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LESSON 1

CHALLENGES FOR THE US ARMY

Critical Task: None

OVERVIEW

LESSON DESCRIPTION:

In this lesson you will learn the challenges of the US Army and the range of military operations.

TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:

INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Army warfighting doctrine reflects the nature of modern warfare. It applies the principle of war and combat power dynamics to contemporary and anticipated future within the strategic policy direction of our government. It is inherently a joint doctrine that recognizes the teamwork required of all services and the extension of the battlefield in time, space, and purpose through all available resources and campaign design.

While the conditions of warfare change with time and circumstance, the qualities of skills, tenacity, boldness, and courage have always marked successful armies and commanders and will continue to do so. While reflecting the increased complexity and lethality of the modern battlefield, Army doctrine recognizes that advanced weapons and technologies are no better than the skills with which leaders and soldiers employ them against the enemy.

PART A--THE ROLE OF DOCTRINE

The Role of Doctrine. Doctrine is the statement of how America's Army, as part of a joint team, intends to conduct war and operations other than war. As a an authoritative statement, doctrine must be definitive enough to guide specific operations, yet remain adaptable enough to address diverse and varied situations worldwide. Doctrine sets the direction for modernization and the standard for leadership development and soldier training.

Army forces today are likely to encounter conditions of greater ambiguity and uncertainty, and doctrine must be able to accommodate this wider variety of threats. In doing so, the Army is prepared to respond to these worldwide strategic challenges across the full range of possible operations as part of a joint and combined team.

The global realities of today are in a period of significant change. Army forces may find themselves called upon to fight under conditions of rapid force projection that can build to major sustained operations in war and peace or that can terminate quickly only to lead to commitments elsewhere. Doctrine must be relevant to these conditions to be effective.

Doctrine should reflect new technology and its potential for the future, as well as its effects on Army Operations. Advances in technology are changing the way warfare is conducted at a pace now greater than ever before. At the same time, however, warfare remains a test of the soldiers will, courage, endurance, and skill.

Doctrine must accommodate the reality that Force Projection replaces forward defense as a more likely employment of the Army element. Army forces will have to deploy rapidly to operational areas. Doctrine must therefore provide an understanding of the difficulty of getting to the region of conflict with the appropriate force to accomplish the mission.

Doctrine reflects the strategic context in which Army forces will operate, sets a marker for the incorporation of developing technologies, and optimizes the uses of all available resources. It also incorporates the lessons of warfare and the wisdom of the Army's collective leadership in establishing a guide to action in war and operations other than war.

The American View of War
The Constitution of the United States establishes the fundamental parameters of the national defense structure, while national attitudes affect the nature and employment of US armed forces. The Army serves as repository of its national values and embeds them into its professional ethos. The responsibility for the conduct and use of military forces is derived from the people and the government. The army commits forces only after appropriate direction from the National Command Authorities. In the end, the people will pass judgment on the appropriateness of the conduct and use of military operations.

PART B-- THE STRATEGIC CONTEXT

National Military strategy, derived from national security policy, provides the basis for all operations.

• The Levels of War. The three levels of war, tactical, operational, and strategic, define the entire range of military operations and the links between tactical actions and strategic objectives. Strategy is concerned with national or, in specific cases, alliance or coalition objectives through the design, organization, and conduct of campaigns and major operations. Tactical battles and engagements are fought to achieve operational results.
• National Security Strategy and Policies. The United States national security strategy is founded on deterrence and the capability to project power to safeguard its national security interests and objectives. National security policies establish the strategic goals and objective for specific situations.
• National Military Strategy. The national military strategy is based on the fundamentals of the national security strategy. The US military fulfills this by ensuring strategic deterrence and defense, exercising forward presence in vital areas, responding effectively to crises, and retains the national capacity to reconstitute forces.
• Strategic Goals and the Use of Force. The use of military force-in-demonstration or operation-combined with other elements of national power seeks to preserve, to protect, and to advance the vital interests of the United States (US).
• The Strategic End State. Military force seeks to end conflict on terms favorable to US interests. Tactical and operational execution are designed to support a strategic end state that ensures a lasting victory.
• The Strategic Army. The army's primary mission is to organize, train, and equip forces to conduct prompt and sustained land combat operations. The Army's capabilities provide the nation a diverse, deployable, and sustainable set of options that include strategic and operational logistics and communications capabilities. The Army must be capable of full-dimensional operations. It must train to fight as part of a joint, combined, United Nations, or interagency force. It must be deployable, expansible, and capable of achieving decisive victory.
• Theater Strategy. Theater strategies provide the basis for all operations plans and are designed to achieve strategic end states. Theater commanders transfer national alliance, or coalition direction into theater strategies based on planning requirements for war or operations other than war.
• The Training and Readiness Challenge. Leaders have the responsibility to train subordinates. Every commander, every soldier, every unit in a force-projection army must be trained and ready to deploy. Training to high standards is essential in both peace and war. Army forces must train and maintain the highest levels of readiness.

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