Scenario

1. Scenario • An International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) unit in a relatively permissive area had a difficult time maneuvering large vehicles along a road because it was lined with fruit trees. To improve mobility, the unit had the trees cut down; many people in the village had their livelihoods destroyed. IEDs began appearing along the road shortly thereafter. • What’s the correlation?

2. The Evolving Nature of War

3. Overview • The Evolution of War • Winning World War IV • The Importance of Adapting

4. Evolution of Warfare • Fluid nature of war • Evolving • Influenced by various forces • Politically ideology • Technology • Geography • Twenty-First Century Warfare • Different kind of enemy • Current focus on counterinsurgency

5. Evolution of Warfare • World War I—The Chemists’ War • World War II—The Physicists’ War

6. Evolution of Warfare • World War III—The Information Researchers’ War • World War IV—The Social Scientists’ War

7. Winning World War IV “Protecting people is the mission. The conflict will be won by persuading the population, not by destroying the enemy.” ~ General Stanley A. McChrystal, Former Commander Int’l. Security Assistance Force/US. Forces—Afghanistan

8. Winning World War IV • The Air Force Mission • Fly, fight, and win, but… • Requires a broad skill set to accomplish • Psycho-Cultural War • Twenty-first century conflict • Requires different skills • Challenges for leaders

9. Importance of Adapting “As combat requirements evolve so must the Air Force's unique capabilities to engage the enemy. We have to be as skilled, as wise as, and even more capable than our adversaries.” ~ General Norton Schwartz Air Force Chief of Staff

10. Importance of Adapting • Elements of Victory • Cultural awareness • Building alien armies and alliances • Sometimes must be advisors not operators • The art of perception shaping • Soft skill vs. hard skill

11. Importance of Adapting • Elements of Victory (cont’d) • Inculcate knowledge/teach wisdom • Empowerment of younger officers to make decisions • Impact of these decisions • Tactical intelligence • Precise info about enemy actions • Psychological & physiological tuning

12. Importance of Adapting • Elements of Victory (cont’d) • Developing high-performing Airmen and units • Leadership & decision-making • Intellectually ambidextrous • Flexibility and adaptability • Intuitive command • Not what to think but how to think

13. Scenario • An ISAF unit was often taking rocket fire from nearby a certain village. Rather than raiding the village, the commander decided instead to find out more about them and the reasons for hostility. The Afghan National Army (ANA) commander suggested he send a patrol to learn more about the village. The patrol discovered the village was upset about a night raid that occurred more than 2 years before. They also learned education was important to the village but they had no school or supplies. The commander sent another patrol to the village a few days later with a truckload of school supplies. The next day, the village elders came to the base to meet with the ANA and ISAF commanders, and they delivered over 100 thank-you notes from the village children. Soon, several local projects were coordinated with the village elders—projects they owned. The rocket attacks stopped. • What was the difference in methods and results from the story I presented at the beginning of this hour?

14. Summary • The Evolution of War • Winning World War IV • The Importance of Adapting

15. Homework • Prepare for Mid-Term Review