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March-April 2023

 

Table of Contents

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Letter from the Editor in Chief: Read like Your Life and the Lives of Your Soldiers Depend upon It

Col. Todd Schmidt, PhD, U.S. Army

 

Suggested Writing Themes and Topics—2023

 

2023 General William E. DePuy

 

Musicians of Mars in Multiple Domains: Expanding Combined Arms in the Twenty-First Century

Lt. Gen. Milford Beagle Jr., U.S. Army

Col. Richard Creed, U.S. Army, Retired

Lt. Col. Matt Farmer, U.S. Army, Retired

Both China and Russia possess large, modern militaries that can contest the U.S. joint force through land, air, maritime, space, and cyberspace—an environment in which the U.S. Army has not fought for decades. Army forces meet this challenge through multidomain operations, the operational concept described in the new Field Manual 3-0, Operations.

 

Reframing Operational Art for Competition

Maj. Steven R. Chase, U.S. Army

There are shortfalls when applying operational art doctrine in an environment with increasing interstate competition. Adding the competition mechanisms communicate, coerce, and conciliate to complement existing doctrinal frameworks will allow a greater range for conceptual planning in operational art.

 

Term of Art: What Joint Doctrine Gets Wrong about Operational Art and Why It Matters

Maj. Rick Chersicla, U.S. Army

Current joint doctrine overly complicates the term “operational art” and offers a hollow definition that provides limited utility and no insights to the joint force. The joint force needs a clearer definition of operational art to prepare for modern challenges.

 

Mission Modeling for Commanders: Improved Operational Effectiveness through the Use of Measurable Proxy Variables

Capt. Bradford Witt, U.S. Army

Sorin Matei, PhD

The style of command is an underresearched and misunderstood facet of operations, and while the mission command doctrine is an extremely flexible and effective philosophy, it is an ideal that is never fully realized. A relatively simple model proposes that with a better understanding of the command style we employ, we can be more accurate and effective in following our own doctrine.

 

Financial Access Denial: An Irregular Approach to Integrated Deterrence

Col. Sara Dudley, U.S. Army

Lt. Col. Steve Ferenzi, U.S. Army

Maj. Travis Clemens, U.S. Army

Economic statecraft is a critical adversary capability allowing access to targeted states, but its associated corruption is an exploitable vulnerability. Military finance capabilities must complement traditional warfighting to capitalize on this liability to expand the U.S. coercive arsenal—fully integrated with interagency partners in the Departments of Treasury, Commerce, and State.

 

British soldiers with 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment

Through the Looking Glass: Missing the Mark by Mirror-Imaging Competitors’ Reserve Forces

Col. Andrew Jacob, Massachusetts Air National Guard

Cmdr. Christopher Wear, U.S. Navy Reserve

Lt. Col. Alexi Franklin, Maryland Army National Guard

Lt. Cmdr. Spencer Willig, U.S. Navy Reserve

In reviewing China as the pacing challenge in theory, and as we actively oppose Russian malign influence in the field, DOD analysis should also include a closer look at our Reserve Component model and our opponents’ reserve force capabilities and goals.

 

Once More unto the Breach: Air Defense Artillery Support to Maneuver Forces in Large-Scale Combat Operations

Col. Glenn A. Henke, U.S. Army

The air defense artillery (ADA) branch currently finds itself determining how to support maneuver forces in a multidomain fight with divisions as the primary unit of action. This requires a critical look at command relationships and authorities, the role of ADA assets supporting corps and divisions, and how best to train and equip ADA forces for large-scale combat operations.

 

Collaboration between Leadership and Behavioral Health: How One U.S. Army Brigade Created a Novel Approach to Suicide Prevention

Col. Timothy MacDonald, U.S. Army

Maj. Amy Thrasher, PsyD, U.S. Army

Through command-embedded behavioral health collaboration, the 18th Military Police Brigade developed and implemented a novel strategy that prioritized soldier well-being, enhanced suicide prevention programming, and achieved a positive command climate.

 

Coup d’œil and Cognition: How to Build Adaptive Tactical Experts

Trent J. Lythgoe, PhD

Coup d’œil is adaptive tactical expertise—the ability to apply warfighting knowledge flexibly and creatively to solve novel tactical problems. U.S. Army leaders can develop adaptive tactical expertise through deliberate practice, metacognition, and emotional intelligence.

 

Hiding in Plain Sight

Maj. Tony Formica, U.S. Army

Capt. Chris Pabon, U.S. Army

Success in large-scale combat operations requires Army divisions to develop the ability to overwhelm an adversary’s capacity to perceive reality and make timely decisions, which necessitates the integration of a host of disparate capabilities within both divisions and brigade combat teams. These formations must change the way they organize their staffs, equip their formations, and train in their use of information to both survive on and dominate the modern battlefield.

Assessing the Modern Fight

Lt. Col. Mitchell Payne, U.S. Army

Effective organizational leadership requires an awareness of the environment, a forward-looking vision, and a clear understanding of the destination at hand to be successful. The military assessment process is how staff and commanders achieve a shared understanding of their surrounding environment and their way forward to reach the necessary military end state.

 

Sustaining Multidomain Operations: The Logistical Challenge Facing the Army’s Operating Concept

Maj. Bryan J. Quinn, U.S. Army

Despite attempts to counter antiaccess strategies in multidomain operations (MDO), the concept is limited by a sustainment architecture optimized for past conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq and a dependence on emerging, unproven logistical capabilities to solve inherent logistical challenges. As a result, the United States’ ability to achieve objectives in future conflict, consistent with MDO’s theory of victory, may be at risk.

 

Looking Outward: Lessons in Security Force Assistance from the French Experience in Africa

Maj. Daniel K. Dillenback, U.S. Army

The ability to develop and maintain a strong network of partners is critical to achieving national interests, and Army leaders have a vested interest in ensuring that the service is prepared to develop partner militaries that are competent, capable, committed, and confident.

 

Blood and Ruins: The Last Imperial War, 1931–1945

Mark Montesclaros

The author critiques a book by Richard Overy that provides an exceptionally comprehensive discourse on the roots, conduct, and aftermath of the Second World War.

 

Medal of Honor: Spc. 5 Dwight W. Birdwell, U.S. Army

 

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