The Strategic Lessons Unlearned from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan

The Strategic Lessons Unlearned from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan

Author: M. Chris Mason

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2015-12-22

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 9781329781245

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Military personnel who have experience in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Vietnam, as well as senior leaders and military historians alike, will find this book by Dr. Chris Mason thought-provoking and useful. Dr. Mason examines indigenous personnel issues at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of war and uses empirical data and exhaustive research to argue that all three wars were lost before the first shots were fired-not on the battlefield, but at the strategic level of war. The United States interpreted all three conflicts as insurgencies, Mason writes, when in fact all three were civil wars in which the United States took a side. Success was never possible from the outset, his provocative thesis argues, because none of the three countries were nations for which the majority of their citizens were willing to fight and die. Nation-building is a slow, evolutionary, internal process through which the political identity of the peoples within a country's borders matures over centuries...


Book Synopsis The Strategic Lessons Unlearned from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan by : M. Chris Mason

Download or read book The Strategic Lessons Unlearned from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan written by M. Chris Mason and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2015-12-22 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Military personnel who have experience in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Vietnam, as well as senior leaders and military historians alike, will find this book by Dr. Chris Mason thought-provoking and useful. Dr. Mason examines indigenous personnel issues at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of war and uses empirical data and exhaustive research to argue that all three wars were lost before the first shots were fired-not on the battlefield, but at the strategic level of war. The United States interpreted all three conflicts as insurgencies, Mason writes, when in fact all three were civil wars in which the United States took a side. Success was never possible from the outset, his provocative thesis argues, because none of the three countries were nations for which the majority of their citizens were willing to fight and die. Nation-building is a slow, evolutionary, internal process through which the political identity of the peoples within a country's borders matures over centuries...

STRATEGIC LESSONS UNLEARNED FROM VIETNAM, IRAQ, AND AFGHANISTAN: Why the Afghan National Security Forces Will Not Hold, and the Implications for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan

STRATEGIC LESSONS UNLEARNED FROM VIETNAM, IRAQ, AND AFGHANISTAN: Why the Afghan National Security Forces Will Not Hold, and the Implications for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan

Author: M. Chris Mason

Publisher:

Published: 2022

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK


Book Synopsis STRATEGIC LESSONS UNLEARNED FROM VIETNAM, IRAQ, AND AFGHANISTAN: Why the Afghan National Security Forces Will Not Hold, and the Implications for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan by : M. Chris Mason

Download or read book STRATEGIC LESSONS UNLEARNED FROM VIETNAM, IRAQ, AND AFGHANISTAN: Why the Afghan National Security Forces Will Not Hold, and the Implications for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan written by M. Chris Mason and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Strategic Lessons Unlearned from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan

The Strategic Lessons Unlearned from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan

Author: M. Chris Mason

Publisher:

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781584876830

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"The wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan were lost before they began, not on the battlefields, where the United States won every tactical engagement, but at the strategic level of war. In each case, the U.S. Government attempted to create a Western-style democracy in countries which were decades at least away from being nations with the sociopolitical capital necessary to sustain democracy and, most importantly, accept it as a legitimate source of governance. The expensive indigenous armies created in the image of the U.S. Army lacked both the motivation to fight for illegitimate governments in Saigon, Baghdad, and Kabul and a cause that they believed was worth dying for, while their enemies in the field clearly did not. This book examines the Afghan National Security Forces in historical and political contexts, explains why they will fail at the tactical, operational and strategic levels of war, why they cannot and will not succeed in holding the southern half of the country, and what will happen in Afghanistan year-by-year from 2015 to 2019. Finally, it examines what the critical lessons unlearned of these conflicts are for U.S. military leaders, why these fundamental political lessons seem to remain unlearned, and how the strategic mistakes of the past can be avoided in the future"--Publisher's web site.


Book Synopsis The Strategic Lessons Unlearned from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan by : M. Chris Mason

Download or read book The Strategic Lessons Unlearned from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan written by M. Chris Mason and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan were lost before they began, not on the battlefields, where the United States won every tactical engagement, but at the strategic level of war. In each case, the U.S. Government attempted to create a Western-style democracy in countries which were decades at least away from being nations with the sociopolitical capital necessary to sustain democracy and, most importantly, accept it as a legitimate source of governance. The expensive indigenous armies created in the image of the U.S. Army lacked both the motivation to fight for illegitimate governments in Saigon, Baghdad, and Kabul and a cause that they believed was worth dying for, while their enemies in the field clearly did not. This book examines the Afghan National Security Forces in historical and political contexts, explains why they will fail at the tactical, operational and strategic levels of war, why they cannot and will not succeed in holding the southern half of the country, and what will happen in Afghanistan year-by-year from 2015 to 2019. Finally, it examines what the critical lessons unlearned of these conflicts are for U.S. military leaders, why these fundamental political lessons seem to remain unlearned, and how the strategic mistakes of the past can be avoided in the future"--Publisher's web site.

