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Why War? Why an Army?

Why War? Why an Army?. John M. House Colonel (retired), US Army. Background. SAMS class 1988-1989 Desire to capture lessons from SAMS Lots of notes to ship as HHG Joined notes from MA in History & MS in Business Desert Storm Desire to modify lessons from SAMS after ODS

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Why War? Why an Army?

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  1. Why War? Why an Army? John M. House Colonel (retired), US Army

  2. Background • SAMS class 1988-1989 • Desire to capture lessons from SAMS • Lots of notes to ship as HHG • Joined notes from MA in History & MS in Business • Desert Storm • Desire to modify lessons from SAMS after ODS • Added to the pile of notes to ship in my HHG • Naval War College • Surely I learned something from battalion command • Had to learn something from the Navy – right? • More notes to drag around in my HHG • Retired – Decided to earn a PhD (Northcentral University) • Needed to clear out all of those notes in my HHG • Time to finish this or quit

  3. The Result • At least four major revisions and countless smaller ones • A summary of an explanation of war • A review of the reasons for war • A review of the things armies do • The impact of a changing environment • Why War? Why an Army?

  4. What’s in it? • War is not new and is not going away • Struggle for Power • Violence and the threat of violence • Not a review of doctrine but doctrine is in it • Old and current • Frames certain elements of the discussion • Discussion of concepts • Strategy to transformation • Levels of war to spectrum of conflict • Natures of war • Physical, moral, and cognitive • Process of change for military services • Evolutionary to revolutionary

  5. A Struggle for Power • Power provides a nation or a group to have the freedom to do as they wish • Power comes in many forms • Military • Economic • Geography and Resources • National Will • Political Structure • Policy involves the use of power • Violence is a method of imposing power • War then is the violent use of military power

  6. Types of Wars • Conflict intensity • Conventional and Unconventional • Types of weapons • Ex. Nuclear or non-nuclear • Geography • A nation or the world • Revolutionary • Full spectrum • A collection of mission types executed by military power

  7. Purpose of an Army • Defense against all enemies • Nation building • Exploration • Law enforcement • Governing • Socialization • Critical purpose is to retain the ability to fight, to kill a nation’s enemies

  8. Levels of War & Domains of War • Levels of War • Strategic • Operational • Tactical • Domains of War • Physical • Cognitive • Moral

  9. Change and the Military Services • Change • Revolutionary and Evolutionary • Operational concepts • Weapon systems • Organization changes • Technological change • Ensuring Change • Leadership • Authority versus Learning-driven • Systems approach • Maintaining relevance • Bumps in the Tank Trail • Making the right change

  10. The Future • War is not going away • Violent conflict between states and non-state groups will continue • Force structure will adjust • Belligerents will rely on their capabilities • Space, land, technology • New form of war? • Constants • War is a human drama that protects and destroys at the same time

  11. Who should buy it? • Anyone interested war and armies • Provides an overview of war and operations • Starting point for a study of war • Useful as an overview for: • The serious student to provoke discussion • The person who wants to understand war and armies

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