US Military Culture
Like our greater "collective popular culture", the U.S. military culture is western in its outlook: it is founded largely on the basis of self-less service to the people as captured in the concept of the Nation State. It is critical in our cultural IPB process that we identify how that U.S. military culture guides our approach to war. There are many studies, histories, or articles written about an "American Way of War." Russell F. Weigley's work of the same title is a classic. In many ways our doctrine is a cultural statement.
Indeed our adherence to doctrine as a base plate for our operations documents that we as a military continually evaluate, test, and rethink how we define our approach to warfare. FM 3-0 Operations is the Army's "bible" on the conduct of warfare. But looking at this issue from a longer perspective, certain trends or characteristics emerge. Four key trends emerge:
• Preference for Fire Power Over Manpower
• Preference for Offense Over Defense
• Preference for Technologically Complex Over Simple
• Preference for Speedy Resolution Over Extended Operations
• Preference for Destruction Over Defeat of Our Enemies
These five "preferences" drive our approach to military operations. Consider those five longstanding American preferences from an enemy's perspective. Then you will start to see US strategic, operational, and tactical weaknesses.
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