Building Special Operations Relationships with Fragile Partners:

Building Special Operations Relationships with Fragile Partners:

Author: Torsten Gojowsky

Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand

Published: 2019-02-18

Total Pages: 122

ISBN-13: 3945861888

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Relationships empower Special Operations Forces (SOF) to perform as a highly skilled and reliable cadre in collaboration with local partner forces to prevent and solve shared problem sets, often accomplishing more with less. Since 9/11, however, relationships between SOF and their partners have not always been properly built and maintained. The authors trace the causal effects of constraints, trainings, and incentives and their impact on the current North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) SOF approach of building enduring relationships. Motivated by numerous deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, with recurring problem sets, we chose to conduct a struc-tured-focused comparison between U.S. and Danish SOF supporting Operation Inherent Resolve in Al Anbar, Iraq (2015-2018) and German SOF during the shift of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force to Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan (2013-2015). The analysis of these cases finds that specific interactions of the studied factors not only cause variations in relationships between SOF and partner forces, but ultimately influence operations and objectives determining mission success or failure. With further testing of our analysis and recommendations, this research can help to identify inherently flexible and nested strategic options for SOF senior leaders, allowing them to deploy SOF elements efficiently during times of asymmetric, diffuse, and episodic conflicts. Gojowsky and Koegler have written a fascinating and important manuscript concerning the use and lessons-learned of SOF in recent asymmetrical conflicts. In doing so, the authors systematically assess modern SOF tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) and relationships between NATO SOF and their local partners. This is a must-read for those interested in the future of SOF as well as counter-insurgencies' future TTPs, constraints and incentives. Gojowsky and Koegler recommendations should be carefully considered by NATO and its member countries. Professor Thomas H. Johnson, Author of "Taliban Narratives: The Use and Power of Stories in the Afghanistan Conflict", Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California.


Book Synopsis Building Special Operations Relationships with Fragile Partners: by : Torsten Gojowsky

Download or read book Building Special Operations Relationships with Fragile Partners: written by Torsten Gojowsky and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2019-02-18 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Relationships empower Special Operations Forces (SOF) to perform as a highly skilled and reliable cadre in collaboration with local partner forces to prevent and solve shared problem sets, often accomplishing more with less. Since 9/11, however, relationships between SOF and their partners have not always been properly built and maintained. The authors trace the causal effects of constraints, trainings, and incentives and their impact on the current North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) SOF approach of building enduring relationships. Motivated by numerous deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, with recurring problem sets, we chose to conduct a struc-tured-focused comparison between U.S. and Danish SOF supporting Operation Inherent Resolve in Al Anbar, Iraq (2015-2018) and German SOF during the shift of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force to Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan (2013-2015). The analysis of these cases finds that specific interactions of the studied factors not only cause variations in relationships between SOF and partner forces, but ultimately influence operations and objectives determining mission success or failure. With further testing of our analysis and recommendations, this research can help to identify inherently flexible and nested strategic options for SOF senior leaders, allowing them to deploy SOF elements efficiently during times of asymmetric, diffuse, and episodic conflicts. Gojowsky and Koegler have written a fascinating and important manuscript concerning the use and lessons-learned of SOF in recent asymmetrical conflicts. In doing so, the authors systematically assess modern SOF tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) and relationships between NATO SOF and their local partners. This is a must-read for those interested in the future of SOF as well as counter-insurgencies' future TTPs, constraints and incentives. Gojowsky and Koegler recommendations should be carefully considered by NATO and its member countries. Professor Thomas H. Johnson, Author of "Taliban Narratives: The Use and Power of Stories in the Afghanistan Conflict", Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California.

Reconstructing the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces: Lessons from the U.S. Experience in Afghanistan

Reconstructing the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces: Lessons from the U.S. Experience in Afghanistan

Author: Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction (U.S.)

Publisher: U.S. Independent Agencies and Commissions

Published: 2017-08

Total Pages: 277

ISBN-13: 9780160948312

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This publication is the second in a series of lessons learned reports which examine how the U.S. government and Departments of Defense, State, and Justice carried out reconstruction programs in Afghanistan. In particular, the report analyzes security sector assistance (SSA) programs to create, train and advise the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) between 2002 and 2016. This publication concludes that the effort to train the ANDSF needs to continue, and provides recommendations for the SSA programs to be improved, based on lessons learned from careful analysis of real reconstruction situations in Afghanistan. The publication states that the United States was never prepared to help create Afghan police and military forces capable of protecting that country from internal and external threats. It is the hope of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), John F. Sopko, that this publication, and other SIGAR reports will create a body of work that can help provide reasonable solutions to help United States agencies and military forces improve reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. Related items: Counterterrorism publications can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/counterterrorism Counterinsurgency publications can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/counterinsurgency Warfare & Military Strategy publications can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/warfare-military-strategy Afghanistan War publications can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/afghanistan-war


Book Synopsis Reconstructing the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces: Lessons from the U.S. Experience in Afghanistan by : Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction (U.S.)

