BG McMaster on the Army Capstone Concept (Quicklook Notes)
Brigadier General H.R. McMaster on Setting Conditions and The Army Capstone Concept
Certainty vs. Uncertainty / Theory vs. Recent and Ongoing Conflicts (Then and Now)
- Knowledge centric vs. fighting and politics centric.
- Planning process vs. design and education.
- Synchronization vs. initiative.
- Centralization vs. decentralization.
- Risk avoidance vs. risk mitigation.
- Efficiency vs. effectiveness.
- Fires vs. combined arms fire and maneuver.
- See / quality of firsts vs. find and understand.
- Rapid, Decisive Operations vs. sustained campaigns.
- ISR vs. recon and security.
- Command from the FOB vs. command from the front.
- Systems approach (EBO) vs. complexity (design).
- Dominance vs. strategy and continuous interaction.
- MCO focus vs. spectrum of conflict.
- Capabilities Based Assessment vs. Threat Based Assessment.
- Vagueness vs. transparency.
- Linear progression (leap ahead) vs. interaction with adversaries - continuous innovation.
Implications for the Army Capstone Concept
- Conducting operations under the condition of transparency.
- Conducting operations with partners and amongst diverse populations.
- Overcoming anti-access in the context of a joint operation.
- Conducting and sustaining operations from and across extended distances.
- Fighting for information (physical reconnaissance and human intelligence).
- Employing the manpower, mobility, firepower, and protection to close with the enemy.
- Conducting area security operations over large areas (including population security; precision fires to limit collateral damage).
- Developing partner capabilities (e.g. Security Force Assistance).
- Protecting the network and routinely fighting in degraded mode.
- Overcoming hybrid threats / complex terrain and overcoming enemy count-mobility efforts.
- Reshaping logistics and the demand side of sustainment to ensure operations without pause and freedom of movement in non-contiguous area of operations.
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