fair enough. Great opinion - you are welcome to...

I'm going to leave most of your comments alone since we've been there and done that, and I sure no one wants to rehash deeply entrenched positions (least of all me).



King George hardly seems...

Very much so. I think your simple definition above trends toward an explanation of operational warfare. In my previous answer, I'd was trying to pull out some of the unique skills required to do...

Without going into exhaustive detail, the ability to plan, conduct, and sustain campaigns and major operations which accomplish strategic objectives. This includes setting the conditions for...

I think you are on the right track. Operational warfare is largely (but not exclusively) concerned with logistics. Operational objectives link both up to strategy and down to tactics.

I go back...

Operational planning is inherently joint in nature. In the US system, the Corps staff is properly manned to synchronize and integrate joint capabilities in support of land campaigns. Divisions are...

For sure. The question is, does it require a unique skill set? Is planning at the operational level fundamentally different from strategy/tactics? I would say yes, and most military thinkers...

This concept illustrates the necessary connection between actions on the battlefield and policy objectives. Essentially, it is a richer statement of Clausewitz's axiom that "war is a continuation of...

Fair enough. We'll throw Hammes and Cohen in the "99% that don't get it" bin.

Incidentally, I don't disagree with the "Policy-Strategy-Tactics" triad per se. It is a useful idea; its just not...

Fair enough.

Another good article on operational warfare, focusing on British doctrine.

da.mod.uk/defac/publications/jk.pdf

This is clever indeed. What Mr. Owen is trying to do here is make his point by demeaning the opposition.

You see according to Mr. Owen, if you think there is an operational level of war, then it...

Well said. I'd also add that operational warfare is tough because:

1. It links strategy to tactics, and therefore has elements of both. There is a temptation to lump it into one bucket or the...