Download or read book Reconstructing the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces: Lessons from the U.S. Experience in Afghanistan written by Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction (U.S.) and published by U.S. Independent Agencies and Commissions. This book was released on 2017-08 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This publication is the second in a series of lessons learned reports which examine how the U.S. government and Departments of Defense, State, and Justice carried out reconstruction programs in Afghanistan. In particular, the report analyzes security sector assistance (SSA) programs to create, train and advise the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) between 2002 and 2016. This publication concludes that the effort to train the ANDSF needs to continue, and provides recommendations for the SSA programs to be improved, based on lessons learned from careful analysis of real reconstruction situations in Afghanistan. The publication states that the United States was never prepared to help create Afghan police and military forces capable of protecting that country from internal and external threats. It is the hope of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), John F. Sopko, that this publication, and other SIGAR reports will create a body of work that can help provide reasonable solutions to help United States agencies and military forces improve reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. Related items: Counterterrorism publications can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/counterterrorism Counterinsurgency publications can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/counterinsurgency Warfare & Military Strategy publications can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/warfare-military-strategy Afghanistan War publications can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/afghanistan-war

Landpower in the Long War

Landpower in the Long War

Author: Jason W. Warren

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky

Published: 2019-06-14

Total Pages: 376

ISBN-13: 0813177596

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

War and landpower's role in the twenty-first century is not just about military organizations, tactics, operations, and technology; it is also about strategy, policy, and social and political contexts. After fourteen years of war in the Middle East with dubious results, a diminished national reputation, and a continuing drawdown of troops with perhaps a future force increase proposed by the Trump administration, the role of landpower in US grand strategy will continue to evolve with changing geopolitical situations. Landpower in the Long War: Projecting Force After 9/11, edited by Jason W. Warren, is the first holistic academic analysis of American strategic landpower. Divided into thematic sections, this study presents a comprehensive approach to a critical aspect of US foreign policy as the threat or ability to use force underpins diplomacy. The text begins with more traditional issues, such as strategy and civilian-military relations, and works its way to more contemporary topics, such as how socio-cultural considerations effect the landpower force. It also includes a synopsis of the suppressed Iraq report from one of the now retired leaders of that effort. The contributors—made up of an interdisciplinary team of political scientists, historians, and military practitioners—demonstrate that the conceptualization of landpower must move beyond the limited operational definition offered by Army doctrine in order to encompass social changes, trauma, the rule of law, acquisition of needed equipment, civil-military relationships, and bureaucratic decision-making, and argue that landpower should be a useful concept for warfighters and government agencies.


Book Synopsis Landpower in the Long War by : Jason W. Warren

Download or read book Landpower in the Long War written by Jason W. Warren and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2019-06-14 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: War and landpower's role in the twenty-first century is not just about military organizations, tactics, operations, and technology; it is also about strategy, policy, and social and political contexts. After fourteen years of war in the Middle East with dubious results, a diminished national reputation, and a continuing drawdown of troops with perhaps a future force increase proposed by the Trump administration, the role of landpower in US grand strategy will continue to evolve with changing geopolitical situations. Landpower in the Long War: Projecting Force After 9/11, edited by Jason W. Warren, is the first holistic academic analysis of American strategic landpower. Divided into thematic sections, this study presents a comprehensive approach to a critical aspect of US foreign policy as the threat or ability to use force underpins diplomacy. The text begins with more traditional issues, such as strategy and civilian-military relations, and works its way to more contemporary topics, such as how socio-cultural considerations effect the landpower force. It also includes a synopsis of the suppressed Iraq report from one of the now retired leaders of that effort. The contributors—made up of an interdisciplinary team of political scientists, historians, and military practitioners—demonstrate that the conceptualization of landpower must move beyond the limited operational definition offered by Army doctrine in order to encompass social changes, trauma, the rule of law, acquisition of needed equipment, civil-military relationships, and bureaucratic decision-making, and argue that landpower should be a useful concept for warfighters and government agencies.

NDU Journal

NDU Journal

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK


Book Synopsis NDU Journal by :

Download or read book NDU Journal written by and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Lessons Unlearned

Lessons Unlearned

Author: Vinod Kumar Nagpal

Publisher: Notion Press

Published: 2020-06-25

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 1648699847

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In his debut book, Vinod Kumar Nagpal, the author, takes us back to the early 1960s. This is the story of a child who is gullible, inquisitive, and curious about nature, religion, and God while he is still five years old. He poses a lot of questions to his father about mythology, religion, God, and the partition of Bharat, as his parents migrated from Western Punjab of the then undivided Bharat at the time of partition of the country. His father narrates a lot of incidences/mythological stories to his young son and also shares with him painful memories of partition and his struggles thereafter. Incidences/stories told by his father carry many good lessons. But because of his careless nature and aversion to studies, he does not pay heed to those lessons and suffers as a consequence. When he grows up, he realizes his mistakes and tries to re-learn those lessons which he had unlearned. Is he able to resurrect his life? A must-read to recollect childhood memories and get nostalgic. The book also discusses what God wants from us, what the actual meaning of religion is, and how one must conduct oneself.


