Mountain and Cold Weather

<p>This monograph posits that military operations in high mountains or intense cold require forces with specialized organization training and equipment. The author compares characteristics of military operations in mountains and cold weather and defines the mountain/cold weather (MCW) environment. The author describes the effect of the MCW environment on each of the six warfighting functions. To illustrate the effects of the MCW environment on military operations the author briefly reviews the cold weather Suomussalmi campaign during the Soviet-Finnish Winter War and the high mountain Kargil campaign in the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir one of many bloody confrontations between India and Pakistan. The author summarizes and briefly describes those regions that hold both strategic importance for the United States and that are characterized by high mountains or cold climates. These regions are: Central and South Asia the Caucasus Iran the Andes and the Arctic. The author then catalogs current U.S. military MCW warfighting (MCWW) capabilities concluding that the capacity currently resident within the U.S. Armed Forces is insufficient. Recognizing that the development of a dedicated specialized force is an inefficient and unrealistic goal for the U.S. military the author recommends a hedging strategy to provide a minimally acceptable off-the-shelf capability to support U.S. regional combatant commanders. This hedging strategy includes the designation of a Department of Defense executive agent a high level programs office to direct and coordinate doctrine training and procurement and the establishment of modern training centers. Finally the author advocates organizing training and equipping specialized units designed to provide supported general purpose forces with MCW-specific expertise and equipment.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>