Book Synopsis Lessons Unlearned by : Vinod Kumar Nagpal

Download or read book Lessons Unlearned written by Vinod Kumar Nagpal and published by Notion Press. This book was released on 2020-06-25 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In his debut book, Vinod Kumar Nagpal, the author, takes us back to the early 1960s. This is the story of a child who is gullible, inquisitive, and curious about nature, religion, and God while he is still five years old. He poses a lot of questions to his father about mythology, religion, God, and the partition of Bharat, as his parents migrated from Western Punjab of the then undivided Bharat at the time of partition of the country. His father narrates a lot of incidences/mythological stories to his young son and also shares with him painful memories of partition and his struggles thereafter. Incidences/stories told by his father carry many good lessons. But because of his careless nature and aversion to studies, he does not pay heed to those lessons and suffers as a consequence. When he grows up, he realizes his mistakes and tries to re-learn those lessons which he had unlearned. Is he able to resurrect his life? A must-read to recollect childhood memories and get nostalgic. The book also discusses what God wants from us, what the actual meaning of religion is, and how one must conduct oneself.

Learning Large Lessons

Learning Large Lessons

Author: David E. Johnson

Publisher: Rand Corporation

Published: 2007-03-30

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 0833042416

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The relative roles of U.S. ground and air power have shifted since the end of the Cold War. At the level of major operations and campaigns, the Air Force has proved capable of and committed to performing deep strike operations, which the Army long had believed the Air Force could not reliably accomplish. If air power can largely supplant Army systems in deep operations, the implications for both joint doctrine and service capabilities would be significant. To assess the shift of these roles, the author of this report analyzed post?Cold War conflicts in Iraq (1991), Bosnia (1995), Kosovo (1999), Afghanistan (2001), and Iraq (2003). Because joint doctrine frequently reflects a consensus view rather than a truly integrated joint perspective, the author recommends that joint doctrine-and the processes by which it is derived and promulgated-be overhauled. The author also recommends reform for the services beyond major operations and campaigns to ensure that the United States attains its strategic objectives. This revised edition includes updates and an index.


Book Synopsis Learning Large Lessons by : David E. Johnson

Download or read book Learning Large Lessons written by David E. Johnson and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2007-03-30 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The relative roles of U.S. ground and air power have shifted since the end of the Cold War. At the level of major operations and campaigns, the Air Force has proved capable of and committed to performing deep strike operations, which the Army long had believed the Air Force could not reliably accomplish. If air power can largely supplant Army systems in deep operations, the implications for both joint doctrine and service capabilities would be significant. To assess the shift of these roles, the author of this report analyzed post?Cold War conflicts in Iraq (1991), Bosnia (1995), Kosovo (1999), Afghanistan (2001), and Iraq (2003). Because joint doctrine frequently reflects a consensus view rather than a truly integrated joint perspective, the author recommends that joint doctrine-and the processes by which it is derived and promulgated-be overhauled. The author also recommends reform for the services beyond major operations and campaigns to ensure that the United States attains its strategic objectives. This revised edition includes updates and an index.

The Intervention Debate

The Intervention Debate

Author: John Garofano

Publisher: Strategic Studies Institute

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 104

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"The author argues that American policymakers must take an approach based on "principled judgment" when deciding on the use of force. The 1990s showed the extremes of deciding when and how to use force, one of the central elements of strategy. Throughout American history, debate has raged over whether force is appropriate only in defense of the homeland and vital national interests or whether it should also be used to promote more expansive objectives like regional security and stopping humanitarian disasters in regions with few tangible U.S. interests. He concludes with a discussion of Army roles and requirements for future contingencies."--SSI site.


Book Synopsis The Intervention Debate by : John Garofano

Download or read book The Intervention Debate written by John Garofano and published by Strategic Studies Institute. This book was released on 2002 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The author argues that American policymakers must take an approach based on "principled judgment" when deciding on the use of force. The 1990s showed the extremes of deciding when and how to use force, one of the central elements of strategy. Throughout American history, debate has raged over whether force is appropriate only in defense of the homeland and vital national interests or whether it should also be used to promote more expansive objectives like regional security and stopping humanitarian disasters in regions with few tangible U.S. interests. He concludes with a discussion of Army roles and requirements for future contingencies."--SSI site.